Saturday, December 31, 2016

Barry-ied In Miami.

The Rollins Tars faced a top 20 opponent for the third consecutive game on Friday and the result was a familiar one. This time it was a 90-70 loss at the hands of the 10th ranked Barry Buccaneers at the Sport and Health Center in Miami Shores. The third consecutive loss dropped Rollins to 7-6 overall and 1-3 in the SSC. With the victory Barry stayed atop the SSC at 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the SSC.
  The Tars were led in scoring by Eric Castaneda who scored 14 points off the bench- Connor McKim added 13- while Sam Philpott and Joey Galvis each scored 10.  Rollins shot 39 percent as a team in the game- they were 11-29 (38 percent) from the 3-point line. The Tars shot 68 percent (19-28) from the free throw line.  They had 12 assists and 16 turnovers.
  Barry was led by Sawyer Glick who drained seven 3-pointer's en route to his 27 points- Adrian Gonzalez added 21- while Elvar Fridriksson dished out a game high 10 assists.  The Bucs shot 49 percent as a team- including 39 percent (14-36) from the 3-point line. At the free throw line they shot 67 percent (8-12.)  Barry dominated the rebounding battle, crushing the Tars on the boards 42-28.  They had 24 assists and 16 turnovers as a team.
  Connor McKim buried a 3-pointer on the Tars first trip down the floor and five minutes into the game it was tied at eight.  Glick got hot and would bury three consecutive 3-pointer's to give the Bucs the lead but the Tars would battle back with a 9-2 run of their own after a Castaneda 3-pointer to make it 22-20 midway thru the opening half.  The Bucs would take control late in the first half and would open up a 17 point (51-34) halftime lead.
  Barry would start the second half on a 9-0 run that would put this one out of reach for the Tars. Rollins would not get any closer than 20 the rest of the way.
Rollins will be back in action Wednesday when they head home to Winter Park to face Tampa. Tip time is set for 730 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
Other SSC Scores:
Lynn 102 Florida Tech 94
Tampa 80 Florida Southern 70
Embry- Riddle 89 Nova Southeastern 71
Palm Beach Atlantic 78 Saint Leo 77
SSC Standings:
Barry 5-1 (9-1)
Eckerd 3-1 (10-2)
Tampa 3-1 (10-3)
Florida Tech 3-3 (9-5)
Lynn 2-3 (7-4)
Florida Southern 2-3 (4-9)
Rollins 1-3 (7-6)
Saint Leo 1-3 (6-7)
Nova Southeastern 1-4 (4-8)


Thursday, December 29, 2016

Rollins Continues Tough Stretch In Miami Friday.

The Rollins Tars will face a ranked opponent for the third consecutive game on Friday. This time they will travel to Barry to take on the #10 Barry Buccaneers at the Sport and Health Center. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide on RollinsSports.com.
  Rollins (7-5 1-2 SSC) is coming off a tough trip to Las Vegas.  The Tars were a 85-80 loser in the opener to #8 Angelo State. In the second game of the South Point Holiday Classic Rollins got off to a slow start and was buried by the #19 Buffaloes of West Texas A@M 89-68.
 Tars junior Sam Philpott has led the team in scoring five consecutive games and is leading the season box score at 17.3 points per contest- Jeff Merton puts up 15.3 points a night- and grabs 5.3 rebounds a contest.  Joey Galvis rounds out the double digit scorers at 10.4 points per game. The Tampa Jesuit product also leads the SSC in steals with 30 on the year.  Connor McKim leads the team in assists at 3.7 a game.  Rollins is sixth in the SSC offensively scoring 84.8 points a game.  Defensively the Tars are eighth in the league allowing 83.7 a game.  The Tars are last in rebounding margin (-6.2) but are leading the SSC in steals at 9.5 a game.
     Barry (8-1 4-1 SSC) is led by Adrian Gonzalez. He leads the SSC and is 16th in DII putting up 22.6 points a game. He has eclipsed the 30 point mark three times and is coming off a 37 point outburst in a win over Indianapolis last time out.  He is fifth in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting at a 69 percent clip.  Elvar Fredriksson comes in scoring 16.8 a game.  He is third in the nation and leads the SSC with 74 assists on the season.  Arie Williams (11.7 points a game-) and Sawyer Glick (11.6 per night) are also averaging double figures on the season.  The high powered Bucs offense leads the SSC and is sixth in the nation scoring 96.2 points per game- they are fifth in the SSC on the defensive end giving up 82.6 a night.  The Bucs have the nation's second best field goal percentage (54 percent) on the season.
  Rollins leads the all time series 46-22. The last meeting was in the DII South Region when Barry eliminated the Tars 107-92.  Sam Philpott led the Tars in that one with 20.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Barry by 6.5
Other SSC Lines:
Florida Tech (Pick) @Lynn
Tampa +3.5@Florida Southern
Embry-Riddle (-2.5) @Nova Southeastern
Palm Beach Atlantic +2 @Saint Leo
SSC Standings:
Barry 4-1 (8-1)
Eckerd 3-1 (10-2)
Tampa 2-1 (9-3)
Florida Tech 3-2 (9-4)
Florida Southern 2-2 (4-8)
Rollins 1-2 (7-5)
Saint Leo 1-2 (6-6)
Lynn 1-3 (6-4)
Nova Southeastern 1-4 (4-7)



Monday, December 19, 2016

Empty Trip. Tars Fall to Buffs Monday.

