Men's Basketball Plays Host To Dartmouth Wednesday On NESN

Quinnipiac University Bobcats (5-5) vs.
Dartmouth College Big Green (2-9)
Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009 - 2 p.m.
TD Bank Sports Center - Hamden, Conn.
TV - NESN

Bobcats Play Host To Dartmouth Wednesday
The Quinnipiac University men's basketball team returns to action Wednesday afternoon, when it welcomes Dartmouth to the TD Bank Sports Center for a game televised on NESN. The Bobcats defeated Columbia, 63-51, in a defensive struggle Dec. 23 in Hamden. Meanwhile, the Big Green has lost its last three contests, including a 63-44 defeat at home to Colgate on Dec. 22. Dartmouth has not won a game on the road thus far, falling in all five attempts. The Bobcats own a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series, including wins in each of the last two meetings.

Scouting the Dartmouth Big Green
The Big Green (2-9) has struggled to replace 2008-09 Ivy League Player of the Year Alex Barnett, who was lost to graduation after leading Dartmouth in every major statistical category last season. In his absence, Jabari Trotter has led the Big Green with 8.7 points per game. David Rufful (8.5 ppg), Robby Pride (7.7 ppg) and Ronnie Dixon (7.7 ppg) are close behind. Clive Weeden (5.5 rpg) and Matt LaBove (5.4 rpg) lead the Big Green on the boards. Pride averages close to two assists per game, while Rufful is close to two steals per game.

Last Time Against Dartmouth
Down five points with 1:28 remaining, the Bobcats came from behind to defeat Dartmouth, 76-74, Dec. 17, 2008, in Hanover, N.H. James Feldeine scored a game-high 29 points and Justin Rutty added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bobcats. Alex Barnett led Dartmouth with 24 points.

Last Time Out Against Columbia
Quinnipiac used a 15-1 run and held Columbia to 26.1 percent shooting in the second half to defeat the Lions, 63-51, Dec. 23, in Hamden. James Feldeine scored a team-high 13 points, while Justin Rutty added 14 rebounds for the Bobcats. Dave Johnson scored all 10 of his points in the first half.

On The Air
Wednesday's game will be televised live on NESN. The voice of the Bobcats, Bill Schweizer, will have the play-by-play call, while Bill Mecca will provide color commentary. Jayme Parker will provide sideline reports. The game can also be heard live on AM 1220 WQUN. Bob Mortali will have the play-by-play call with Bob Tipson on color. The game can also be seen live on Bobcat Channel, the web streaming arm of the official Quinnipiac Athletics website, www.quinnipiacbobcats. Live stats will also be available through www.quinnipiacbobcats.com. To access live audio, video and stats, please click on the appropriate links on the men's basketball schedule on www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.

Feldeine Flirting With 1,000 Points
With 964 career points, James Feldeine stands just 36 points shy of 1,000 at Quinnipiac. Making the feat more impressive is that Feldeine scored just seven points in his freshman season of 2006-07.

Rutty Grabs Rebound Number 500
With eight rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson, Justin Rutty eclipsed the 500 career rebound plateau, becoming just the fifth Bobcat to do so at the Division level. Currently at 541 rebounds, only Bill Romano '02 (580), C.J. Vick '05 (577), Kason Mims '04 (548) and Jeremy Bishop '03 (547) now stand in Rutty's way to becoming Quinnipiac's Division I Rebounding King.

QU In the RPI
According to www.kenpom.com, the Bobcats are the top Northeast Conference team in the RPI (ratings percentage index). QU is ranked No. 150, with the next-closest team being Sacred Heart at No. 211.

C-T State of Mind
Quinnipiac is 4-0 in games played in Connecticut.

Sitting on Top of the NEC Stats
Quinnipiac ranks first, second or third in 13 of 19 statistical categories that the Northeast Conference compiles. The Bobcats are first in scoring margin (+3.7), field-goal percentage defense (.416), rebounding offense (41.0), rebounding defense (31.0), rebound margin (+10.0) and offensive rebounding (16.0). QU ranks second in scoring offense (69.3), scoring defense (65.6), field-goal percentage (.436), steals (7.3), and defensive rebounds (25.0). Finally, QU ranks third in assists (13.4) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.87).

