Happy Holidays From Hartwick Basketball

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays. We are 5-3 on the year and getting ready for Empire 8 play. All our games the rest of the year are on the internet so hopefully, you can watch us play.

Suderley Wins Empire 8 Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week

Here are the links to the stories about Freshman Jared Suderley:

http://www.hartwick.edu/athletics/12-13-10-suderley-row

http://www.hartwick.edu/athletics/12-07-10-suderley-ecac-pow

http://www.hartwick.edu/athletics/12-06-10-suderley-pow

Hartwick works with EDD Memorial

The Hartwick College Men's

basketball team took a day of practice to work with the EDD Memorial Fund. The EDD Memorial Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides recreational and competitive sports programs for young people with disabilities. Our goal is to level the playing field by making sports accessible and fun for children and young adults with disabilities. The players worked with the young people on their basketball skills.

Meet the Hawks- Freshman Mike Geisser

My name is Mike Geisser and I'm currently a freshman at Hartwick College. I am from East Hanover, New Jersey and attended Hanover Park High School the last four years.

Business is my major here at Hartwick and I have been enjoying myself on and off the court so far in Oneonta. Besides playing basketball, I love spending time with my family and friends. I've already had an awesome start to my freshman year, making new friends and playing ball, and I look forward to having a great and successful season.

Meet the Hawks- Freshman Shiva Senthil

Hey, my name is Shiva Senthil and I'm a freshman from Clifton Park, NY which is a suburb of Albany. I attended Catholic Central High School and I'm a business major at Hartwick College. Along with my business major I am considering double majoring in economics and doing a minor in political science. Hartwick College seemed like the perfect fit for me because it has a good educational reputation, it seemed like a place where I would enjoy playing basketball at, and I really liked the coaching staff and the players on the team. It seemed like a place where I could really succeed at and a place that I would enjoy for the next four years.

A little bit about me. I am an absolute gym rat. I love being in the gym and working on all parts of my game. I shoot and dribble every single day and when I say every day, I literally mean it. I'm there whenever I have free time and it’s a priority for me to get in the gym. Over the summer, I shot 1000 shots and did dribbling workout with my brother every day. This took about 4 to 5 hours but in my mind it was worth it.

Outside of basketball, I love being with my friends and family. I'm really close to them and they are a big part of my life. I also like watching sports, movies and TV, and just going out with friends and having a good time. I am also a huge Yankee fan and I was so mad when they lost to the Rangers this year. My favorite basketball team is the NJ Nets but my favorite players are Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry. As for football, my team is the Atlanta Falcons but I barely get to see them because they don't play in our network.

I am hoping for a great freshman year on and off the court and it should be a great 4 years to come!

Meet the Hawks Sophomore Jonathan Zehe

My name is Jonathan Zehe and I am a returning sophomore. I am currently a business major at Hartwick College and I am leaning towards a philosophy minor.

I am having a great time at Hartwick. Oneonta is a quiet town with an exciting college lifestyle surrounding it. This past summer I spent a majority of my time traveling and working on my game. After working the Hartwick basketball camp, I attended Point Guard College with current teammate, Mark Blazek. The camp was a good experience to better my skills and meet players from different colleges.

The season has started and I’m more excited than ever. The first game is just around the corner and I know we’re all anxious to start the season off right.

Meet the Hawks Frehsman Jacob Karker

Hi, my name is Jake Karker and I'm a freshman at Hartwick. I'm from Schoharie NY, a small town about an hour west of the college. Besides basketball, I enjoy playing golf, video games, ping pong, and watching sports.

At Hartwick, I'm currently a double major in accounting (CPA) and business. My college experience so far has been enjoyable. All of the professors at the college have given me individual attention while everyone on the basketball team has been welcoming and kind.

Meet the Hawks- Junior Andres Carpio

My name is Andres Carpio, I am a junior transfer student who transferred from Lock Haven University to Hartwick College to play college basketball. I am from Beacon NY, and I was born on October 26, 1989. I am a psychology major and I enjoy playing basketball and watching movies. My favorite food is pizza. My parents are Nilson Carpio and Ruth Peña. I have one older sibling, he is my brother and his name is Juan Carpio.

Meet the Hawks Freshman Christian Laputka

My name is Christian Laputka. I am a freshman here at Hartwick College. I went to Hazleton Area High School in Pennsylvania. Here at Hartwick I am going to major in biology and hope to attend graduate school and become a physician’s assistant.

I am excited for my first season of college basketball to start. Practice has been going great so far, and I love playing with my new teammates. Everybody gets along and we have a real close group of guys. We definitely have all the elements we need for a successful season.

