Campus Watch

Game analysis: A sore heel kept Harold Washington scoreless probably for the first time since he was a toddler, but Canisius managed to pick up the slack as four players finished in double figures as the Golden Griffins downed Alcorn State, 87-74

How Canisius won: Isaac Sosa picked up the slack for Washington with 21 points of 8 of 12 shooting and 5 of 9 from long range. They also went to the line 33 times, making 24, while outrebounding the Braves, 41-25.

Turning Point: There's something about Billy Baron where his intensity increases whenever Canisius is on the verge of trouble. Alcorn State cut the lead down to 65-53 with 8:31 left when Baron connected on a trey then fed Reggie Groves for another on the Griffs next possession. The 12-point advantage was up to 26 by the 4:33 mark which was started by the play of Baron.

Player of the Game: Sosa rarely fires up questionable shots, kind of like a hitter who never swings at bad pitches.

Welcome back: In the three games since returning from a foot injury, Alcorn's Marquiz Baker has scored 23 points against Santa Clara, 24 against SMU and now 30 against Canisius.

Family affair: Jimmy Baron, who played for his father at Rhode Island, is home for the holidays and is playing well in Russia. It was the first time Jimmy watched his brother, Billy, in person.

Key stat: Canisius grabbed 16 offensive rebounds which led to 26 second-chance points.

What It Means: This is the longest Canisius has gone without losing back-to-back games since the 1997-98 season.

In the House: 1,388

He Said It: "He knows how to make players better, he's not afraid to do that and I think he's getting better and better as the year goes on." - Jim Baron on his son Billy.

Up next: Canisius plays at 3 p.m. Sunday at Detroit.

---Rodney McKissic

Canisius 82, Longwood 54

How Canisius Won: The Griffs shot 50 percent from the field, a rousing 46 percent from three, forced 15 turnovers and drew four charges -- and not a single player logged more than 29 minutes. What does it say about their depth when leading scorers Billy Baron and Harold Washington combine for eight poits and they still win by 28?

Turning Point: Isaac Sosa drained three threes before the game was 2 1/2 minutes old. That set the tone right there. The Griffs ended up making 13 shots from behind the arc and have canned at least 12 in each of the last three games.

Player of the Game: Sosa attempted 12 shots, all threes, and made eight of them. That's one off the school record Alshwan Hymes set last season.

Best Supporting Role: Washington took just five shots but handed out a season-high seven assists. He had 30 points in last year's win at Longwood.

Stat Check: The Griffs drew four charges and are up to 19 on the season. Consider this: That's more than they took in 30 games last season.

Stat Check II: Longwood won the boards, 40-34, with 16 of those coming on the offensive end. Not good.

What It Means: The Griffs are 7-2 heading into the toughest back-to-back games on the schedule.

They Said It

Griffs coach Jim Baron on the rebounding totals: "We didn't rebound like we did against Syracuse or Marist and that's something we're going to have to be more consistent with."

Baron on Jordan Heath's ankle: "We'll ice him up tomorrow and take it one game at a time."

Baron on 6-foot-10 Freddy Asprilla drawing two charges: "I got a 300-pound guy taking a charge? That is huge. You know how hard that is for a 300-pound guy to take a charge? I mean, that is huge. That's unbelieveable. Because when our guards play matador defense . . . we have to cover down and our bigs have to step in."

In the House: There were 1,205 at the KAC with the students on break.

Next Up: The Griffs head to Philly to meet Temple on Wednesday night then book to Las Vegas for a game with No. 20 UNLV on Saturday.

-- Bob DiCesare

Syracuse 85, Canisius 61

How Syracuse Won: The Orangemen are a team of luxuries. Oft times their toughest decisions resolve around deciding just how they want to score. They went for 40 points in the paint. Netted 23 off turnovers. Hit four threes in each half. There's a lot to like about this Syracuse team. It could be their year.

Turning Point: Syracuse opened the second half all business. A three-point halftime lead ballooned to 50-35 on a Brandon Triche three with 14:55 remaining. Canisius was down double digits the rest of the way.

Player of the Game: Senior forward James Southerland is the energy boost off the bench and it was a sonic boom Saturday night. He poured in a game-high 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the field, including 3 of 6 from behind the arc.

Best Supporting Role: Michael Carter-Williams had 13 of his 14 assists in the second half when the Orange broke the game open.

Stat Check: Here's a major positive for Canisius to take forward -- the Griffs won the boards 37-34, including 16 at the offensive end. The progress has been immense since Canisius was beaten by 14 on the boards by UB on Nov. 20.

Stat Check II: The Griffs shot 12 of 30 from behind the arc thanks to a 7 of 14 second half.

What It Means: The No. 4 Orange are 9-0 and sure to climb to at least third in the rankings this week after top-ranked Indiana was knocked off by Butler. The Griffs are 6-2 and saw their second three-game winning streak come to an end.