The Rollins Tars knew coming into this year's South Point Holiday Classic in Las Vegas this may be the toughest draw they have ever had. After a 85-80 loss to #10 Angelo State on Sunday afternoon Rollins was pummeled 89-68 by West Texas A@M at the Doolittle Center Monday. Tom Klusman and the Rollins staff can only hope the Tars will be a better team after playing two consecutive ranked opponents in a 24 hour span.
  West Texas A@M (14-1) has now rolled off 10 consecutive victories.  The Buffaloes placed five players in double figures for the second consecutive day (they defeated Western Washington Sunday.)  David Chavlovich scored 20 points and dished out a game high 11 assists to pace the Buffs- Joseph Prince knocked down four 3-pointer's en route to his 18 points- Drew Evans and Eric Golightly Jr. chipped in 11 points each- while Jordan Evans had 10.  The Buffs shot 53 percent as a team and 50 percent (17-34) from the 3-point line.  They also shot at a 71 percent clip (10-14) from the free throw line.  The Buffaloes nearly doubled the Tars rebounding output 36-19.  They had 26 assists and 23 turnovers.
  Rollins (7-5) was paced once again by Sam Philpott with 17 points- Connor McKim was a perfect 8 of 8 at the free throw line on his way to 12 points- while Jeff Merton added 10.  The Tars shot 48 percent as a team. Coming into the game in the top 25 in the country in 3-point shooting Rollins shot just 21 percent (3-14) from the 3-point line.  They shot 78 percent (21-27) at the free throw line.  Rollins had 13 assists and 18 turnovers.
  The Buffaloes come out red-hot in the early going as they would drain their first four field goals (all 3-pointer's) and then Golightly would hit a jumper to make it 14-3 in the game's first four minutes. After being down 15 (20-5) Rollins would get a 3-pointer from Galvis and pair of McKim free throws to make it a 10 point deficit (20-10.)  The Buffaloes would lead by as many as 23 in the opening half and take a 53-34 lead into the locker room.
  The Tars would get off to a good start in the second half, as Philpott would score the first five points after a A@M basket put them up 21. Rollins would get to within 16 (55-39) with 18:52 to go. Tommy Gove would hit a pair of 3-pointer's to destroy any chance of a Rollins comeback. The Buffs would lead by as many as 29 (83-54) with 6:29 left. The Tars would get no closer than 21 the rest of the way.
 The Tars will not play again until December 30th. The schedule will not get any easier as they will head to Miami Shores to take on Barry. Tip time that day is set for 4 PM. You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.
 

Rollins- #8 West Texas A@M Play In Battle Of High Octane Offenses In Vegas.

The Rollins Tars (7-4) will play for a second consecutive day when they battle the Buffaloes of West Texas A@M at the Doolittle Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Monday.
  Rollins is coming off a 85-80 loss to the Rams of Angelo State on Sunday afternoon.  Sam Philpott came into the tournament as the Tars leading scorer at 16.3 points a game and scored a career high 27 in the loss to the Rams.  Jeff Merton bounced back after a couple of tough games with a 24 point output on Sunday.  Merton came into the weekend averaging 14.9 points a game. Joey Galvis scored 13 points and is the other Tar who was averaging double figures going into the weekend (10.5 points per game.)  Galvis also leads the Sunshine State Conference in steals.  The Tars have scored 100 points or more four times thus far this season.  They came into the weekend 25th in the country in field goal percentage and 15th in Division II in 3-point percentage.
  The Buffaloes of West Texas A@M (13-1) come into Monday's contest riding a eight game win streak. The last time out Sunday they put five players in double figures in a victory over Western Washington. David Chavlovich paced the Buffs with 19- Eric Golightly Jr. added 15- Jerrod Walton notched 14- Joseph Prince netted 11- and- Skyler O'Laughlin chipped in 10.  They already have three wins this season over ranked opponents.  They average nearly 90 points a game as a team.
  The meeting will be the first ever between Rollins and West Texas A@M.
  You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
West Texas A@M by 7.5

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Tars Outlasted Sunday.

The Rollins Tars had a 11 point lead in the second half but could not hang on in a 85-80 loss to #10 Angelo State in the opener of the South Point Holiday Classic at South Point Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday.  With the win Angelo State stayed perfect (7-0) on the season.  Rollins dropped to 7-4 on the season in a losing effort.
  Three Rams scored in double figures in the victory.  Thomas Tshikaya paced the Rams with 19 points and 13 rebounds- Quay King tallied 17- while Prince Foster scored 14 points and dished out five assists.  The Rams shot 46 percent on the afternoon.  They were 9-24 (38 percent) from the 3-point line- while shooting 74 percent (26-35) at the free throw line.  The Rams dominated on the glass, out rebounding the Tars 42-31.  They had 14 assists and 21 turnovers.
  Rollins was led by Sam Philpott who poured in a career high 27 points on the day-  Jeff Merton also had a solid day scoring 24- Joey Galvis also scored in double figures with 13 in the game.  The Tars shot 41 percent as a team in the loss. They went 10-26 (38 percent) from the 3-point line.  At the free throw line they were 22-29 (76 percent.)  They had 14 assists and 18 turnovers.
  The game started with the Rams taking a early 10-2 lead.  The Tars would quickly respond with a 10-0 run of their own to go up 12-10 after a pair of Merton free throws. The game would be knotted at 20 with 8:13 to go in the opening half.  The Tars would go up by five (35-30) and would use a Philpott tip in at the buzzer to take a eight point (45-37) halftime lead.
  The Tars would stretch the lead to 11 early in the second half but the Rams would fight back.  ASU would cut the Rollins lead to one (56-55) at the 12:27 mark.  The Tars would take a six point lead (61-55) as Merton would score the game's next five points.  Once again the Rams would have a response though. This time a 15-2 burst by ASU would give them a 70-63 lead at the 6:35 mark.  The Tars would get to within two (75-73) on a pair of Galvis 3-pointer's and a Merton bucket at the 3:15 mark.  That would be as close as the Tars would get.
  Rollins will be back in action Monday when they take on West Texas A@M. Tip time is set for 2 PM Eastern at the Doolittle Center.  The Buffaloes were a winner over Western Washington Sunday.  You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and round the world at RollinsSports.com

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Rollins Tangles With #10 Angelo State In Vegas Opener Sunday.