In my free time I enjoy watching sports and hanging with my friends. I also play NBA 2k11 when I have some down time. Now with basketball starting I don’t have as much free time between that and school work, but when I do I just like to do anything that will help me relax.

Meet the Hawks- Freshman Jared Suderley

My name is Jared Suderley. I am currently a freshman at Hartwick College. I'm majoring in biology pre-physical therapy. I went to West Canada Valley Central School which is located in Newport, New York.

In my three years on varsity basketball, we won two sectional championships. After my senior year, I was awarded the Player of the Year in my division and the Mohawk Valley.

During my free time, I enjoy a nice round of golf or just relaxing with my friends. I am a huge Bills, Knicks, and Yankees fan. I'm looking forward to this basketball season along with my next three years at Hartwick.

Meet the Hawks- Junior Captain Chris Ryder

I'm returning for my junior year for our basketball team here at Hartwick College. I'm a declared Business Administration Major and a Graphic Communications Minor, so this fall I've been taking a lot of classes to get myself toward graduating with both of those degrees. I've been excited to start taking some of the more in depth classes for my major along with starting to take classes towards my minor this fall.

My summer consisted of a lot of work. I worked at a Beer and Soda Distributor in my town of Port Washington on Long Island and also played on 3 summer league basketball teams. I had a busy and productive summer and was very excited to start this season off on the right foot. Now that we've been playing for a little bit my excitement for the season hasn't changed at all. Now I am counting down the days until November 15th and our first game home game in Lambros Arena vs. Wells College.

Meet the Hawks- Freshman Victor Angeline

Hey, my name is Victor Angeline, and I’m a freshman here at Hartwick College. I went to Rutgers Preparatory School in Central New Jersey, and I am having a good start to my college experience here in Oneonta, NY. I am majoring in Economics and minoring in French, but I will probably add another minor depending on the branch of Economics I look to study.

As far as basketball, one of my greatest moments was winning the Prep B State Championship in my junior year of high school, where we came back from 20 points down in the first quarter to claim the title in the final minutes of the fourth in a packed gymnasium. Here at Hartwick, we have a great group of guys on and off the court, and I am looking forward to having a successful season.

Aside from class and basketball, I enjoy watching movies and keeping up with television sitcoms and latest sports news. Back home, I love to spend time with my family and catch up with friends.

Donovan Wins SAAB Pie Eating Contest

Freshman Steven Donovan wins SAAB Code Blue Pie Eating Contest. All Hartwick sports team competed and Steven won the contest for Men's Basketball. Steven attacked the pie and his teammates were there to cheer him on.

Alumni Game December 4

ALUMNI GAME Saturday December 4th, 2010 after Hartwick vs. Morrisville State at 3:00 pm.

Coach Lambros will still be in town and please pass the word. Dinner will be served after the game. Game to start around 5:00 pm. RSVP to Coach McGuinness at mcguinnesst@hartwick.edu. Hope to see everyone.

Hartwick Welcomes Coach Gibbs

Dan Gibbs joins the Hartwick College men’s basketball program as an assistant coach for the 2010-11 academic year.

Prior to Hartwick, Gibbs spent four years at Syracuse University as the Assistant Head Team Manager for the Orange basketball program. While at SU, Gibbs assisted the Orange coaching staff with training forwards and centers at practices and ran off-season workouts for the players. In addition, he supervised a staff of 20 managers and performed promotional work for Orange summer camps.

Gibbs also has served as both a basketball intern at IMG and a marketing/operations assistant at Hoops Mountain Inc. Basketball Camp. At IMG, he assisted in basketball workouts for college and NBA players and coached and directed camps for players ages 12-22. At Hoops Mountain, Gibbs served as director of tournament sites and summer camps.

Gibbs earned his bachelor's degree in marketing management from Syracuse University in May 2010.

Senior Martin McCann Summer Intern with the New Jersey Nets

Senior Martin McCann worked as a full time Graphic Design intern for the New Jersey Nets this summer. While working hard on his gam ethis summer for his senior year, Martin was able to gain valuable experience and was able to work with different areas of graphic design. When Martin returns to school, he will be blogging about his summer experience.

Congrats Seniors

Hartwick College Basketball graduated three seniors this weekend. The three players helped moved the program forward and will be missed greatly. Mike Tracy Jr, a double major in Physics and Business, has accepted a job in Boston. Kyle Phillips, Mathematics major, will be working in Boston in the fall. James Mantas, a Biology/ Pre-Med major, will be going to Med School in the fall. The program is proud of our seniors and knows that they will all do well for themselves in the future. Stay in shape for the Alumni game.

Hartwick helps with EDD Memorial Fund

This past weekend the Hartwick Men’s Basketball team helped with the EDD Memorial Fund at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. Eight young people with disabilities spent the afternoon improving their basketball skills working with members of our team. We did different shooting games and skill work with the young people. We have a few pictures of the event and will be doing more work with the EDD Fund.

