Top 20 Departing: #20 Justin Crogsile

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

Justin Crogsile left Eastern Washington for personal reasons in midseason after playing just 12 games for the Eagles, but he had a big hand in everything they did while he was there. He averaged 36 minutes per game in his 12 games.

He also led the team in scoring with almost 15 points per game, going along with 5.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He played a lot of minutes, but he also put up a lot of minutes.

Scoring-wise, he was mostly a long-range bomber. He attemped over eight threes per game, shooting 36% from them. That is not a bad percentage, but not great for someone shooting that much. Then again, on far less two-pointers (he took over 40 more threes than twos), he shot the same 36%.

He was a solid passer, and had a good 32.9% ARate, a mark that would have put him second in the Big Sky over the course of the season. This compared to a 21.2% TO Rate, which was a too-high 3.4 turnovers per game.

After sitting out a year after transferring from St. Joe's, I think it is safe to assume that the coaching staff thought and hoped that they would get a full two years out of Crogsile. They didn't, as things just didn't work out. With the big numbers that he put up, it would have been fun to see how Crogsile would have grown and developed, and what type of numbers he would have put up in his last year. Even without it, he ranks #20 on my list of the top players departing the Big Sky.

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Top 20 Departing: Honorable Mention

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

Today, let's start by looking at the guys that just missed the cut on making the list of the top 20 players departing the Big Sky.

- Collin Chiverton - After last season, it seemed like Chiverton could be primed to lead the conference in scoring, but things just never developed in his senior year. After going through a lot off the court before the year, he struggled (understandably so) last season. He still took a lot of threes, but made only 33% of them, compared to 41% the year before. He did shoot better on two pointers, at 50.6%. However, his turnover rate almost doubled, and he continued to not get any assists or rebounds. He is talented, and I think everyone wishes the senior year would have played out a bit differently.

- Melvin Morgan - After shooting a solid 40% on threes his junior year, that dropped to a dismal 27% last year, but he still kept shooting them at the same rate (over 5 per game). The Bengals didn't always have a lot of offensive options (similar to Gabe Rogers and Northern Arizona), but this type of gunning hurt their offense. He has a decent assist rate, but didn't do a good enough job of taking care of the ball to make the top 20.

- Emmanuel Addo - Addo has transferred to Missouri State, where he will play his senior year. When things are going right, he can be impact player, with a nice outside shot (he was 32/75 career from downtown), and a variety of post moves. However, things didn't go right nearly enough last year, which is why he is moving on. His rebounding dropped to guard-like levels last year, and his offensive efficiency dropped as well. Hopefully he can get his confidence back for his senior year.

- Wade Collie - Collie was average seven points and over three rebounds per game last year for Southern Utah before he was arrested on drug charges and dismissed from the team. He had a ways to go to be an efficient player, but he did create some shot for them, and grabbed 15.2% of available defensive rebounds. He would have been a key contributor for them in his senior year.

Thoughts on any of these guys?

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Justin Crogsile Leaves Eastern Washington For Personal Reasons

 

On Friday, I read and reported that Eastern Washington guard Justin Crogsile was dismissed from the Eastern Washington team. As it turns out, that was wrong, because Crogsile has left the team for personal reasons.

Crosgile, the leading scorer on the Eastern Washington University basketball team, cited a “need to be closer to home” for his surprise decision to leave the squad earlier this week.

“It’s been a great experience at Eastern Washington, and I have nothing against the coaches or players here,” Crosgile said in a telephone interview Friday night.

Crosgile said he plans to return to his native New Jersey to be near his mother and his 3-year-old son.

Crogsile was averaging over 14 points and five assists per game, so the loss is potentially big for the Eagles. However, Jim Hayford's club is not unprepared.

Freshman guard Daniel Hill is eligible, and I know he is a guy that the coaching staff likes a lot.Though he has yet to put up much numbers, there are signs that he will have a big role. He has played five games this year, with increasing minutes. Last night, he took the potential game-winning shot at the end of regulation, and the ball was in his hands as he drove to the hoop to try and tie the game (but was blocked by Flavien Davis). He will be one to watch.

In the end, Crogsile played 12 games for the Eagles after sitting out last season due to transfer rules. We wish him the best in his future, and EWU will look forward to the future with Daniel Hill and others at the PG spot.

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Weber State and Montana Still Atop Big Sky Pecking Order

Like last year, there is one thing we know in the Big Sky - it's Montana and Weber State up top, and then everyone else below. We already knew this, but it was reinforced on Thursday night.