The Rollins Tars (7-3) will play the opener of the team's annual trip to Las Vegas on Sunday in the South Point/Holiday Classic when they tangle with #10 Angelo State at the South Point Arena.  Tip time is set for 2 PM eastern time and you can catch the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide on RollinsSports.com with Jim "Shooter" Ferro.  You can also catch video of the contest on Sportstours.net
  Rollins comes into Vegas off of a 112-104 overtime victory over Puerto Rico Rio Piedras on Thursday afternoon.  Six Tars scored in double figures in that one, led by 19 points and five rebounds from Sam Philpott.  The game was the fourth time this season the Tars eclipsed the century mark in points scored.  Rollins is 25th in the nation in field goal percentage and 15th in 3-point percentage.  Philpott leads the Tars box score on the season averaging 16.3 points a night-  Jeff Merton is second on the team putting up 14.9 per contest and is also grabbing 5.3 rebounds.  Joey Galvis is also averaging double figures (10.5 points per game.)   Galvis leads the SSC and is 23rd in the nation with 23 steals in the first 10 contests.
  10th ranked Angelo State comes in with a 6-0 record on the year.  The Rams are one of the hardest teams to score on, as they are sixth in the nation in field goal percentage against.  They are also seventh in blocked shots and third in defensive rebounds.  As a team the Rams are allowing just 68.3 points per contest.  The last time out the Rams were a 75-72 winner over Midwestern State on December 8th.  The Rams are outscoring teams by more than 13 points a game during the 6-0 start.  They are paced by Quay King who is scoring 20.7 points per night.  King has hit 23 of 55 3-pointer's on the season.  Lorenzo Dillard scores 15.8 points a game and is leading the team with 5.2 assists a contest.  Prince Foster chips in 13.3 a game of his own.  The Rams big man on the boards has been Thomas Tshikaya who grabs 9.7 rebounds a game to go along with his 9.5 points a night.
  The two teams have only met one other time. It was a 87-76 Angelo State victory in Las Vegas a season ago.  Jeff Merton led the Tars in that one with 19 points. The Rams were led by 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench from Stedman Allen.  
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsbooks.com:
Angelo State by 13

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rollins Defeats Pesky Piedras.

The Rollins Tars needed overtime to do so, but eventually knocked off a pesky Puerto Rico Rio Piedras team 112-104 at Warden Arena Thursday afternoon.  With the victory Rollins improved to 7-3 on the season. With the loss Piedras fell to 2-4.  The Tars stayed perfect (12-0) all time versus the Gullitos all time.
  Rollins got the win despite blowing a nine point lead in the last 1:24 of regulation. Seven  Rollins players scored in double figures in this one. Sam Philpott led the way with 19 points- Jeff Merton scored 16 of his 18 in the second half- Connor McKim scored 16 points, dished out five assists and had a pair of steals.  Joey Galvis and Jack Fleming scored 13 points each. Fleming also added a career high seven assists.  Blake Admire set a new career high with 11 points- and- Mike Bedulskis added 10.  Eric Castaneda led the Tars with a career high 11 rebounds in the win.
 The Tars shot 61 percent as a team in this one.  They shot 58 percent (15-26) from the 3-point line. They were a solid 21-27 (77 percent) from the free throw line.  The Tars won the rebounding battle 36-31.  They had 25 assists and 20 turnovers.
  The Gullitos were paced by a hot shooting Omar Font. Font hit 10 of his 14 3-point attempts on the way to a 36 point game- He had five steals and four assists.  Gabriel Anglero added 23- while Krystian Medina netted 14. Esteban Cordero led the Gullitos with 14 assists.  Rio-Piedras shot 50 percent as a team and shot 44 percent (24-54) from the 3-point line.  They only shot 67 percent (8-12) from the free throw line.  They had 27 assists and 22 turnovers.
 Piedras came out hit red hot hitting five of the first six shots they took (all 3-pointer's) and jumped out to a 11 point lead early (15-4.)  The Tars would bounce back with a 14-3 run of their own over the next four minutes to knot the game at 18.  Admire scored eight of those 14 points for the Tars.  After Piedras took a brief lead Bedulskis would score six straight and Rollins would take a nine point lead (32-23)with seven minutes in the half.  The Gullitos would have another run and would take a five point lead late.  The Tars would end the half with a pair of 3-pointer's (one by Philpott and another by Jakobbi Bonner) to take a 45-44 halftime lead.
  The Tars looked to be in complete control after taking a 14 point lead (77-63) at the 8:22 mark after Merton hit a couple free throws.  The Gullitos would get to within six (90-84) at the 2:09 mark but McKim buried a 3-pointer to make it a nine point lead (93-84) at the 1:24 mark.  The Tars would have three consecutive turnovers and Piedras would be within two (93-91) with 30 seconds to play. A pair of Fleming free throws would make it a four point game on the ensuing possession. Another 3-pointer, this one by Anglero cut it to one (95-94.)  Fleming would go back to the line and nail two more to make it 97-94.  Anglero would then bank in a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would send the game to an extra session.
  Each team would get a bucket early in the overtime. The Tars would have a four point lead, before a 3-pointer by Medina would cut the lead to one (105-104.)  That would be the last points the Gullitos would score as McKim would seal the Tars victory at the free throw line.
  After the game the Tars boarded a plane to Las Vegas where they will take part in the Las Vegas South Point Classic on Sunday and Monday. Each game will be at 2 PM Eastern Time and can be heard on the Geico Tars Sports Network on 915 FM WPRK Winter Park and worldwide on RollinsSports.com

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Tars Back In Action Thursday Versus Gallitos.

