Gators Fall on Senior Day: Game Report by Louie Dane

The evening began much like many other game nights for the 2008-2009 LMU Gators Varsity Basketball team. The players ran lay-up lines, ran pre-game drills, and prepared mentally for their final regular season home game before the much awaited PSAL playoffs. Only today's game would be a new experience for eight of the Gators. Seniors Adam Leventhal, Terrick Waiters, Nelson Vergara, Travis Winograd, Sam Becker, James Peterson, Karim Obaid, and Emilio Ramos were honored by Master of Ceremonies Alan Duffy minutes before the opening tip. It was quite an emotional night for many of these seniors, who will forever cherish their opportunity to represent their school on the court.

"Some of the best days of my life were game days," says Leventhal, a four-year Varsity athlete. "Being able to play with my friends and classmates was a great experience. My first two years were kind of a disappointment, but as an upperclassmen we really turned some heads. I'm glad we could have made such a difference when we got our shot."

Two sub-.500 seasons in 2005-06 and 2006-07 set up the Gators two-year run as the Cinderella of the Manhattan B Division of PSAL Basketball. Last season, under coach Carmine Giovino, the Gators accomplished the best record in school history, posting 9 victories before falling in their first post-season opportunity to Aviation High School. Last season's success was believed to be short lived after the September departure of the Gator coach, but this year's class of leaders did not want to buy in to the theory. Newly hired gym teacher and basketball coach Ben Newman took a team with an established identity and made them hungry for more.

This season's 13-3 mark not only eclipsed last season's success, but has guaranteed the Gators a first-round home playoff game. After yesterday's game against Coalition for Social Change, many fans left the gymnasium believing that the Gators are capable of a different result.

An opening tip mishap left many players and fans caught off-guard wondering why LMU Forward Nelson Vergara was dropping easy lay-ups into his own team's basket. Says Vergara, "My adrenaline was rushing and as soon as I saw Terrick win the tip, I jumped at the chance to put some points on the board. It may not have been for the right team, but at least I looked good doing it." Having not adequately pointed out each team's baskets, the referees called a restart, and Vergara's bucket was taken off Coalition's score sheet. It was an omen for a night where the refs would have a bigger impact on the game's outcome than any of the players could have expected.

Vergara's first quarter contribution of 4 points, along with junior Sam Album's 12-point run in the second gave the Gators a 4-point cushio n at halftime after a sloppy half of basketball. In the third quarter, freshman stud Shane Richards and senior playmaker Karim Obaid electrified the home crowd with outstanding displays of athleticism in strong drives the basket. Richards added a few three pointers along the way, but poor defensive efforts by the Gators in the fourth quarter failed to neutralize Panthers big-man Brandon Pichardo in the post. Point Guard Porforio Lizardo gave the Gators' man-to-man scheme problems with high-flying moves on drives.

The real story of the game, however, was the missed free throws by the Gators in the final minutes of the game. Junior Guard C assius Naylor hit a clutch three-pointer with less than two minutes remaining, but a combined five missed opportunities from the charity stripe left the game tied with less than

10 seconds left. Coalition's Christopher Batista found the open look from three-point range in transition and nailed the bucket as the final horn sounded. Gators Center Terrick Waiters sat in a

mazement at center court afterward, staring up at the score board, which read 70-67, Panthers.

Even with the poor end to a stellar regular season, the Gators have a lot to look forward to in their second straight post-season appearance. A strong contingence of leaders on the team are more eager than ever to rebound from the disappointment. Waiters, who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds over his four years as a Varsity starter, will definitely want to make up for his missed opportunities down the stretch in a game that truly matters. This is a man that wants the ball when the game is on the line. Watch him, and the Gators. This is sure to be a season to remember.

Photos provided by Lindsay Kent

Gators Fall on Senior Day

The LMU Gators suffered a devastating loss today to the hands of the Panthers from the Coalition for Social Change. Making their first career starts were Seniors Nelson Vergara and Travis Winograd, who had been serving as the team managers for the majority of the season until the LMU roster slowly depleted because of injuries and other problems. Vergara finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds and Winograd was held scoreless.