Weber State got the biggest win of the night, as Northern Colorado came to the Dee Events Center and got blown out by the Wildcats, 79-54. The Wildcats never trailed in the game, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead and never looking back.

The charge was led by Scott Bamforth, the senior guard who is really rounding into form. He scored 22 points in 22 minutes on 8/14 shooting, and is now looking like the guy that most projected to be an all-conference player. Beyond him, as is their key, there was a ton of balance. Eight other players scored, and they had 17 assists on 30 buckets. They have so many guys that can hurt you in so many ways, they must be extremely difficult to gameplan for.

Northern Colorado was hoping to be competitive in this game, but they came out like they were still thinking about how they lost at the end to Southern Utah. UNC turned it over 21 times and couldn't get stops, as Weber State shot 57% in the first half. They are a year older, but are plagued by the same issues that derailed last season.

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On the other side, Eastern Washington made things interesting for awhile, but Montana pulled away in the second half for an 81-66 win.

Showing that the Grizzlies have some depth of their own, they were led in scoring by Jordan Gregory and Spencer Coleman. Gregory had 17 points on 6/7 shooting, while Coleman had 15 points and 5 rebounds. Those two guys are huge for them, so if they can get consistent production from both, the Big Sky race will be very fun to watch.

Will Cherry struggled shooting the ball, but found other ways to contribute. He had nine assists, and sparked a defense that allowed EWU to shoot just 4/16 from beyond the arc.

“A big part of our focus was to take that away from them, their attempts and their makes,” Tinkle said. “I wish we would have shored it up on the inside a little bit because they kind of did whatever they wanted in there in the second half. A big key for us was to hold them under five or six threes and we did that.”

Eastern Washington was playing with starting PG Justin Crogsile, who is no longer part of the team. From Jim Hayford, via Bob Meseroll:

“Justin is not a part of our team but it’s too early for me to make any additional comment,” EWU coach Jim Hayford said of the transfer from St. Joe’s.

I will try to find out more, but safe to say that the loss of Crogsile is a big blow on the court. It must be a big blow off the court as well, as he sat out last year as a redshirt and is apparently off the team now as conference play is just beginning.

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Big Sky Poll - Who Will Lead The Conference in Scoring?

The Big Sky has a poll out there asking the question, "Of the league's five leading scores, who is the most likely end the season as the Big Sky's scoring champion?"

It lists the current top five options, along with an other category. Of the options, here are my thoughts:

DeWayne Russell (NAU) - He was my pick. He is the current leader in scoring, and has looked like an all-conference player. He is efficient, with a 112.8 ORtgm sgiitubg 53% from twos, 43% from threes, and almost automatic from the stripe. His usage should get higher too as he gains more experience.

Gabe Rogers (NAU) - He is currently third, but has a great chance to lead the conference in scoring thanks to a high volume. He takes 35.9% of his team's shots when he's on the court, the ninth highest rate in the NCAA. He is only shooting 33% from twos and 32% from threes, but he takes so many shots that he could lead the Big Sky if he just improves those percentages a little bit.

Justin Crogsile (EWU) - He should have a good shot because he plays PG for a team that likes to get up and down the court and take a lot of threes. The Eagles play a faster pace than anyone else in the conference, which is big. His numbers could take a hit though when Collin Chiverton returns. Chiverton has missed the past few games dealing with personal issues, after losing both his mother and best friend this year.

Kareem Jamar (MT) - He hasn't taken a ton of shots, but has been excellent when he has. He has a 119.3 ORtg, a testament to the fact that he does everything well. The burden to carry the offense will be taken off when Will Cherry returns, but Jamar doesn't really take bad shots, so he should continue at a similar clip to now, where he is at 14.9 PPG.

John Dickson (SAC) - He is currently second in the conference, but I think that could drop a little bit. Nothing against Dickson, but he is playing a little over his head shooting wise, which I expect will drop closer to his career averages. Plus, the Hornets have good balance and a lot of scoring options, which could further push his average down a bit.

Others - Chiverton was my pick before the year, but as mentioned he has been dealing with quite a few personal issues. Will Cherry has the ability to lead the conference, but I am not sure he will quite get there. Another darkhorse is Jackson Stevenett. He is tenth in the conference with 13.4 PPG, but he has been struggling with a shoulder injury. That average should slowly increase.