The Rollins Tars will be back in action Thursday afternoon when they take on Puerto Rico Rio Piedras at Warden Arena. The game tips off at 1 PM and can be seen on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK Winter Park.  Robert Segal and Jim "Shooter" Ferro will have the call.
  Rollins (6-3) comes into the game after what was the team's best defensive effort of the season in a 66-64 win over Warner.   Sam Philpott had a career high 25 points in his second consecutive start after coming off the bench earlier in the season.  Philpott now paces the Tars attack averaging 16 points per night- Jeff Merton has tailed off in the last couple games but is second on the team at 14.6 a contest.  Merton is 93 points shy of 1,000 for his Rollins career.  Joey Galvis is also coming off a stellar performance. The senior from Tampa Jesuit had a big game including the game winning old fashioned three point play against Warner.  He is averaging 10.2 a game- Galvis is shooting 50 percent from both the field and the 3-point line.   The Tars have never lost to Piedras going 11-0.  The last time the two teams met Rollins was a 87-53 winner in 2012. Dave Diakite (16 pts.) and Brett Chance (15) led the Tars in that one.
 The Gallitos are paced by Esteban Cordero who is scoring 13.2 points a game and grabbing 4.5 rebounds per night- Omar Font is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 a night- while Krystian Medina nearly averages a double-double (9.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.) Last time out they were a 89-82 loser to Flagler Wednesday afternoon. Medina scored a game high 31 in the defeat.   Font also scored in double figures with 20 in the loss to Flagler.
 The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 15.5

Friday, December 9, 2016

Defense Sparks Tars Victory Over Warner.

For the first time in the 2016-17 basketball season the Rollins Tars found a way to win a game when they did not have one of their better nights at the offensive end. Rather fittingly it would be a pair of defensive plays down the stretch that would get Rollins the 66-64 win over Warner.  Joey Galvis got a conventional 3-point play that proved to be the game winner off of a deflection and run out. Then it would be one last stop that would seal the victory.
  Rollins (6-3 1-2 SSC) was led by a career night from Sam Philpott. Philpott set a new career high with 25 points- the Noblesville, Indiana native also added 10 rebounds.  The Tars also got double digit scoring from Galvis (18 points-) and 10 from Mike Bedulskis.  The Tars shot 42 percent from the field and went 7-22 from the 3-point line.  The Tars struggled at the free throw line, where they shot just 50 percent (7-14.)  They won the rebounding battle 45-39.  The Tars had 20 assists and 19 turnovers.
  Warner (10-2) saw its five game winning streak snapped.  The Royals were led by Adam Giger who scored 15 points on five 3-pointer's- Warren Hall was held to a season low 13 points (21.7 under his season average-) and Denzel Osson also added 13.  Warner shot 37 percent on the game.  They were 10-39 (26 percent) from the 3-point line- and 6-9 (67 percent) from the free throw line.  The Royals had 17 assists and 18 turnovers.
  The game got off to a sluggish start as neither team could find the basket. Philpott scored all six points to give Rollins a 6-0 lead four minutes in.  The Tars would stretch the lead to 10 (18-8) before Warner went on a 7-1 run to cut the lead to four (19-15) with just under six minutes left in the half.  The Tars would lead by eight (27-19) with 2:21 to go in the half, before the Royals would finish the half on a 11-0 run.  A 3-pointer by Osson from 35 fee would give the Royals a 30-27 halftime lead.
  Nick Macon would hit a 3-pointer to give the Royals a six point lead (33-27) before the Tars fought back to regain the lead (36-35) with 16:13 to go.  Four lead changes and five ties would occur over the next five minutes. The Tars would take a 47-46 lead on a Merton tip in. The Tars would lead by eight at the 5:27 mark but Warner once again fought back.  The Royals took a 64-62 lead with 2:17 to go. Those would be the last points the Royals would score.  Galvis would make the play of the game with 1:06 to go and the Tars down one.  Galvis would tip a pass and get a steal then take it to the other end to complete what proved to be the game winning 3-point play.  The Tars would have a chance to "ice it but Eric Castaneda would miss the front end of a one and one.  The Royals would call time out with 20 seconds to go and would get the ball in the hands of the NAIA's leading scorer.  The Tars would come out of the time in the 1-3-1 defense and Hall would end up taking a highly contested 3-pointer that ended up being a air ball. Castaneda would then have the presence of mind to grab the ball off the rebound and throw it towards the other end of the court to preserve the Tars sixth win of the season.
  Rollins will be back in action Thursday when they welcome Puerto Rico Rio Piedras. Tip time is set for 1 PM. You can catch the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.

Tars Welcome Warner To Warden Arena Friday.

