Reposting My Hartford Scouting Report

[Censored by Laurie]

Quinnipiac - 85 Hartford - 79 (2OT)

Hartford really was the better team last night...one QU shooter got hot late in the second half and basically carried QU to the end...but the is absolutly no reason for UNT to not win by 20.

Hartford is a very small team...nobody on the roster is taller than 6'7"...starting center Warren McClendon is 6'6" 250...hes very strong and has range out to the 3pt line. Behind McClendon is Fabrice Tafo (6'7" 225 Jr.) is very active, but not very skilled...Morgan Sabia (6'7" 200 Fr.) is a wing who won't help on the block and Kevin Estes (6'7" 230 Fr.) will see minutes if foul trouble becomes a problem. Michael Turner (6'5" 215 Jr.) essentially starts at the four...he is very gritty and is the vocal leader of the team...Hartford also lacks a true PG and Turner handles those responsiblities frequently. Their guard rotation is solid: Joe Zeglinski (6'1" 185 Soph.) is a very fluid scoring guard...Rich Baker (6'1" 180 Sr.) is the teams best shooter and either Zeglinski or Baker or both are always on the floor. The other starter is a freshamn, Anthony Minor (6'6" 200) and he provides the teams only real athleticism. Off the bench...Brian Growiak (6'3" 180 Sr.) is another solid combo guard, as is Jaret Von Rosenburg who scored 7 in the teams first game...but didn't play against QU.

UH stayed in a 1-3-1 zone the entire game...and with their lack of height will probably be forced into the same against UNT...which means Collin Dennis and Adam McCoy may have career nights shooting over the zone...

Overall: UH gets its scoring from McClendon, Baker and Zeglinski - I think McClendon will pose a bit of a match up problem...but Zeglinski and Baker simply arent athletic enough to get the shots they got yesterday against our athletic guards. UH is very patient though...and UNT will have to play defense for all 35 seconds of each possession...but we should be able to run off of misses and find holes in their zone in the half court. This is a pretty major step down in level of compition for us and should be a relativly easy win.

Since 11/11 - Jaret von Rosenburg, who DNP in the game I watched but who I felt would be a contributor has been playing well, giving Hartford a solid guard rotation with Zeglinski and Baker, von Rosenburg leads the team with a 44% 3pt percentage. Morgan Sabia, whose physical charcteristics could best be compared to Micah Bracey...a 6'7" frail forward, has been playing well of late and has moved to third on the team in scoring. The have two main scoring threats; Zeglinski and McClendon and four secondary threats; Baker, Turner, Sabia and von Rosenburg. I believe Tafo, who gave Harold Stewart-like contributions for the Hawks is injured as he has not played since the QU game.

This is the ideal game for us at this point in the season. We have struggled against a zone...Hartford will be in a 1-3-1 or 1-2-2 all game. We have struggled with on the ball perimeter defense...Hartford has talented guards, but not at the level of athletecism as our guards and the defense should be much improved. This is not a team to overlook...but one we should be able to fine tune some of our shortcomings