EMPIRE 8 HONORS

The Empire 8 Conference announced its 2010 Men's Basketball All-Conference teams on Thursday. Hartwick sophomore guard Mark Blazek (Erie, PA/Erie Cathedral Prep), senior center Kyle Phillips (Ashland, MA/Ashland), and senior forward James Mantas (Niskayuna, NY/CBA) each were recognized. Blazek, the league's second leading scorer and reigning Rookie of the Year, earned first team honors. Phillips garnered honorable mention, and Mantas was Hartwick's Sportsman of the Year.

Blazek ranks second in the conference in scoring (20.3 points per game) and free throw percentage (80.8 percent), and third in three-point field goals (2.3 per game) this season. He scored in double figures in all 24 of the Hawks' games this season and has accumulated 110 three-point baskets in two seasons at 'Wick, good enough for 8th in the all-time Hartwick record book. Blazek was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I First Team by CoSIDA earlier this year.

Phillips led Hartwick in rebounding (6.3 rpg), and blocks (40), and finished second behind Blazek in scoring with an average of 14.8 points per game. He recorded four double-doubles and reached double figures in scoring in 21 of 24 games this season. He closes out his four years at 'Wick with a career field goal percentage of .558 (274-for-493) and his 72 blocked shots ranks 3rd all-time in College history.

One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2010 Empire 8 Men's Basketball Sportsman of the Year Team. The E8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete's experience in conjunction with an institution's educational mission. Mantas consistently exhibited the critical traits as an outstanding sportsman throughout the year. He was one of two players on the team to start in all 24 games this season for the Hawks, averaging 6.4 points per game. He led Hartwick in steals this season with 38 and was second on the squad in rebounding (5.2 rpg), assists (61), and blocks (14).

In conference play, the Hartwick men's basketball team had its best season in nine years. 'Wick recorded seven E8 wins and finished sixth in the conference standings this year. It marks the team's highest win total and finish in the standings since the 2000-2001 team won seven and placed fourth.

SENIOR BLOG- KYLE PHILLIPS

As there is one week left of my basketball career at Hartwick College, I am slowly trying to stop the seconds from passing. These past four years have certainly made a tremendous impact on my life. I went through a drastic transformation from being a shy, skinny freshman to what I am now.

I have built a great collection of memories at Hartwick. Playing Oneonta State each year was always the most anticipated game. I’ve never been part of a game with a crowd of over 2,500. Each year playing RIT was an experience in itself. We have had many battles playing them, most seeming like roller coasters. The fondest memory was probably wining the ECAC championship over St. John Fisher. Having not beaten them in over 20 years, and not winning the ECAC in multiple tries, gave me great pride in being part of the Hartwick Men’s Basketball program.

It is easy to say I do not regret coming to Hartwick. Four years ago I chose to come to Hartwick simply based on the great people at the school. I easily became friends with the players. You won’t find any other team in the U.S. like the Hartwick Men’s Basketball team. I’ve seen many unique personalities through my four years. Matt “Simo”, ate, drank, and breathed WWE. Jan Coccoziello had a severe obsession over Kobe Bryant, and tried to mimic every posture, facial expression, and move Kobe did on the court. Greg Bankowski looked like he came right out of the 1980s and belonged in the movie Goodfellas. Teddy Bridgeman couldn’t tell you the president of the United States, but could give you the whole NY Giants roster with player stats and thorough analysis. Eric Mingos is famous for two things, his gauging biceps, and a killer jump shot. Dan Devantier always has a mental meltdown before he even shoots the ball. It’s these bizarre, yet endearing characters, and more, that have made my time at Hartwick College worthwhile.
In the months to come I look to finish school and graduate and put my mathematics degree to use.

SENIOR BLOG- MIKE TRACY

I've been a part of a lot of great memories in my time at Hartwick College. I've met amazing people and have created lifelong friendships with a lot of people. I've spent most of my life at Hartwick being as my dad was a football coach here for 15 years before taking a coaching job at Hamilton College. During those years, I was able to see how college athletics were which the average kid doesn't get to do. Also during those years, I was able to treat Binder as a sort of playground which again not many kids get to do, so I like to believe there's a special connection I have with Binder and the whole Hartwick campus.

As for reflecting on my years attending Hartwick, many things come to mind as memorable. From the beginning as a freshman being able to go to Las Vegas and compete with other colleges in basketball from around the country and also in the same year playing baseball doing the same thing in Arizona for my spring break.

Another big part of my athletic career is playing football and being part of an Empire 8 championship team. Without playing in high school it was something challenging and also a good feeling to know that with dedication many things are possible.