The Rollins Tars look to get back on the winning track when they welcome the Warner Royals to Winter Park in a rare Friday night game.  as always you can listen to all the action with Robert Siegel and Jim Ferro on 91.5 FM WPRK and worldwide on RollinsSports.com.
  The Tars(5-3) are looking to snap a two game losing streak.  They were defeated by Eckerd 82-73 on Saturday.  Sam Philpott paced the Tars with 20 points in that loss- while Connor McKim and Mike Bedulskis each scored 13.  Rollins who had been averaging 87.8 points a game before Deion Clark went down with a broken hand, have averaged 84 points a night in the last three (two losses.)
  Jeff Merton leads three Rollins players in double figures on the season.  Merton is putting up 15.4 points a game and leads the team in rebounding at 5.1 rebounds a night.  Sam Philpott is shooting 58 percent from the field on the season and putting up 14.9 points and 3.5 rebounds a contest.  Jack Fleming is scoring 10 points a game.
  Warner (10-1) has the leading scorer in all of NAIA.  Warren Hall is averaging 34.7 points a game on the season.  He had a 46 point performance against Milligan- and has had pair of 45 point outbursts as well.  He has scored at least 21 points in every game this season.  Also Hall leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 per contest.  Josh Ellis also scores in double figures, putting up 13.1 points a game.   The Royals average 90 points a game, while they give up 76.2 a night.
The line presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Rollins by 9.5

 
   

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Meet the 2106-17 Rollins College Tars.

Starters:
Connor McKim (#2)
freshman
Guard
6 foot 170 lbs.
Louisville, Ky (St.Xavier High School.)

Led St.X to its 26th regional championship and seventh regional runner up.  Was the Regional Player Of The Year last season.  Was also First team all region and Third Team All-State.  Scored over 1,000 career points at St.Xavier.
Rollins insider Juan Bernal had these thoughts on McKim:
"He is a shooter who can play the point as well. I have limited knowledge because I have never seen him play.  He sounds like the most promising of the newcomers though."
Teammate Eric Castenada also had positive thoughts on McKim:
"McKim is a great point guard who can spread the floor and find the open man."
Mike Beduslkis agreed:
"Connor is a true freshman who is a really crafty point guard.  He is a solid passer and shooter, who is really good in the open court.  He will be relied on heavily.  He will need to pick up the offense and defense quickly, as he will be one of our main guards this season."

Pete's take: McKim will be the Tars starting point guard this season.  He is part of a very deep freshman class.  Is a very underrated shooter.  He and Bonner will play lots of significant minutes for this team. 

Jakobi Bonner (#21)
freshman
Guard
6 foot 2 205 lbs.
Winter Springs,Fla. (Master's Academy.)

Started at Winter Springs High School before going to the Master's Academy his junior and senior seasons.  Was Defensive Player Of The Year and First Team All District his sophomore season at Winter Springs High.  His senior year he led the Master's Academy to their first ever district title.  Was the 4-A District Player Of The Year and Orlando Sentinel Second Team All-Area.  Was the first player in school history to eclipse 1,000 points in two seasons at Master's Academy.  Left as the school's all time leading scorer.  Was third team All-State and was the Male Athlete of The Year.
Bernal is impressed with how he hustles more than anything:
"Jakobi is an athletic guard who defends well and gets to the basket.  A playmaker and a hustler.  In two years he and Parker Davis will be two of the top three guards in the SSC."
Bernal said.

Pete's take: Bonner is a solid player and gives the Tars a guy who can get to the rim on the bounce. He is also one of the better defensive players on the team.  

Sam Philpott (#31)
redshirt junior
Center/Forward
6 foot 7 200 lbs.
Noblesville,Indiana (Nobelsville High School.)

2015-2016: Had a breakout season playing in all 30 games.  Averaged 21 minutes- and scored 13.1 points per night.  Shot 63 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line on the year.  Was 10th in the SSC in free throw shooting, shooting at a 79 percent clip.  Scored in double figures 23 times, including the last 14 in a row to end the season.  Scored a career high 21 points twice.
2014-15: Played in 19 games.  Averaged 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.  Shot 44 percent from the floor on the year.  Recorded his first collegiate points on 11/14 against Clark-Atlanta.  Had career high 10 points against Florida Memorial on 1/3.
2013-14: Redshirt
Bedulskis talked about how Philpott really work hard in the off-season:
" Sam has become faster and leaner this year, he is the vocal leader and captain of this team.  He is a great shooter, with great touch around the rim.  He is also a solid offensive rebounder who is very smart and crafty in the offense."

Pete's take: Another solid season is expected of the Tars workhorse.  He is good enough to be All SSC First Team.

Jeff Merton (#44)
junior
Forward
6 foot 5 215 lbs.
Naples,Fla. (Community School of Naples)

2015-16: Led the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game.  Was a solid shooter, shooting 49 percent from the field on the year.  Was a 79 percent free throw shooter and led the team in rebounding.  Scored in double figures 24 times included eight 20+ point games.  Was sixth in the SSC in field goal percentage and fourth in 3-point shooting percentage.  Was All SSC First Team and All District Second Team.
2014-15: Had a solid freshman campaign.  Scored in double figures 17 times, including three games that he scored 20 points or more.  Played 31.3 minutes per night.  He averaged 11.1 points and five rebounds a contest.  Had a double-double versus Florida Southern on 1/28.  Then on 1/31 he had a career high 23 points versus Lynn. Finished the season with 21 points against eventual national champion Florida Southern.
Castenada sang the praises of Merton:
" He is a lights out shooter that can make a play even when he is not scoring. "
Bedulskis spoke of how Merton will expand his game this season:
" Jeff will look to be more of an all around player this season.  He will play in the post a lot more, shoot a lot of 3-pointer's as a trailer and be an aggressive rebounder. He knows our offense well and will be our go to guy this season."

Pete's take: What will Merton do for an encore after being All SSC First Team last season? Conference Player Of The Year is possible. 