In the House: There were 18,120 at the Carrier Dome. The students went on break Friday.

They Said It:

"I just take what people give me. My teammates know what my game is and they're going to find me when I'm open. That's their job, and my job is to knock them down." -- Griffs guard Isaac Sosa, who went 5 for 9 from three.

"Killer instinct. Extending the lead. Keeping that thing going." -- Canisius guard Billy Baron on where the Griffs can improve going forward.

"I like their team. I think Jimmy's done a great job." -- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on the Griffs.

Next Up: Canisius plays host to Longwood on Monday night at the KAC.

-- Bob DiCesare

Canisius 71, UB 64

How Canisius Won: Call it great defense, UB's largesse or a combination of the two. It's not so hard to make due on an average shooting night and overcome a deficit on the backboards when the opponent commits 24 turnovers, as the Bulls did. Seven of those belonged to point guard Jarod Oldham (he also had nine assists).

Turning Point: A six-point Canisius run featuring layups by Harold Washington, Jordan Heath and Alshwan Hymes made it 63-54 with 6:42 left.

Player of the Game: Bill Baron played 39 minutes and led the way with 18 points while handing out five assists against just one turnover. Which has had the greater impact -- the father or the son?

What It Means: The Griffs are 3-0 after opening with three games at the KAC for the first time in their history. UB, one of only 11 teams in the nation already with six starts, fell to 1-5.

Noteworthy: UB's Will Regan (15) and Canisius's Jordan Heath (14) both hit career highs for points. ... It's the first time the Griffs have beaten UB and Bona in the same season since '03-04.

In the House: There were 2,196 at the KAC, the second consecutive sellout and the 13th since the building was renovated 10 years ago.

They Said It:

"I do not remember playing five guys 75 percent of the minutes at any level. I don't remember doing that. I mean, not jv, not high school basketball, not junior college, not here, never. If it happened I don't remember it. And even today I certainly didn't plan on it." -- UB coach Reggie Witherspoon on playing all five starters over 30 minutes because of injuries.

"It's kind of unspoken. The coaches brought it up. They talked to us about how bad they beat us (last year). We talked about it among each other briefly, but it's nothing like, "Aw, man, they got into us last year, we got to come out . . . '" -- Canisius guard Harold Washington on avenging last year's 94-59 loss to the Bulls.

Injury Update: UB was without forward Xavier Ford, who was dinged in a practice collision with Cameron Downing, and guard Tony Watson (ankle). They're both day-to-day.

Back in Uniform: The Griffs will have Freddy Asprilla back from a three-game suspension for violating team rules when they play at Stony Brook at noon Saturday. UB hosts Mansfield Saturday.

-- Bob DiCesare

I'm going to stick my neck out right from the start and declare that Canisius, winner of one conference game last season, should contend for the MAAC title. It's by no means a certainty. Team chemistry will bear close watching early on. But it was evident during Friday night's 77-54 exhibition win over Ryerson at the KAC that talent is not an issue in Jim Baron's first year as coach.

Billy Baron, a fringe benefit to the hiring of his father, solidifies the point guard spot and can flat-out shoot it. His presence and ability to penetrate allows the likes of Isaac Sosa, Harold Washington and Alshwan Hymes to work and fire off the wings. Jordan Heath, the 6-10 transfer from Roberts Wesleyan, isn't as offensively skilled as former Bona star Andrew Nicholson but can have the same kind of impact at the defensive end.

The Griffs rolled nine deep most of the way, built a 48-18 halftime lead and then played a sloppy final 15 minutes. There's work to do but the pieces are there. The challenge is in continuing to nuture team chemistry.

"There's no question it's very, very difficult," Jim Baron said. "You're putting all the pieces together. You're taking the guys that have been here and you're trying to give them confidence of what it takes to win and understanding the equation of what it takes to win. It's not only making shots, but you got to defend, you got to rebound the basketball, you got to get to the free throw line and make plays."

"We knew it was going to be a little bit of a challenge because we hadn't played a game together before," Billy Baron said. "But I think we showed what we've been working on."

The Griffs started Baron, Washington, Sosa, Heath and Chris Manhertz. Freddy Asprilla, Reggie Groves and Hymes all played at least 19 minutes while Josiah Heath got 13.

-- Bob DiCesare

"It was a good first game for us," Jim Baron said.

Billy Baron doesn't have an assist yet for the Canisius basketball team, but he's already quite the team player.

Not only will Baron be eligible to play this season after receiving an NCAA waiver, but with his dad, Jim Baron, as coach, he won't use up one of the team's scholarships, either. 

Canisius confirmed today that Billy Baron falls under what the NCAA calls "non-recruited, non-scholarship student-athletes" and won't use one of the team's 13 allowed scholarships.

He's been accepted into the college and the school said he will be eligible for Canisius' tuition reimbursement program that allows faculty members to send their children to the school for free. 