Quinnipiac, Rutty Grab Top 10 On NCAA Charts
The Bobcats are ranked eighth in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (16.0). Individually, Justin Rutty ranks eighth nationally at 4.7 offensive boards per game, a year after finishing second in the nation behind only Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair (5.6 oreb/game) with 4.6 offensive caroms per game.

Bench Warming Up
The Bobcats got a season-high 23 points from their bench players, Dec. 23, against Columbia. Dave Johnson led the way, tying his career-high with 10 points. Jamee Jackson contributed seven points and Deontay Twyman added six.

If At First You Don't Succeed...
43.8 percent of the Bobcats' rebounds have come on the offensive end, third-most in the NCAA this year.

On the Rebound
Quinnipiac has outrebounded each of its opponents this year, and owns a +10.0 rebounding margin, good for 10th in the nation.

Lion Tamers
The Bobcats held Columbia to just 26.1 percent shooting in the second half, Dec. 23. Quinnipiac ran away with the victory, outscoring the Lions, 15-1, during a span of 5:53 in the decisive stanza.

Action Jackson
Jamee Jackson had seven points and eight rebounds, including a career-high seven offensive rebounds, Dec. 23, against Columbia.

Feldeine Seeing 20-20-20-20-20
James Feldeine scored at least 20 points in five straight games against Navy, Massachusetts, Fairleigh Dickinson, Rhode Island and Vermont. He averaged 23.0 points in the span.

Reversal of Fortunes
Through eight games, the Bobcats won every game they led at the half and lost every game when they trailed after 20 minutes. Quinnipiac then led Vermont at the half, Dec. 13, and went on to lose, before trailing Columbia at the break of a Dec. 23 win.

On Second Thought...
The Bobcats have held opponents to a lesser field-goal percentage in the second half (38.7 percent) as compared to the first half (44.3 percent) through nine games this season. Included in the mark is a stretch of two second halves in which the Bobcats held Maine and Navy to a combined 26.1 percent (12-46) over the 40 second-half minutes. The Bobcats held Columbia to the same 26.1 percent (6-23), Dec. 23.

3 Straight With 20-Plus For 2
The Bobcats had two players score at least 20 points in each of three straight games, Dec. 5, 8, and 13. James Feldeine and Justin Rutty accomplished the feat against Fairleigh Dickinson and Rhode Island. Meanwhile, Jeremy Baker scored 22 points and Feldeine added 21 at Vermont. Rutty scored 23 and 30 points against FDU and Rhode Island, respectively, while Feldeine had 22 and 28.

Rutty Atop ESPN Nightly Rankings
Justin Rutty ranked as the most productive player in the nation, Dec. 8, as decided by the ESPN Rating. The ESPN Rating weighs points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, field goals, three-point field goals and free throws. Rutty scored 30 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and made four steals.

Rutty, Feldeine Post Top Five Scoring Outputs
Justin Rutty (30 points) and James Feldeine (28 points) both ranked in the top five in the nation in single-game scoring, Dec. 8, at Rhode Island. Rutty ranked second, while Feldeine ranked fifth.

Dynamic Duo
Justin Rutty and James Feldeine combined for 58 points, Dec. 8, at Rhode Island. The 58 points between two players are the third-most by Bobcats teammates in QU Division I history. Rob Monroe (41) and Karl Anderson (20) combined for 61 points against Division II Longwood, Jan. 2, 2005, while Monroe (32) and Craig Benson (27) scored 59 combined points, Dec. 4, 2004, at Robert Morris.

Shooting the Lights Out
The Bobcats shot a season-high 55.4 percent (31-56), Dec. 8, at URI.