Jack Fleming (#4)
senior
Forward
6 foot 6 205 lbs.
Tampa,Fla. (Tampa Jesuit High School)

2015-16: Appeared in 19 games as a member of the Tars averaging 10.5 minutes per game.  Averaged three points a game on the year.  Added 24 rebounds- nine steals and three blocks for the season.  Tied his career high with three points versus Paine on 11/13.  Set a new career high with 10 points against Eckerd on 2/3.  Had eight points and three steals against Lynn on 1/6.
2014-15: Played for Colgate but saw no court time.
2013-14: Played in six games.  Hit first 3-pointer against Binghamton on 12/1. Scored five points on the season. Played four minutes twice.
Bernal likes his offensive game:
" Jack is a shooter. One of the best shooters in Division II as a matter of fact. Is a very smart player,   Health has always been an issue. If he can stay healthy, he could be an X factor.

Pete's take: Can really help this team if he's healthy. Is an outstanding shooter. 
Bench:

Mike Bedulskis (#14)
senior
Center
6 foot 9 220 lbs.
Vilnius,Lithuania

2015-16: Started all 30 games for the Tars.  Had an up and down season. He averaged 16.2 minutes per game.  Averaged 7.2 points and 3.8 rebounds a night. Scored in double figures nine times. On 10 occasions he was perfect from the free throw line.
2014-15: Played in 27 games with the Tars.  He averaged 11.6 minutes per game.  Averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per night. Scored in double figures five times.
2013-14: Played in six games for UNC Asheville.  Scored 14 points in 18 minutes.  First collegiate points came against Kentucky on 11/8.
Fellow big man Nils Lehmann commented on how practice is with "Big Mike":
"It is very good competition between the big men in practice.  We really practice hard and thrive to make each other better. "
Bernal commented on his leadership:
" Mike has had his ups and downs.  He has stuck it out and been a leader on this team."

Pete's take: The Tars are a much better team when Bedulskis is ultra aggressive. Gets to passive at times around the rim. 

Joey Galvis (#32)
senior
Guard
6 foot 1 165 lbs,
Tampa,Fla. (Tampa Jesuit High School)

2015-16: Doubled his total of games played from the previous season, playing in 28 contests.  Averaged 13.3 minutes and 6.9 points per game.  Was instant offense off the bench shooting 51 percent from the field and 47 percent from the 3-point line.  Led the team and was one of the best in the SSC with 46 steals on the year. Scored in double figures eight times.  Had a career high 20 points against Nova Southeastern on 12/4 that included the game winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.  The Tars won that game 75-74 in overtime.  On 1/20 he had 11 points and five steals against Florida Southern.
2014-15: He scored 27 points in 14 games.  Had eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals on the year.  Shot 75 percent from the free throw line.  Had eight points and four rebounds in win over Florida Tech on 2/25.
2013-14: Saw action in 15 games as a freshman scoring 21 points.  Scored his first collegiate points against Palm Beach Atlantic on 11/12.
Bernal commended the coaching staff on this find:
" Joey was a great find by Tom, Brad and Kyle.  He had his ups and downs but really developed into a good Rollins player because of his IQ and defensive tenacity.  He and the rest of this class are so resilient."

Pete's take: The most improved player on this team since his freshman season.  Is really fun to watch, especially on the defensive end where he is really good at jumping passing lanes.  Has also developed into a good 3-point shooter. 

Eric Castenada (#15)
redshirt sophomore
Guard 
6 foot 4 175 lbs.
Oviedo,Fla. (Haggerty High School)

2015-16: Played in 27 games for the Tars, averaging 10.4 minutes a game.  Scored 3.9 points a game while shooting 33 percent from the 3-point line.  Was a 79 percent free throw shooter.  Had a career high 12 points and four steals against Puerto Rico Bayamon on 11/23.
2014-15: Redshirt

Pete's take: Had a very strong finish to last season.  Is very athletic and plays really hard!!

Blake Admire (#23)
redshirt freshman
Guard
6 foot 4 190 lbs.
Mobile,Ala. (Spanish Fort High School)

Played point and wing for Spanish Fort High as a senior after attending UMS Wright his first three seasons.  Was three time All District and two time All State player.  Was First team All Coastal Alabama, two time MVP and four time All Tournament selection.  His senior season was the 4A Player Of The Year as his Spanish Fort team won 26 games and had their best run in post-season history.  That season he averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists a game.  His junior year at UMS Wright he averaged 21 points- seven assists and three rebounds a game.
2015-16: Redshirt
Bernal commented on Admire's shot:
" Blake is a guard who can shoot it.  He is going to have to compete a lot for minutes considering how good this freshman class is."

Pete's take: Going to be hard to crack the rotation with this freshman class.  Only way Admire  can do it is if he shoots real well. 

Daniel Loh (#22)
sophomore
Forward
6 foot 8 220 lbs.
Oviedo,Fla. (Haggerty High School)

2015-16: Played in 17 games for the Tars, scored 29 points and grabbed 32 rebounds for the season.  Had his best all around game in a win over Paine.  He scored four points- grabbed seven rebounds and had a pair of steals in that one.  Had a solid game on 11/18 against Warner when he scored six points.  Had five blocks and five steals for the season.
Castaneda commented on his size:
" He is a big defensive presence in the paint."
Beduslkis mentioned the work he put in during the off-season:
"Dan added some strength this off-season, he is a super athletic and quick big man who has a good variety of post moves.  To see more minutes he will need to get tougher and be more aggressive."

Pete's take: Loh will see some minutes when the Tars play bigger teams, but he has not worked himself into the rotation yet.  May see him and Philpott on the floor at the same time a little bit this season. 

