Brown Hosts Rhode Island at the Pizzitola Sports Center

BROWN (1-1) vs. RHODE ISLAND (0-0)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

7:30 p.m.
Pizzitola Sports Center; Providence, RI
•
Radio: WPRV-AM 790

Brown’s Probable Starters:
Forward 25 Peter Sullivan, junior (8.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Forward 1 Chris Taylor, junior (2.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Center 45 Matt Mullery, senior (14.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
Guard 11 Adrian Williams, junior (7.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
Guard 14 Matt Sullivan, freshman (9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

Key Reserves: 44 Jean-Herbert Harris, sophomore, guard (10.0 ppg., 4.5 rpg.)
45 Andrew McCarthy, freshman, forward (7.0 ppg., 3.5 rpg.)
31 Garrett Leffelman, junior, guard (2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

Brown’s Record: Brown (1-1) is coming off a 69-55 loss to ACC power Virginia Tech on Sunday in Blacksburg, Virginia, in the first game of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. The Bears won their season opening game against St. Francis, 68-64, on 11/13.

Roadies: After playing Friday evening in Brooklyn, NY, and traveling all day Saturday to Blacksburg, Virginia, the Bears dropped a matinee game to Virginia Tech, 69-55, on Sunday. Freshman Andrew McCarthy scored a season high 14 points on 7 of 11 shooting from the field, while senior Matt Mullery scored 13 points and freshman Matt Sullivan added 11 points.

Third Season Opener: Brown opened its season on Friday against St. Francis, and then opened Virginia Tech’s season on Sunday. Wednesday’s game against Rhode Island will be the season opener for the Rams.

The Brown-Rhody Series Record: Brown and URI will be meeting for the 153rd time in the series that began in 1906-1907. Rhode Island holds a 100-52 series advantage over the Bears and has won the last seven games between the two teams, including a 76-74 decision last year at the Ryan Center. Brown’s last win over the Rams came in the 2001-2002 season when the Bears came away with a 91-76 victory at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

Mullery Sets New Brown Career Mark for Blocked Shots: Senior center Matt Mullery (Millstone, NJ) tied his own single game record for blocked shots with six blocks against St. Francis. With the six blocks, he also established a new school record for career blocked shots, now with 123, surpassing the previous mark of 119 blocked shots by Alai Nuualiitia from 1999-2003.

Three of Five Starters Return: Three Brown starters return to the lineup to open the 2009-2010 season – senior first team All-Ivy center Matt Mullery, honorable mention All-Ivy junior forward Matt Sullivan, and junior guard Adrian Williams. All three averaged over 33 minutes per game.

Head Coach Jesse Agel: Jesse Agel begins his second season as head coach of the Bears with a goal of building the basketball program into an annual contender for the Ivy League Championship. Before taking over the helm of the program, the 47-year-old Agel (pronounced A-gull) was an assistant at Brown for two years, helping the Bears register a school-record 19 victories in 2007-2008, while gaining a berth in the post-season College Basketball Invitational. During his 17-year stint at Vermont, Agel was the architect of the Catamounts’ recent success on the basketball court. A 1984 graduate of Vermont, Agel was the associate head coach at Vermont for eight years under head coach Tom Brennan.

Last Year’s Record: Brown posted a 9-19 record in 2008-2009, coming on strong at the end of the season with wins over Harvard and Dartmouth on the final weekend.