Final Score: 67-70

Player of the Game: Terrick Waiters- 21 points, 29 rebounds

More details to follow...

Becker Will Return for Playoffs

Point Guard Sam Becker will be out for two weeks due to an injury he suffered to his right forearm in last Friday's game against Graphics. Luckily, the injury came at the right time, as Becker will only miss one game and the Gators have already clinched the division. He will have all of break to rest and will be able to play in LMU's first-round playoff contest.

Issue 2 Sneak Preview

Here's what to expect in the upcoming issue of Gator Nation:

• Debate: Should the NHL allow fighting
• The Alex Rodriguez Steroid Scandal
• Editorial: Why Major League Baseball will never recover from its infamous steroid era
• NFL Season Wrap-Up
• World Baseball Classic and Spring Training coverage

And much, much more...

2008-2009 Division Champions!

The 2008-2009 LMU Gators clinched the Manhattan B-3 division today with a decisive 13 point victory over the HS for Math, Science, and Engineering. Unable to play was defensive stopper and starting Point Guard Sam Becker, who suffered an injury to his right forearm in Friday's loss to Graphics. Stepping up in his absence was junior Cassius Naylor, who contributed 6 assists.

Terrick "The Big 5-0" Waiters was a monster on the boards, hauling in 19 rebounds and adding 10 points for yet another double-double. Although ecstatic with a division title, Waiters remains hungry--"I can't believe it. I never thought I would see this day come. Winning the division is good, but it is not good enough for the 5-0." With just one game left before the Gators begin their journey to a B division Championship, questions remain if they can be the same successful team without Sam Becker. Waiters acknowledges Becker's skills but remains positive as the Gators' remarkable regular season comes to a close--"Sam is a hell of a player. We are going to miss his defensive pressure and his ability to expose weak guards, but this is just a little adversity that the team has to overcome. This means that the next man will have to fill Sam's shoes until he gets back."

Shane Richards: Born Ready

This coming Wednesday will be the LMU Gators' first ever Senior Day, where graduating players from the class of 2009 will be honored in front of their home crowd. But another reason fans will be filling up the seats is to see a Freshman play. Averaging 16 points per game in his first season with the Gators, Shane Richards has lived up to the hype, becoming LMU's number one option on offense. About a year ago today, Richards was an utterly dominant force in Middle School, leading Lab to a city championship. Here is an article that appeared in Gator Nation at the beginning of 2008.

The clock dwindled down in LAB’s semi-final basketball game against I.S. 89, Shane Richards gathered and controlled the ball in his hands with just seven seconds remaining. With the score tied, Richards calmly dribbled past half-court and smoothly crossed over to his left hand at the foul line. Just getting enough space to edge by the 89 defender, Richards took a leaning, one-handed floater towards the basket that swished through the net with just one second remaining on the game clock. As 89’s desperation heave fell short of the basket, LAB middle school students stormed the court, mobbing the Gator team and Richards, whose last second shot eventually led to a MS Basketball Championship.

In a long line of 8th grade phenoms, Shane Richards will be the first to test the waters of LMU Varsity basketball. In 2002-2003, Danny Leventhal (Brother of current LAB SG Adam Leventhal) single-handedly led the Gators to the semifinals, putting up ridiculous statistics throughout the season before being accepted into the Bronx HS of Science. This spring, Leventhal will attempt to walk on to the SUNY Geneseo basketball team. During the 2004-2005 season, Nolan Becker anchored a strong supporting cast all the way to the semifinals against Wagner. After blowing a 12 point, the Gators suffered a heartbreaking loss and had their season end in disappointing fashion. In addition, Becker’s career with the Gators finished, as he enrolled in Stuyvesant, where he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds a game as a junior for the Runnin’ Rebels. Most recently, David Henriquez starred with Shane Richards on the 2006-2007 developmental middle school team. Henriquez, like Danny Leventhal, took his versatile game to the Bronx HS of Science, and averaged nearly 14 points a game for their junior varsity team.