Nils Lehmann (#5)
redshirt freshman
6 foot 5 225 lbs.
Kiel, Germany

2015-16: Redshirt
Attended Winter Park High School as a foreign exchange student.  Led his team in Germany to the state championship in 2014.  Averaged 18 points- 5.5 rebounds- and three rebounds a game as a senior.
Bernal had this to say about Lehmann:
" He is a forward who can rebound and runs the floor well."
When asked what the biggest difference between the game overseas and here in the United States this is what he told me:
" The European game is a lot more structured and team oriented.  It doesn't really as much on individual strength and is more tactical. The U.S game is a lot quicker and faster."

Pete's take: Can always use another big man who can get some rebounds.  Lehmann could fit this role. 

Marcus Camacho (#3)
redshirt sophomore
junior
Guard
6 foot 4 190 lbs.
Winter Spring,Fla. (Winter Springs High School)

2015-16: Sat out the season with an injury
2014-15: Redshirt
Stated sophomore thru senior seasons at Winter Springs and earned four letters.  As a senior he averaged 18 points- six rebounds and three assists a game.  Was Second Team All District and Second Team All-Area his senior season.

Pete's take: Could contribute if healthy, but injuries have always been an issue.  

Out Injured:

Deion Clark (#1)
redshirt junior
Guard/Forward
6 foot 3 200 lbs.
Naples,Fla. (Barron Collier High School)

2015-16: Joined the Tars after transferring from Old Dominion.  Had a break out season.  He averaged 9.9 points a game and shot 77 percent from the free throw line.  Scored in double figures 12 times.  Had a career high 22 points against Warner on 11/18.  Had a career high 12 rebounds against Florida Tech on 2/13.
2014-15: Played in 20 games for Old Dominion.  He scored 15 points in 70 minutes (0.8 ppg.-) shot 33 percent from the field- and- went five of seven at the free throw line for the year.  Was 0 for 4 from the 3-point line.  Collected 11 rebounds, had two steals and one assists.
2013-14: Redshirt
2012-13: Scored a career high 13 points versus Delaware and 12 versus Murray State.  Had three steals in a game versus the College of Charleston.  Injured his left knee in game versus George Mason.  Returned to play 10 minutes in the final game of the season versus Northeastern.
Bernal commented on his athletic ability amongst other things:
" He is a great teammate and playmaker.  Doesn't do anything particularly well, but just makes plays when you need one.  A must have on the floor at all times."
Bernal gave Clark the ultimate compliment:
" Deion may be the most underrated player in Rollins history. "

Pete's take: Clark is the "glue guy" for this team and it is very unfortunate that he broke his hand.  That is the bad news. The good news is he had successful surgery on the hand. Another redshirt this season is possible.  They really miss his IQ and ability to get to the rim.   

Zach Ullian (#12)
redshirt sophomore
Guard
6 foot 4 215 lbs.
Indianlantic,Fla. (Holy Trinity High School)

2015-16: Saw action in 11 games scoring 17 points.  Went 4 of 6 from the floor and 2 of 4 from the 3-point line.  Was a solid 7 of 8 at the free throw line.  Scored five points and grabbed a rebound in win over Clark-Atlanta on 11/14
2014-15: Redshirt
Was a three year letter winner for Holy Trinity High School.  Won the 2014 District Championship, and was in the regional finals both his junior and senior year.  Was a 47 percent career 3-point shooter.  Scored a career high 38 points versus Father Lopez.  Set the school record in that one with seven 3-pointer's made.
Bernal on Ullian:
" A very good shooter who may get some minutes off the bench."

Pete's take: As long as his shot is falling Ullian should play a few minutes a game when healthy.  When/if his shot goes cold is when he could lose minutes.  First he has to get healthy enough to get in the rotation though. He is out indefinelty.

Redshirts:
Christian Munson (#35)
freshman
Forward 
6 foot 6 205 lbs.
Carmel,Indiana

Led Guerin Catholic in Carmel,Indiana to the 2014 sectional and regional championship.  In 2015 they won the state championship.  He averaged 22.4 points a game.  This while scoring over 1,000 points in his high school career.

Pete's take: Very limited knowledge on this guy, but he had a solid high school career.  

Parker Davis (#13)
freshman
Guard
6 foot 1 175 lbs.
Windermere,Fla. (Windermere Prep.)

Led Windermere to the 3A State Championship in 2016.  Was Second Team All State and First Team All Area.  Was the 2016 Class 3A Player of The Year.
Bernal really likes his game:
" Parker is a point guard who is real aggressive and finishes well.  He and Jakobi will be two of the three best guards in the conference two years from now."

Pete's take: Could be the heir apparent to James Ferrell.  Very solid future for him.




Saturday, December 3, 2016

Eckerd Knocks Off Rollins Saturday.