All-Ivy Matt Mullery In The Middle: Senior center Matt Mullery (Millstone, NJ) picked up where he left off a year ago, scoring 16 points on 8 of 9 shooting from the field, grabbing six rebounds, making four steals, and tying the school record with six blocked shots vs. St. Francis. He came back with 13 points and six assists against Virginia Tech. Mullery established a new school record for career blocked shots with 123, surpassing the previous mark of 119 blocked shots by Alai Nuualiitia from 1999-2003. His six blocked shots vs. St. Francis tied his own single-game Brown record. Mullery has thrived under Agel’s motion offense and became the 17th player in Brown basketball history to earn first team All-Ivy honors. The 6-8 Mullery, an NABC All-District selection, led the Bears in scoring with 16.1 points per game, fourth best in the Ivy League, and was Brown's top scorer in 15 of 28 games. A prodigious shot blocker, Mullery established a new single-season Brown record for blocked shots with 59, seventh best in Ivy League basketball history. Mullery shot an amazing 61-percent from the field (174 of 287) to lead the Ivy League, while his 2.1 blocked shots per game also led the league. He was at his best in Ivy League games, leading the league in rebounding with 7.9 per game, and blocking a league-leading 2.6 shots per game. Mullery turned in one of the greatest performances in Brown basketball history by registering a 20-20 double-double in a win over Harvard, scoring 21 points and grabbing 20 rebounds against the Crimson to become the first Brown player in 25 years to grab 20 rebounds in a game. Mullery's rare 20-20 double-double against Harvard was Brown's first in 35 years.
Harris Contributes: Sophomore Jean-Herbert Harris (Los Angeles, CA) came off the bench to spark the Bears over St. Francis, scoring 13 of his career high 18 points in the second half. Harris, whose previous career scoring high was seven points against Cornell last year, connected on 7 of 7 field goals, including 2 of 2 from behind the three-point arc, while also converting 2 of 2 free throws.

Matt Sullivan – Ivy League’s Iron Man: Honorable mention All-Ivy selection Peter Sullivan (Wilmette, IL) opened the season by scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds in Brown’s win over St. Francis. Sullivan was the Ivy League's fifth leading scorer last year with 14.3 points per game. He scored a career high 26 points against Army and scored in double figures 22 times, including 20 or more points six times. He also pulled down a career high nine rebounds against Rhode Island. The "Iron Man" of the Ivy League, Sullivan's 35.9 minutes per game led the league. He played 40 or more minutes eight times, including back-to-back games against Penn and Princeton. Sullivan ranked seventh in the Ivy league in three point field goals made (1.7 per game) and he was ninth in the league in free throw percentage (.726). His 4.9 rebounds per game was 12th in the Ivy League.
Adrian Williams Creates Havoc: Junior Adrian Williams (Atlanta, GA) connected on four second-half treys in scoring 14 points against St. Francis in Brown’s season opening game. Last year, Williams averaged 11.0 points per game for the Bears, and played 34.6 minutes per game, third most in the Ivy League, logging 40 or more minutes five times. An excellent long-range shooter, Williams’ 58 treys led the Bears and ranked second in the Ivy League. Williams scored in double figures 17 times, including a career high 29 points vs. Quinnipiac where he connected on 9 of 11 field goals, including 7 of 8 treys, and 4 of 4 free throws. Williams’ seven treys against Quinnipiac were just one short of the Brown individual record at the Pizzitola Sports Center and ranks seventh in the Brown record book. A defensive presence on the court, William registered seven steals against Holy Cross, second best in Brown basketball history.
Team Captains: Brown head basketball coach Jesse Agel has named senior Matt Mullery, junior Peter Sullivan and junior Adrian Williams tri-captains of this year’s team.
McCarthy Excels: While freshman Andrew McCarthy (Sudbury, MA) didn’t score in Brown’s season opener against St. Francis because of foul trouble (4 rebounds), he came back with a sterling effort against Virginia Tech. McCarthy looked comfortable around the hoop in scoring 14 points against the Hokies on 7 of 11 shooting from the field. He also grabbed three rebounds and handed out two assists against Virginia Tech.

Matt Sullivan Earns Starting Role: Freshman guard Matt Sullivan (Wilmette, IL) has already established himself in the Brown starting lineup, scoring 8 points with no turnovers in 39 minutes of play vs. St. Francis, and scoring 11 points in 25 minutes of play against Virginia Tech. His 4.5 rebounds per game average is tied for the team lead. Matt plays along side his brother, Peter, a starting forward for the Bears.

More Freshmen: Freshman Tucker Halpern (Brookline, MA), who did not play Brown’s first two games due to illness, is also expected to see significant playing time this season, along with freshman Tyler Ponticelli (Northbrook, IL), who has just begun practicing again with the Bears due to injury.

Brothers: Brothers Peter ‘11 and Matt ’13 Sullivan are the first brother duo to start together at Brown since Don '65 and Dave '66 Tarr lettered together for two years, in 1964 and 1965.