With Phil Valenti and Jermaine Johnson coming in, the team currently has two scholarships remaining for the upcoming season, which it may or may not use. Tyrel Edwards' name has been thrown around for months as a Canisius recruit, but as of Aug. 15, a week and a half before classes start, the athletic department hasn't seen any paperwork from him.

The roster right now has 11 scholarship players, Baron, and walk-ons Tyler Funk and Sean Ezeamama, who both played last year.

The Griffs will have four more scholarships next season after Harold Washington, Alshwan Hymes, Freddy Asprilla and Isaac Sosa graduate. 

It will be another week or two before Canisius' schedule is released.

--- Nick Veronica

Twitter: @NickVeronica

Canisius junior guard Billy Baron -- who transferred from Rhode Island to follow his father, head coach Jim Baron -- has received a waiver from the NCAA that will allow him to compete in the upcoming season without having to sit out a year.

Billy Baron scored 13.0 points per game last year with Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 and looks to be a starter for the Griffs this season. He has been accepted into the college and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Jim Baron was fired March 4 and later hired by Canisius. Billy started his career in the Atlantic Coast Conference with Virginia, but transferred to Rhode Island to play with his dad after just one semester. He sat out the full, NCAA-required year before being eligible for the final 20 games last season.

Baron's waiver is another step in NCAA precedent that allows players to play immediately if they transfer because their father was fired. Central Michigan's Trey Zeigler was also granted the waiver earlier this year to play at Pittsburgh after his father, Ernie, was fired.

--- Nick Veronica

Twitter: @NickVeronica

Canisius College this afternoon confirmed it has hired Jim Baron as its next men's basketball coach.

"I am extremely pleased to introduce Jim Baron as our men's basketball coach," Canisius Athletic Director Bill Maher said in a press release issued by the school. "In naming Jim to this position, we have hired a man who has a proven track record of building successful basketball programs and developing young men. He is excited to return to Western New York to lead the Canisius College basketball program."

Baron has plenty of experience in the Big 4. He's a 1977 graduate of St. Bonaventure who coached at his alma mater for nine years (1992-2001), making one of his two career NCAA Tournament appearances with the Bonnies (in 2000). Baron went on to coach for the past 11 years at Rhode Island, leading the Rams to five NIT appearances and a 184-165 overall record.

Baron's hiring was first reported Sunday night by cbssportsline.com, although it wasn't made official by the school until this afternoon.

Baron, 58, will be introduced at a press conference at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Koessler Athletic Center. The coach, who was fired from Rhode Island last month after a 7-24 season, signed a five-year contract. He has an overall career record of 390-367 in 25 years as a Division I coach.

Prior to his time at Bona, he coached St. Francis (Pa.) for five seasons, including his other NCAA Tournament appearance, in 1991.

"This is a great day for Canisius College basketball," school president John J. Hurley said in a release. "Jim Baron has demonstrated throughout his career that it is possible to match success on the court with success in the classroom. He has been a positive influence in the lives of hundreds of young men, and I'm tremendously excited about the prospect of working with Jim to restore Golden Griffin basketball to glory."

Baron takes over for Tom Parrotta, who was fired last month after a 5-25 season. The Griffs do return all five starters from that team.

Baron and his wife, Cindy, have two sons: Jimmy, a 2009 graduate of URI who played for his father, and Billy, who just completed his sophomore season with the Rams.

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

Jim Baron will be returning to Western New York as head coach of the Canisius men's basketball team, according to a report tonight from Jeff Goodman of cbssportsline.com. Goodman's report can be found here.

There has been no official word from Canisius on the hiring as of yet. Baron, 58, was fired last month by Rhode Island after a 7-24 season. 

He previously coached St. Bonaventure from 1992-2001, leading the Bonnies to one NCAA Tournament appearance and three trips to the NIT. At Rhode Island, he took the Rams to the NIT five times in 11 seasons, but was never able to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Canisius fired Tom Parrotta last month after a disappointing 5-25 season.

---Jay Skurski

http://twitter.com/jayskurski

---Former St. Bonaventure coach Jim Baron has been offered the job at Canisius multiple sources have told The News.

Baron, who was fired after 11 years at Rhode Island, is in negotiations with the school and is seeking additional funds for assistant coaches to help build a stronger infrastructure in the program.

While waiting on a commitment from Baron, Canisius AD Bill Maher is still talking to candidates in case Baron turns down the job. A source told The News that Maher on Wednesday spoke with Jayson Gee, the associate head coach at Cleveland State and former a St. Bonaventure assistant.

Baron, who coached at St. Bonaventure from 1992-01, had four consecutive 20-win seasons at Rhode Island before last season’s 7-24 finish and was fired a year after he agreed to a contract extension through the 2013-14 season. He has a career record of 390-367 (.515).

Norfolk State's Anthony Evans and Rhode Island College's Bob Walsh are also candidates, according to sources.

---Rodney McKissic

(twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)