Academically completing two majors in Physics and Business have been an even more important accomplishment. The hard work put into that has been just as challenging as participating in three different sports.

Overall I have met many important influences at Hartwick from my football coach Mark Carr, basketball coaches Paul Culpo and Todd McGuinness, and business professors Penny Wightman and Scott Dalrymple to name a few. I could go on about the good memories I've accumulated from this school but I'll try to save some for myself.

Blazek Earns First Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Honors

ONEONTA, NY - Sophomore guard Mark Blazek (Erie, PA/Erie Cathedral Prep) of the Hartwick College men's basketball team has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I First Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Blazek is one of only five men's basketball players who were selected to the first team in the College Division, which is comprised of NCAA Division II and III and NAIA programs in New England, New York and Canada. With his all-district selection, Blazek now will be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

Blazek, the reigning Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and a key factor in the Hawks' run to the ECAC Upstate title, has led Hartwick to an 8-11 overall record and 5-6 mark in the Empire 8 standings this season. He is averaging 20.2 points per game which ranks 2nd in the Empire 8 and 43rd in Division III. Blazek also ranks 1st in the conference in free throw percentage (.836), 3rd in 3-pointers made (46), and 9th in assists (3.11 apg).

A Student Athletic Advisory Board (SAAB) member and Oneonta YMCA Phone-a-thon volunteer, Blazek has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.97, which is tied for the highest GPA among all District 1 award winners. He is a Biology major and an Admissions volunteer at 'Wick.

Hartwick Storms Back To Beat Utica 81-62

ONEONTA, NY - Hartwick plays a dominant second half to erase a nine-point halftime deficit in an 81-62 win over Utica on Saturday at Lambros Arena. The Hawks outscored the Pioneers 50-22 and held a 32-12 edge in rebounds in the second session to roll to the victory. The win improves Hartwick's record to 6-9 overall, 3-4 in the Empire 8, and snaps a 15-game losing streak to the Pioneers. The Hawks last tasted victory over UC on Jan. 19, 2002. UC slips to 6-8 and 1-5 with today's loss.

Mark Blazek (Erie, PA/Erie Cathedral Prep), Chris Ryder (Port Washington, NY/Port Washington) and Kyle Phillips (Ashland, MA/Ashland) combined for 61 of the Hawks 81 points on the afternoon. Blazek paved the way with 24. Ryder added a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Phillips notched 18 points and eight boards.

Martin McCann (Hopewell Junction, NY/Our Lady of Lourdes) was also in double figures with 10 points and James Mantas (Niskayuna, NY/CBA) scored six, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists and made three blocks. Shane Tanzosh (Warwick, NY/Warwick) played a strong second half and finished the game with career-highs of 11 rebounds and five offensive boards. He also registered team-bests of four assists and two steals.

Utica was led by Patrick Goodman's 17 points. Will Abrams added 10 points, and James Patterson, Kevin Johnson, and George Schultz each netted seven.

The Hawks and Pioneers played evenly for the opening eight minutes of the game until Hartwick gained an eight-point lead, 23-15, with a 10-2 run in a two and a half minute span. Blazek had eight of 'Wick's points with a jumper and a pair of three's. With the Hawks seemingly in control with less than eight minutes to play in the opening half, the Pioneers turned the tables on their hosts going on a 21-5 run to close the first period up 40-31. UC hit 9-of-18 shots in the span while limiting Hartwick to just 2-of-16 shooting.

The Hawks came out and played an inspired second half and following a 14-4 run to start the stanza, 'Wick regained the lead. A Ryder jumper at the 12:45 mark gave the Hawks the edge for good, 47-46, and a 15-2 Blue and White spurt over the next four minutes would put the game away. Utica never managed to cut the 'Wick lead to under 10 points the rest of the game and Hartwick secured the victory.

The Hawks shot 48% from the floor in the contest, including 56% (18-of-32) in the second half, and out-rebounded the Pioneers 50-32. UC ended the game shooting 40%, but hit just 27% (9-of-33) in the all-important second half.

The Hawks, currently fifth in the E8 standings, will travel to RIT and St. John Fisher next weekend in a pair of important conference games.

Kyle Phillips Throws the Hammer Down 3 Times

Kyle Phillips dunks 3 times against Alfred University. Enjoy and Go Hawks...

http://www.youtube.com/user/oomac42#p/a/u/0/hPIP9BXqTKI

HAPPY 2010

Happy 2010 to everyone and hope your 2010 will be great. We are excited for 2010 and our 1st games of 2010 this weekend. The games will be broadcast live on the internet so hopefully, you can watch us play. The games are Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. The link is below:

http://www.pennatlantic.com/index.php