Bear Facts: Junior guard Garrett Leffelman (Naperville, IL) is expected to see increased playing time this season. He scored his first points of the season against Virginia Tech, netting five points against the Hokies. Leffelman connected on the game winning trey at the buzzer to beat Harvard, 61-59, on the final weekend of last the season…Sophomore Marques Coleman (Peoria, AZ) missed all of last season due to injury…Senior guard Steve Gruber (Milwaukee, WI) won a gold medal for the United States as a member of the USA Maccabi Team at the World Maccabiah Games this past summer…Sophomore center Stefan Kaluz (Corona Del Mar, CA) missed Brown’s first two games due to illness.

Watch Live Video of The Bears On The Internet: Brown basketball fans can watch a live video and audio feed (WPRV-AM 790) of all home games at the Pizzitola Sports Center through B2 Networks. To access the live video/audio feed, go to the Brown’s athletic website http://brownbears.com . Fans wanting to watch Brown events via B2 Networks will need a high-speed Internet connection and a current version of Windows Media Player. Games will be sold on an individual basis at $7 per game or $60 for the season.

Vermont South: Brown’s coaching staff has a distinctive maple flavor with three of its coaches having graduated from the University of Vermont. Head coach Jesse Agel is a 1984 Vermont grad and was an assistant coach for the Catamounts for 17 years. Assistant coach TJ Sorrentine, a Pawtucket, RI, native, graduated from Vermont in 2005 after leading the Catamounts to an upset victory over Syracuse in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Assistant coach Kyle Cieplicki started 82 of 89 games for the Catamounts before graduating in 2008.

Bears On The Air: Brown’s entire schedule is being broadcast on WPRV-AM 790. Scott Cordischi, the host of the popular Scott Cordischi on Sports, will call all the action. Former Brown basketball star Russ Tyler ’71 (1,133 career points) provides the color analysis.

Next Game: The Bears are back in action again on Friday, November 20, traveling to Queens, New York, to battle St. John’s in the second game of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Carnesecca Arena.



2009-2010 Brown University Men’s Basketball Roster

No. Name Pos. Cl. Hgt. Wgt. School/Hometown
1 Taylor, Chris F Jr 6-8 225 Wayzata/Plymouth, MN
5 Ponticelli, Tyler F Fr. 6-7 210 Glenbrook North/Northbrook, IL
10 Gruber, Steve G Sr. 5-11 170 Whitefish Bay/Milwaukee, WI
11 Williams, Adrian G Jr. 6-1 180 Wheeler/Atlanta, GA
14 Sullivan, Matt G Fr. 6-6 205 Loyola Academy/Wilmette, IL
22 Coleman, Marques G So. 6-3 185 Cactus/Peoria, AZ
25 Sullivan, Peter F Jr. 6-5 215 Loyola Academy/Wilmette, IL
31 Leffelman, Garrett G Jr. 6-4 210 St. Joseph’s/Naperville, IL
33 Halpern, Tucker F Fr. 6-8 215 Noble & Greenough/Brookline, MA
35 McCarthy, Andrew F Fr. 6-8 205 Northfield Mt. Hermon/Sudbury, MA
44 Harris, Jean-Herbert G So. 6-2 185 Los Angeles/Los Angeles, CA
45 Mullery, Matt F Sr. 6-8 235 St. John Vianney/Millstone, NJ
50 Kaluz, Stefan C So. 6-9 225 Corona Del Mar/Corona Del Mar, CA


Head Coach: Jesse Agel (Vermont ’84),
Assistant Coaches: Lamar Barrett (Elizabeth City State ’94), TJ Sorrentine (Vermont ’04), and Kyle Cieplicki (Vermont ’08)
Captains: Matt Mullery ‘10, Peter Sullivan ‘11 and Adrian Williams ‘11
Manager: Veronica Lowe ‘10
Athletic Trainer: Matt Culp


Brown Career Highs

Marques Coleman ‘12 Points:
Rebounds: 1 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Assists:
Steals:


Steve Gruber ’10 Points: 7 vs. Army (11/25/06)
Rebounds: 2 vs. Wagner (11/28/06)
Assists : 3 vs. Navy (11/14/06)
Steals: 1 vs. several teams

Tucker Halpern ’13 Points:
Rebounds:
Assists:
Steals:

Jean-Herbert Harris ‘12 Points: 18 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Rebounds: 6 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Assists: 3 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Steals: 2 vs. Cornell (2/21/09); vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Treys: 2 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)

Stefan Kaluz ’12 Points: 6 vs. Cornell (1/30/09)
Rebounds: 6 vs. Cornell (2/21/09)
Assists: 1 vs. Columbia (2/20/09)
Steals: 2 vs. Cornell (2/21/09)

Garrett Leffelman ’11 Points: 9 vs. Penn (2/28/09); vs. Harvard (3/6/09)
Rebounds: 6 vs. Dartmouth (3/7/09)
Assists: 3 vs. Harvard (3/6/09)
Steals: 1 vs. George Mason (11/17/08); vs. Holy Cross (11/19/08)

Andrew McCarthy ‘13 Points: 14 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Rebounds: 4 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Assists: 2 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Steals:
Blocks: 1 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)

Matt Mullery ’10 Points: 27 vs. Dartmouth (2/7/09)
Rebounds: 20 vs. Harvard (3/6/09)
Assists: 7 vs. Quinnipiac (12/29/08)
Steals: 4 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Blocks: 6 vs. Yale (1/23/09); vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)

Tyler Ponticelli ’13 Points:
Rebounds:
Assists:
Steals:

Matt Sullivan ‘13 Points: 11 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Rebounds: 5 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Assists: 2 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Steals: 1 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)
Treys: 3 vs. Virginia Tech (11/15/09)

Peter Sullivan ’11 Points: 26 vs. Army (11/26/08)
Rebounds: 9 vs. URI (11/14/08)
Assists: 4 vs. Dartmouth (2/8/08)
Steals: 2 vs. Holy Cross (11/19/08); vs. E. Michigan (11/9/07);
vs. Quinnipiac (12/29/08)
Treys: 5 vs. Quinnipiac (12/29/08)

Chris Taylor ’11 Points: 6 vs. Penn (3/1/08); vs. Holy Cross (11/19/08);
vs. Wagner (12/21/08); vs. Cornell (2/21/09)
Rebounds: 6 vs. Holy Cross (11/19/08); vs. Dartmouth (3/6/09)
Assists: 4 vs. Columbia (2/20/09); vs. Penn (2/28/09)
Steals: 1 vs. several teams

Adrian Williams ’11 Points: 29 vs. Quinnipiac (12/29/08)
Rebounds: 7 vs. New Hampshire (12/6/08)
Assists: 6 vs. St. Francis-NY (11/13/09)
Steals: 7 vs. Holy Cross (11/19/08)
Treys: 7 vs. Quinnipiac (12/29/08)


