Dec. 1, 2008

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Tipping Off: Johns Hopkins opens Centennial Conference action this week against Franklin & Marshall and Swarthmore. The Diplomats visit Goldfarb Gymnasium on Wednesday night for the conference opener for both squads. JHU then travels to Swarthmore on Saturday for the team’s final game of the calendar year.

Series History: Wednesday’s game will be the 83rd meeting between Hopkins and Franklin & Marshall, in a series that dates back to 1946-47. The teams have met atleast once in every season since 1956-57, a stretch of 78 consecutive games. The Diplomats have dominated the series, leading it 52-30, though the Blue Jays have won four of the last six.

The series between Hopkins and Swarthmore dates back to 1919-20, the first year of basketball for JHU. However, the two programs met just nine times between 1919-20 and 1942-43. The series resumed in 1946-47 and the two have met atleast once a season since then. Saturday’s game is the 87th consecutive meeting in the series and the 96th all-time. Hopkins leads the all-time series 61-34 and has won eight straight.

Provident Pride of Maryland: Johns Hopkins won its first two games of the Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament to advance to the championship game for the third time in the four-year history of the tournament. Hopkins went on the road in the first round and came back with a 69-66 win over Frostburg. Senior Scott Weisenfeld (16 points) and juniors Andrew Farber-Miller (17) and Adam Baumgarnter (11) all hit in double figures for the Blue Jays.

On Saturday in the semifinals, Baumgartner punched up 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting as Hopkins beat Salisbury 54-47. In the title game, Hopkins could not overcome a hot-shooting St. Mary’s team in the second half, falling 84-81.

Number 800: Tuesday’s win at Frostburg not only put Hopkins in the semifinals of the fourth annual Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament, but it was also the 800th win in program history. Hopkins is now 801-905-1 (.469) all-time.

I’m Honored: Senior guard Collin Kamm and junior guard Pat O’Connell were named to the All-Tournament Team of the Provident Pride Tournament on Sunday. Kamm averaged 7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals in three games. O’Connell punched up 13.0 points with 6.0 boards and 3.3 assists per game for the tournament. In the title game, he scored a career-high 26 points.

These are the Facts: The 2008-09 season marks the 84th season of men’s basketball at Hopkins. The Blue Jays enter this week’s action with an all-time record of 801-905-1 (.469). JHU has won four conference tournament titles (two Centennial, two MAC) and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances.

A Look Back: Despite the loss of five seniors, Hopkins posted its 13th consecutive winning season in 2007-08. The Blue Jays went 16-10 overall and 12-6 in the Centennial Conference. Hopkins advanced to the Centennial Conference Tournament for the sixth consecutive season, falling in the semifinals.

On Tap: Saturday’s game at Swarthmore is the final game of 2008 for Hopkins. The Blue Jays will be off for nearly a month, getting back to action with the ECAC Holiday Festival in Orlando, FL. Hopkins will take on Roger Williams on Jan. 2. JHU will then face either Penn State Altoona or Neumann on Jan. 4.

Provident Pride of Maryland - Part II: Hopkins is 9-3 (.750) all-time in the Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament, with three title game appearances (2005, 2006, 2008). The Blue Jays are tied with the Green Terror of McDaniel for most wins (9) and best win percentage (.750) in the four-year history of the tournament. Hopkins has also made more title game appearances (3) than any other team in the tournament’s history. In fact, no other team has made more than one championship game appearance.

Hot Shooters: Blue Jay shooters have had the hot hand this season, averaging 47.9 percent from the floor. Hopkins has shot better than 44.0 percent from the field in four of its five games this season. In addition, the Blue Jays shot better than 50.0 percent in two of those games.

Eight is Enough: Junior guard Pat O’Connell dished a career-high eight assists in Hopkins’ 86-61 season-opening win over Moravian on Nov. 19. The eight helpers are the most by a Blue Jay since Jeff Thompson gave out eight assists in a 68-63 win at McDaniel on Feb. 9, 2005.

Pickpocket: Senior guard Collin Kamm and junior guard Pat O’Connell have been steadily climbing the ranks of the Johns Hopkins record book for career steals. Kamm had nine steals at the Provident Pride Tournament, bringing his career total to 90 and moving him into a tie for 11th in JHU history. Jake Stroman ‘00 ranks 10th with 93 career steals.

O’Connell grabbed four steals in the tournament and is now tied for 14th with 82 career swipes. He is just two shy of tying Brendan Kamm ‘03 for 13th all-time.

Dishing the Rock: Senior guard Collin Kamm is also climbing the career assist list in the JHU record book. Kamm racked up 12 assists in the Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament to push his career total to 145. That’s good for 19th on the all-time list, seven shy of Danny Nawrocki ‘07 who sits in 18th place with 152 career assists.

On the Bench: Head coach Bill Nelson is in his 23rd season on the Blue Jay bench. The longest tenured coach in program history, he is also the winningest with a 371-211 (.637) record. Nelson has coached Hopkins to 15+ wins in each of the last three seasons and 11 of the last 12.

Hopkins has won two Centennial Conference titles and made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including five straight from 1990-1994, during his tenure.

Nelson is the second longest tenured coach in the Centennial Conference behind Franklin & Marshall’s Glenn Robinson. He ranks second in the conference history in conference wins (150), conference tournament wins (9) and NCAA Tournament wins (6).

JHU in the Centennial Conference: Since the inception of the Centennial Conference in 1993-94, Hopkins has been one of the most successful programs in the conference. JHU is 150-70 (.682) in Centennial Conference games, the second best record in the history of the conference.

The Blue Jays have advanced to the Centennial Conference Tournament 11 times in 15 seasons and made seven title game appearances. Hopkins is 9-9 (.500) all-time in the conference tournament, the second most wins of any team in the Centennial. Only Franklin & Marshall has won more tournament games (12) or made more title game appearances (8) than Hopkins.

322 and Counting: Johns Hopkins has made a three-point field goal in 322 consecutive games. The streak began on Feb. 17, 1996 and is the 10th longest active streak in all of NCAA Division III. Junior guard Pat O’Connell drained a three from the left corner with seven-tenths of a second left in Sunday’s loss to St. Mary’s, JHU’s only three of the game, to extend the Blue Jays’ streak.

The University of Puget Sound boasts the longest active streak in the nation at 506 consecutive games, breaking the previous record of 500 held by Salisbury (1986-2006).

Oh Captain, My Captain: Seniors Collin Kamm, Ryan Purcell and Scott Weisenfeld will captain the Blue Jays in 2008-09. Kamm is averaging 9.2 points and 3.0 assists so far this season. He’s shooting 48.6 percent (18-of-37) from the floor. Weisenfeld is averaging 8.6 points per game so far this season, while Purcell is chipping in 4.3 points per game on 57.1 percent shooting.

Coaches’ Pick: Johns Hopkins has been picked to finish fourth in the Centennial Conference in 2008-09 in a poll of the conference’s coaches and Sports Information Directors. The Blue Jays garnered 107 total points.

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