Unlike previous middle school basketball stars, Richards will attempt to make the gargantuan leap to LMU varsity basketball. At 6’1”, he plays point guard for the Shaun Hicks’ coached Gators. With the ability to blow by defenders, in addition to an ultra-consistent jump shot, it is no surprise that a lot of people will be watching his progress as he makes his journey to high school. However, playing on the varsity team will be a period of adjustment for Richards, as Karim Obaid, SG of the LMU Gators explains, “He’ll be a great spot-up shooter, and will bring good team chemistry. But he needs to work on his aggressiveness and ball handling if he wants to continue to play point guard.” Rumor has it that Richards will in fact have to play shooting guard, junior Sam Becker will likely be the starting point guard for next season due to his feisty defensive intensity. PG/SG Little Pagoada believes that Richards will play small forward, but will have a difficult time getting minutes, “Shane will probably play the 3 position because he is tall and can shoot, he should have a great impact on the team because of his height and skill level, but it will be tough for him to get minutes because Coach Carmine doesn’t like playing underclassmen.” For Richards, the journey to success on Varsity will be difficult, but for Lab’s first home-grown freshmen phenom, maybe Coach Giovino will make an exception to his rules. Who knows? In four years, Richards could be hitting another game-winning shot, this time with a lot more on the line.

LMU Gators: Varsity Basketball Roster

The 2008-2009 Gators have proven to the rest of Manhattan that they are a major force to be reckoned with come the B-Division playoffs. They currently stand atop their division with an astounding record of 12-1. Here is a look at their roster, with a complete scouting report of each player.

Note: This article was written prior to the season. De to technical difficulties, the first issue of Gator Nation was not released to the public. We will be constantly updating on the team’s progress so make sure to check out the blog.

Name	Comments	Player Comparison
PG Sam Becker	Entering his fourth year on varsity, Becker looks to be the teams’ staring point guard. Equipped with blazing speed and exceptional defensive abilities, he should make a huge impact on the court.	Gary Payton
PF Terrick Waiters	Waiters is an absolute monster on the boards despite his small size for a big man. He has the potential to get a double-double in every game this year.	Zach Randolph
SG Karim Obaid	Obaid has developed a ridiculous ability to handle the basketball due to his years playing street-ball. If he can play to his strengths and attack the basket rather than settle for a jump-shot, he could average nearly twenty points a game.	Jamal Crawford
PF Eddie Zheng	Stocked with a plethora of offensive moves on the low block, Zheng dominates his opponents in the post. He is also versatile enough to play the wing.	Yi Jianlian
SF Shane Richards	The MVP of Lab’s middle school team last year, Richards will make the quantum leap to varsity. However, this should not be a problem for him, as he knows how to utilize his deadly jump-shot.	Adam Morrison
SG Sam Album	Album comes into the season as the team’s most improved player. He is no longer just a spot up shooter, and has developed ways to get by defenders in order to score points and get to the line—where he rarely misses.	Mike Miller
SG Adam Leventhal	Leventhal looks to be coach Newman’s three point specialist in his offensive system. He can use his deceptive quickness and strength to shake off defenders.	Jason Kapono
PF James Peterson	Using superior strength, Peterson simply overpowers his opponents on his way to the basket. In addition, he has a deft touch from mid-range.	Mike Sweetney
PG Cassius Naylor	A new addition to the team, Naylor will most likely come off the bench for the Gators. He is a smart player with a good jump shot and rarely turns the ball over.	Rajon Rondo
SF David Bischof	Bischof is another big body for the Gators. He uses his power to defend taller players and is adept in rebounding.	Nick Collison
PF/C Bene French	Nicknamed “Raw” due to his sheer athleticism, French does not adhere to the rules of gravity, soaring over opponents for rebounds. With a bit of coaching and experience, “Raw” could become a terror on the court.	DJ Mbenga
SF Amiyr Holland	Holland is an utter beast on the court, and will outwork anyone for the basketball. He has perfected his step back jump shot and looks to be the team’s first or second option off the bench.	Renaldo Balkman
SG/SF Emilio Ramos	A surprise addition to the team, Ramos has a good handle for his size and can be a lockdown defender at times.	Raja Bell