Game #1: Brown at St. Francis November 13, 2009 Brooklyn, New York
Sophomore guard Jean-Herbert Harris came off the bench to score a career high 18 points, and senior center Matt Mullery scored 16 points and blocked a school record six shots, to lead Brown to a 68-64 come-from-behind season opening win over St. Francis (NY).
Harris, who was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field, tossed in 13 of his 18 points in the second half and pulled down a career best six rebounds. Junior Adrian Williams overcame a sluggish start to score 12 of his 14 points after intermission, all on three-point baskets. Senior Peter Sullivan also scored in double figures, chipping in 12 points for the Bears.
A first team All-Ivy selection a year ago, Mullery connected on 8 of 9 shots from the field, grabbed six rebounds and made four steals. He also established a new school record for career blocked shots with 121, surpassing the previous mark of 119 blocked shots by Alai Nuualiitia from 1999-2003. Mullery’s six blocked shots tied his own single-season game record.
Brown took the lead for good in the second half, 57-55, on a lay-up by freshman Matt Sullivan with 5:44 left in the game. Harris gave the Bears their biggest lead, 66-63, on a corner jump shot with 1:53 left in the game and the shot clock running down.
Brown’s starting lineup featured the brother combo of junior Peter Sullivan and freshman Matt Sullivan, with the Bears starting brothers for the first time in 43 years when the Tarr brothers, Don ’65 and Dave ’66, donned the Brown uniform.
With the score tied, 17-17, St. Francis outscored the Bears to take a 25-17 advantage on a jump shot by Alex Harrington with 7:53 left in the first half.
Brown clawed its way back to cut the Terriers’ advantage to two points at the half, 32-30. Senior Matt Mullery and Peter Sullivan each scored 10 first half points for the Bears.
The Terriers’ Akeem Bennett led all scorers with 19 points, while teammate Nigel Byam registered a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Game #2: Brown at Virginia Tech November 15, 2009 Blacksburg, VA
Brown’s strong second half comeback bid came up short against Virginia Tech, as the Bears dropped a 69-55 decision to the Hokies before a crowd of 9,693 in the first game of the Philly Hoop Group Classic at Cassell Coliseum. The loss was Brown’s first of the season after beating St. Francis Friday evening, while Virginia Tech opened its season with a win at home.
Trailing by 11 points at the half, 34-23, Brown quickly got back in the game and quieted the boisterous crowd, cutting the Virginia Tech lead to five points, 45-40, with 11:37 remaining on a lay-up by freshman Andrew McCarthy.
With Virginia Tech clinging to a six-point lead, 51-45, with 8:39 remaining, again on a McCarthy lay-up, the Hokies took control with a 12-4 run to grab a 63-49 advantage with 4:15 left in the game. Terrell Bell scored six of the Hokies 12 points in the spurt.
In the second ever game against the Hokies from the ACC, Brown got off to a sluggish start, turning the ball over 12 times in the first half. The Bears fell behind by as many as 15 points in the half, 34-19, with 1:08 remaining. Late first half Brown baskets by McCarthy and sophomore Garrett Leffelman cut the Hokies advantage to 34-23 at intermission.
McCarthy was impressive against the Hokies, scoring a career high 14 points on torrid 7 of 11 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of play. Brown senior All-Ivy center Matt Mullery tossed in 13 points and pulled down a team high six rebounds. Freshman Matt Sullivan also scored in double figures for the Bears, netting 11 points, connecting on 4 of 9 field goals, while also grabbing five rebounds.
2009-2010 Brown Men’s Basketball Schedule

11/13 Fri. at St. Francis (NY) W, 68-64
11/15 Sun. Philly Hoop Group Classic
at Virginia Tech L, 55-69
11/18 Wed. RHODE ISLAND 7:30 p.m.
11/20 Fri. Philly Hoop Group Classic
at St. John’s (NY) 7:00 p.m.
11/22 Sun. MAINE 2:00 p.m.
11/25 Wed. at Bryant 4:00 p.m.
11/27 Fri. Philly Hoop Group Classic
vs. University of the Sciences 3:00 p.m.
Palestra, Philadelphia
11/28 Sat. Philly Hoop Group Classic
vs. Siena 4:00 p.m.
Palestra, Philadelphia
12/2 Wed. HOLY CROSS 7:30 p.m.
12/5 Sat. at Minnesota 2:30 p.m. (CST)
12/7 Mon. at Providence 7:00 p.m.
12/28 Mon. KEAN 7:00 p.m.
12/30 Wed. at Sacred Heart 7:00 p.m.
1/2 Sat. AMERICAN 1:00 p.m.
1/4 Mon. WAGNER 7:00 p.m.
1/6 Wed. at Army 7:00 p.m.
1/11 Mon. at Quinnipiac 7:30 p.m.
1/15 Fri. at Yale 7:00 p.m.
1/22 Fri. YALE 7:00 p.m.
1/29 Fri. PRINCETON 7:00 p.m.
1/30 Sat. PENN 7:00 p.m.
2/5 Fri. at Columbia 7:00 p.m.
2/6 Sat. at Cornell 7:00 p.m.
2/12 Fri. DARTMOUTH 7:00 p.m.
2/13 Sat. HARVARD 7:00 p.m.
2/19 Fri. at Penn 7:00 p.m.
2/20 Sat. at Princeton 6:00 p.m.
2/26 Fri. at Harvard 7:00 p.m.
2/27 Sat. at Dartmouth 7:00 p.m.
3/5 Fri. CORNELL 7:00 p.m.
3/6 Sat. COLUMBIA 7:00 p.m.

Head Coach: Jesse Agel
Assistant Coaches: Lamar Barrett, TJ Sorrentine, Kyle Cieplicki