Give a Dime, Take a Dime
The Bobcats tied their season-high with 17 assists, Dec. 5, against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Small Man, Big Game
Dave Johnson had a breakout performance against Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 5, establishing new career highs in points (10), assists (6) and steals (3).

Bobcats Sign Two For 2010-11
Quinnipiac Head Coach Tom Moore has announced the signings of Ike Azotam (Boston, Mass.) and Dominique Langston (Bridgeport, Conn.) to National Letters of Intent. Azotam is a 6-foot-7 forward currently enrolled at Marianapolis Prep in Thompson, Conn., for a post-graduate year. Langston, a 6-foot-3 guard also opted for a post-grad year, and is attending St. Thomas Moore in Oakdale, Conn.

Bobcats In NEC Openers
With a win Dec. 5 against Fairleigh Dickinson, Quinnipiac improved to 7-5 in Northeast Conference openers, including a 3-0 mark under Head Coach Tom Moore.

Fordham Elevates Grasso To Head Coach
Jared Grasso '02 has been elevated to Interim Head Coach at Fordham University after more than three years as an assistant coach at the school. Grasso, who played for four years at QU (1998-02) and served as an assistant coach during the 2005-06 season, is fifth on the Quinnipiac Division I career scoring list with 1,134 points. His name is stamped all over the QU Division I record book. In addition to his scoring record, he's second in three-point field goals (216), third in assists (404) and three-point field goal percentage (39.4%) and fourth in free throws made (233).

Grabbing A New High Again
The Bobcats shattered their previous record of 24 offensive rebounds in a single game at the Division I level with 28 offensive caroms at UMass on Dec. 2. Quinnipiac's previous high of 24 was accomplished just three games earlier at Yale on Nov. 21. Justin Rutty was monumental in both efforts, grabbing 10 offensive boards at Yale and nine at UMass.

10 Great Minutes
The Bobcats held Navy without a field goal for a stretch of 10:29 in the second half, Nov. 30. The Midshipmen managed eight points, all on free throws, in the span.

Feldeine Flashes Back
After an off night in which James Feldeine uncharacteristically scored just three points, Nov. 24, at Maine, the senior wing erupted for a season-high 24 points, including 18 in the second half, Nov. 30, at Navy.

Another Note About Rutty's Offensive Rebounding
Justin Rutty, the nation's top returning offensive rebounder from a year ago (4.6 offensive rebounds per game), grabbed seven of his nine rebounds on the offensive glass, Nov. 30, at Navy.

Getting Defensive
The Bobcats held Maine to just 30.6 percent (19-62) shooting on Nov. 24, including just 25.9 percent (7-27) in the second half. The Black Bears converted just two of 16 three-point attempts (12.5 percent).

Bo Knows Offense
James Johnson scored 16 points, including 4-for-6 shooting from long range, at Maine. The output was just one point off his previous career high of 17 points, scored twice last season.

Feldeine Gets Fifth
James Feldeine compiled his fifth career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds at Lehigh, Nov. 18.

Rutty Named NEC, CT 6 Player of the Week
For his average of 21.0 points and 11.0 rebounds in the Bobcats' 1-1 week, Justin Rutty was named both the Choice Hotels NEC Player of the Week and the Connecticut 6 Player of the Week. Rutty scored 19 points and added eight rebounds in a loss at Lehigh, before exploding for 23 points and 14 rebounds, 10 on the offensive glass, at Yale.

Downright Offensive
Justin Rutty scored 23 points and grabbed 10 of his 14 rebounds on the offensive glass in the Bobcats' Nov. 21 victory over local rival Yale. Rutty, the nation's top returning offensive rebounder from a year ago, averaged 4.6 offensive rebounds per game. That figure was bested only by current San Antonio Spurs forward DeJuan Blair, who averaged 5.6 offensive rebounds per game last season at Pittsburgh.

Rebounding First
Led by Justin Rutty's 10 offensive rebounds, the Bobcats grabbed 24 offensive rebounds at Yale, then the most by a Quinnipiac team since the school entered Division I play in 1998-99. Jamee Jackson added four offensive boards and James Johnson had three. In total, seven Bobcats had at least one offensive board.