After collaborating for a couple of days Tom Klusman, Brad Ash and Kyle Frakes decided that maybe a line up shake up would do some good for the Rollins Tars after the thrashing that they took on Wednesday at the Clemente Center. Unfortunately they did not get the answers they were looking for in a 82-73 loss to Eckerd at Warden Arena.
  With the loss Rollins fell to 5-3 on the season and 1-2 in the SSC.  The Tars had four players score in double figures in defeat.  Sam Philpott responded to his first start of the season with 20 points- fellow big man Mike Bedulskis also responded as he come off the bench for the first time this season and scored 13. Connor Mckim added 13, as he and fellow freshman Jakobi Bonner were the starting backcourt.  Jeff Merton remained in the starting lineup but scored six points under his average on the season with 10.  Jack Fleming also got a start but managed just five points.  The Tars shot 54 percent from the field and went 7-16 (44 percent) from the 3-point line.  They shot at a 70 percent clip (14-20) at the free throw line.  The Tars had 20 assists and 19 turnovers.
  Eckerd improved to 7-2 on the season and 2-1 in the SSC with a sixth straight victory.  The Tritons had five players score in double figures.  Kevin Walsh led the way with five 3-pointer's en route to his 17 points- Trevon Young scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds- Drushaun McLaurn and Blake Morrow provided 13 points each- while Obi Kyei had 12.  The Tritons shot 52 percent from the field- they went 7-20 (35 percent) from the 3-point line.  At the free throw line they went 23-30 (77 percent.)  The Tritons edged Rollins on the boards 28-27.  They had 18 assists and 17 turnovers.
  The game began with neither team finding the score book until a McKim 3-pointer at the 18:09 mark of the opening half.  The contest would back and forth for the next several minutes and would be knotted at 19 at the 8:06 mark.  That would begin what would be a 10-0 Eckerd run to give them a eight point lead (27-19) at the 5:29 mark of the opening half after a Morrow free throw.  The Tars would battle back though and would trail by one (34-33) at the half.
  The Tars would get off to a good start in the second half and take a three point lead (42-39) after a Philpott bucket with 16:58 to go. Once again the Tritons would respond though. This time it would be a 7-0 Eckerd run that would give them a four point lead (46-42) at the 16 minute mark.  The Tars would get to within a pair a couple of times but could not tie or take the lead.  The Tars would be within three (67-64) at the 3:49 mark. Then a Young bucket would stretch it to five, before Merton buried a 3-pointer to cut it to two (69-67) with 2:38 to go.  On the ensuing possession Walsh would nail a 3-pointer to give Eckerd a five point lead with 2:12 remaining.  The Tars would battle but could not get the defensive stops and rebounds they needed to secure the victory.
  Rollins will take a six day break for Final Exams this week and will be back in action Friday when they welcome Warner to Warden Arena. Tip time is set for 530 PM.  You can catch all the action on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and on 91.5 FM WPRK
Other SSC scores:
Saint Leo 99 Barry 93
Florida Tech 98 Nova Southeastern 90
Tampa 107 Embry--Riddle 91
Florida Southern 124 Palm Beach Atlantic 95
SSC Standings:
Barry 3-1 (6-1)
Florida Tech 3-1 (7-3)
ECKERD 2-1 (7-2)
Florida Southern 2-1 (3-6)
Tampa 1-1 (6-3_)
Saint Leo 1-1 (4-4)
Rollins 1-2 (5-3)
Nova Southeastern 1-3 (2-4)
Lynn 0-3 (2-4)

Friday, December 2, 2016

Rollins-Eckerd Battle In SSC Clash Saturday.

The Rollins Tars and Eckerd College Tritons will do battle Saturday at Warden Arena inside the Alfond Sports Center. As always you can catch the game on the Geico Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com and locally on 91.5 FM WPRK.  Jim "Shooter" Ferro and Robert Siegel will have the call.
  Rollins (5-2 1-1 SSC) comes into the contest off of a uninspired performance in a 90-75 loss at Florida Tech on Wednesday night. The Tars were led by 20 points from Jeff Merton- Connor McKim and Joey Galvis each had 11 in the loss.  The two areas the Tars will have to clean up to get back in the win column. They have given up 90+ points now in three straight games. The last time out they were crushed 47-29 on the glass. Rebounding has been an achilies  heel in the first seven contests.  The loss last time out snapped a four game Rollins win streak. In three of those four games they eclipsed the century mark in points scored.
  Jeff Merton leads the Tars at 16.1 points a night- he also leads the team in rebounding at 5.6 a contest.  Sam Philpott is off to another strong start. Philpott has provided a spark off the Rollins bench scoring 14.1 points a game. He is fourth in the SSC in field goal percentage, shooting at a 57 percent clip.  Jack Fleming has been solid since missing the first three games due to injury. Fleming comes into Saturday averaging 11.3 points a night.  The Tars come into the game averaging 88.3 points a game on the season.
  Eckerd (6-2 1-2 SSC) comes in riding a five game win streak.  The Tritons are second in the SSC in scoring margin, winning by an average of 11.9 points a game.  The Tritons have the top defense in the SSC, giving up 70.8 points per game.  Drushaun McLaurn is Eckerd's leading scorer at 13.9 points a game- he also grabs 6.6 rebounds a night.  Kevin Walsh has been a lethal 3-point shooter and averages 11.9 points a game. He is second in the SSC averaging nearly two 3-pointer's per contest.  Trevon Young (10.8 ppg) and Blake Morrow (10.1 ppg) also average in double figures.  The Tritons have dominated the glass, where they have out rebounded opponents by 11 boards a game.
  The two teams split a pair of meetings a year ago and the contests between the two seem to always go down to the wire.  
The lines presented by JuanBernalSportsBooks.com:
Pick
Other SSC lines:
Embry Riddle -3 @Tampa
Barry -8 vs Saint Leo
Nova Southeastern -3 vs Florida Tech
Palm Beach Atlantic -7 vs Florida Southern
SSC Standings:
Barry 3-0 (6-0)
Florida Tech 2-1 (6-3)
Eckerd 1-1 (6-2)
Rollins 1-1 (5-2)
Tampa 1-1 (5-3)
Florida Southern 1-1 (2-6)
Nova Southeastern 1-2 (2-3)
Saint Leo 0-1 (3-4)
Lynn 0-3 (2-4)