Go vote in the poll here.

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Eastern Washington Wins Behind Venky Jois

At the start of the year, I pegged Eastern Washington big man Venky Jois as the best freshman in the conference. Early in the season, it seemed I may have undersold him.

In his first seven collegiate games, he has scored in double figures in nine of them, posting three double-doubles. On Friday night, he had his best game yet, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a 79-75 win over Cal State Fullerton. For the season he is averaging 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, shooting 55% from the floor.

The Eagles trailed 46-39 at the half, as the Titans looked to push the pace. However, EWU just kept coming and CS Fullerton wore down, as the Eagles held the Titans to just 28% shooting in the second half, outscoring them 40-29.

While Venky was a star, there was a lot of help in this one. Guard Justin Crogsile had 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. He had some issues with shot selection early in the year, but has tightened that up in recent games. Freshman Thomas Reuter had 16 points, as Coach Jim Hayford just said they simply found a mismatch where he could take advantage.

“We went to (Reuter) because we wanted to make them pay for having in four guards out there,” explained Hayford. “So Thomas was the mismatch.”

At times it has been a rough start for the year, as the Eagles have had some really difficult road games. But this game is just a small taste of the talent they have, and how good they can be when they finally get some experience. They will be a very dangerous team.

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Eastern Washington's Struggles Continue As They Drop to 0-4

By most, Eastern Washington was picked to finish in the top half of the Big Sky conference. They may yet get there, but things are off to a poor start, as a loss to Utah Valley on Tuesday dropped the Eagles to 0-4.

For a half, it looked like they were on their way to their first win of the year, as they led 43-32 and looked to have things going well on both ends. However, their offense struggled to find consistency in the second half, and (more importantly) they couldn’t get a stop, eventually losing 86-83. The Eagles missed their first ten shots of the second half, which dropped them into a deficit that they could not come back from.

There were plenty of solid individual efforts from EWU players. Venky Jois had 16 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, and he continues to look like one of the best freshmen in the conference. Martin Seiferth was solid with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks. However, those guys aren’t getting the ball enough for how good they have been. The Eagles were an astounding 11/42 from downtown, including these performances:

Justin Crogsile: 1/11
Collin Chiverton: 3/9
Kevin Winford: 2/8
Jeffrey Forbes: 3/8

I understand these guys have the green light, but they have to be a little bit smarter about when they pull the trigger, especially when the big guys are playing so well (Jois and Seiferth were a combined 11/15 from the field). Crogsile has been the most egregious offender… he has launched 44 threes in four games despite the fact that he is a 30% three-point shooter.

It sounds as if all of this is not lost on Jim Hayford. “We have to be able to handle freedom in our offense a little bit better,” said Hayford. “You want shooters to have confidence that the next one is going in, but we could have used a little bit better discretion.”

I still do think they will be fine. Individually, they are one of the most talented teams in the conference, and they will figure this stuff out. But they have to start playing more as one unit rather than a group of guys, and things need to pick up defensively. If these things happen, they have the personnel to be a very good team.

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Eastern Washington Gets Ready For Canada Trip

 

Eastern Washington is off this week for a trip to Canada, where they will play seven games in six days. Head Coach Jim Hayford said, "The level of competition isn't the equivalent of Division I, but it's solid."

The trip comes at a good time for the Eagles, because they will be breaking in a ton of new guys. There are six newcomers - five freshman and one newcomers - as well as three guys who redshirted last year. The trip should be a good opportunity to gain some experience, as well as a chance for Hayford to begin fleshing out the makeup of the roster. With all of the newcomers, they are as tough to predict as any team in the Big Sky, and I suspect that even the coaching staff is waiting to see how a rotation plays out.

If I had to guess as of today, I think things would look something like thi:

Starting Lineup
G Justin Crogsile
G Jeffrey Forbes
F Collin Chiverton
F Venky Jois
C Martin Seiferth

Really, the only thing we know for sure is that Collin Chiverton will be in the starting lineup. He could lead the league in scoring, and Coach Hayford said he is fully recovered from a foot injury that bothered him all of last season. Jeffrey Forbes started last year which makes him a good bet to start again, but they have a lot of depth there. Justin Crogsile played a lot of minutes for St. Joseph's in his first two years, and my guess is he would have the inside track on the point guard spot, though that could depend on how ready Forbes is to be able to handle the primary ballhandler responsibilities.