Clutch Free-Throw Shooting
With Yale closing quickly on QU's lead down the stretch on Nov. 21 in New Haven, James Johnson and James Feldeine stepped to the charity stripe and combined to go 10-for-10 in the final minute and a half of play.

Rutty Rebounds Against Lehigh
Justin Rutty bounced back from a foul-plagued, five-point, five-rebound performance against Hartford to score 19 points on 9-12 shooting and add eight rebounds at Lehigh.

QU Picked Second In CT6 Poll
Quinnipiac was picked second in the Preseason Connecticut 6 Coaches' Poll. Fairfield claimed the top spot, while Sacred Heart immediately followed the Bobcats in third. Central Connecticut, Yale and Hartford rounded out the poll.

Rutty Picked To Preseason CT6 Team
Justin Rutty was selected as Quinnipiac's representative on the Preseason Connecticut 6 Team. Joining Rutty were CCSU's Shemik Thompson, Fairfield's Anthony Johnson, Hartford's Joe Zeglinski, Sacred Heart's Corey Hassan and Yale's Alex Zampier.

Bobcats 3rd In NEC Coaches' Poll
The Northeast Conference's coaches selected the Bobcats to finish tied for third in the league this season. Mount St. Mary's claimed the top spot, followed by Long Island. Robert Morris was selected to tie QU for third, while Central Connecticut ranked fifth. Sacred Heart, St. Francis (N.Y.), Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth, Wagner, Bryant and Saint Francis (Pa.) rounded out the poll.

Johnson's Elite Company
James Johnson began an impressive streak when he started last season's opener against Hartford. The point guard became just the eighth freshman in QU Division I history to start his collegiate debut. Johnson went on to start all 31 of Quinnipiac's games, joining just 19 other freshmen in the nation to start every game their team played in 2008-09. With the start in each of this season's contests, Johnson has stretched the streak to his first 40 games as a Bobcat. Each player to start his first game and complete four years with the Bobcats has scored over 1,000 points. Rob Monroe, Bill Romano and Jared Grasso started their first games and rank first, second and fifth, respectively, on the Bobcats D-I scoring list. Johnson joined teammates Justin Rutty and Evann Baker as current players who started their debuts, while Job Casimir and Casey Cosgrove were in the starting line-up for their initial contests, but transferred prior to completion of four seasons in Hamden.

Saying "No" To Joe
The Quinnipiac defense once again clamped down on Hartford's Joe Zeglinski, one of the most potent scorers in the America East Conference. After scoring 12 points in the first half of this year's meeting, aided by a 30-foot desperation heave off glass that fell at the halftime buzzer, the Bobcats didn't allow Zeglinski another point in the second half. The Bobcats held the 2007-08 First-Team All-America East selection to just two points on 1-for-10 shooting on Nov. 14, 2008. Zeglinski's career scoring average was 14.6 points entering the contest. He had reached double-figures in 34 of his prior 37 games. The output tied Zeglinski's career low, set during his freshman season, Feb. 3, 2007, at Boston University.

Moore of the Same
Head Coach Tom Moore has won the season opener in each of his three years at QU, all coming against Hartford. Prior to Moore's arrival to Hamden, no Quinnipiac team had won its first game of the season during the school's Division I era. Teams that have had Moore serving on the coaching staff have won 10 consecutive season openers. The last time one of Moore's teams didn't win its first game was Nov. 11, 1999, when defending National Champion and top-ranked UConn was upset by Iowa in the Coaches vs. Cancer IKON Classic. None of Quinnipiac's other five coaches all-time won their first three season openers, and only Burt Kahn won three straight at any point. Kahn won three straight three times, including six straight from 1967-68 through 1972-73.

On Deck
The Bobcats return to Northeast Conference action Jan. 2, when they travel to West Long Branch, N.J., to face Monmouth. Opening tip from the new Multipurpose Activity Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.