Of course, they could start three guards and go with a small ball lineup, though I'm not sure how likely that is. Parker Kelly was a big-time player for them last year, and provides a bunch of range. Kevin Winford had a little bit of a disappointing year last year, but he can put up points in a hurry. Freshman Daniel Hill comes to the program with a lot of high praise, but it will be tough for him to secure a ton of time in a crowded, veteran backcourt. Ivan Dorsey went to junior college with Collin Chiverton, so obviously that familiarity will help him. There are a lot of good options back there.

In the frontcourt, things are a bit more unsettled thanks to a lot of graduations. Jordan Hickert has the most experience at EWU, but I'm not sure he brings enough to the table to play more than 15 minutes per night, as he is a three-point specialist but only an average rebounder. Martin Seiferth has drawn praise, and should be in the mix after sitting out a year after a transfer from Oregon. Venky Jois is just a hunch, as he appears to be an athletic big man that should be ready to play.

Another option is Danny Powell, who put up big time numbers in high school. He can score inside and outside, and he shot 46% from downtown as a junior. It wouldn't be a shock to see him get a lot of minutes. Jaylen Henry played a bit last year, but I am not sure he is a great fit in Hayford's offense. Frederick Jorg (Germany) and Thomas Reuter (Germany) are tough to project also, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least one of those guys redshirted.

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Article on the Transfer of Justin Crogsile

I wrote about the transfer of Justin Crogsile a while ago, but there is a solid article on NorthJersey.com talking about the transfer as well with the interesting story of how he wound up in Cheney:

Crosgile was accidentally discovered by EWU coach Jim Hayford, who called a local AAU coach about a different issue.

"I told the coach I was looking for a point guard and he knew Justin was looking to transfer," said Hayford, who previously coached for the last 10 years at Whitworth College (Wash.), a Division III powerhouse, before being hired on March 29. "If I was here a few years ago and trying to recruit Justin, I'd be going against Saint Joseph's and St. John's.

"I honestly believe Justin is one of the Top-50 point guards in the country."

The whole article is definitely worth a read to learn a little bit more about a guy that should be an impact player for Jim Hayford next season.

Eastern Washington Adds Two Transfers

(Photo credit to EWU Athletics)

By my count, only three players have transferred into the Big Sky this offseason, with 2 of those 3 heading to Eastern Washington under first year coach Jim Hayford.

One of the players is big man Martin Seiferth, who is transferring from the University of Oregon. He is 6'10'' and originally from Berlin, Germany. He will have 3 years of eligibility remaining after his redshirt year, which makes it an especially nice get for the new coach.

"We believe he can develop into a top big man in the Big Sky Conference," said Hayford. "He brings great athleticism and quickness to go with his height, and has put on 20 pounds of muscle since coming to the U.S. last fall. We have three senior post players in the program, so this will allow us to have one of their replacements step in with familiarity to the program. We are very pleased that he chose us out of all the options he was presented."

Seifarth had minimal impact as a freshman, appearing in only 12 games and playing roughly 4 minutes per game. In his final club season in Germany he scored 13 points per game and added 7 rebounds.

He is only 220 pounds, so the transfer year could be huge for him to build strength. If he is able to put in a full year in the weight room, he will be a nice asset for the Eagles, especially with his size.

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The other transfer is guard Justin Crongsile, who will be coming to the Eagles from St. Joseph's. He played two years for St. Joe's, even starting 19 games as a freshman. He was ranked 24th best PG in the nation after his senior year, so he comes with potential and talent.

“Justin will bring great experience and talent to our program at the point guard position,” said Hayford. “We are really pleased that he chose to be an Eagle, and our fans can expect great things from Justin in the 2012-13 season.”

Crogsile had a promising freshman season, but really struggled in his sophomore campaign.

He shot 31% from the field (38% from 2s, 28% from 3s), and had very mediocre assist and turnover rates. For all of his talent, his true shooting percentage was very mediocre, and he struggled to find minutes on a bad team.

Still, it is a nice pickup for Hayford because Crogsile's pedigree shows he has the talent. A year off and a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs to become a more efficient, consistent player. Of the two transfers, Crogsile had a higher risk, but certainly a higher reward.

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It will certainly be interesting to see what type of role Seifarth and Crogsile have in 2012-2013. One thing is sure - even with the transfer of Glen Dean, Eastern Washington fans have to be excited about what they have seen from Jim Hayford so far in his brief tenure.