Bucknell's Chris McNaughton Repeats as Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Junior Chris McNaughton (Leutershausen, Germany/Dientzenhofer Gymnasium), a First Team All-Patriot League center and an outstanding student in Bucknell's challenging electrical engineering program, was named the 2006 Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Wednesday.
McNaughton also won the honor in 2005, making him the third student-athlete in league history to win it twice. The other two also came from Bucknell - Valter Karavanic in 1999 and 2000 and Dan Blankenship in 2002 and 2003. In all, Bucknell has now claimed eight of the 16 of men's basketball Scholar-Athletes, and McNaughton is the school's 101st all-time Scholar-Athlete, a league high.
One Scholar-Athlete from each Patriot League-sponsored sport is selected each year in a vote of the league's sports information directors. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore and carry a minimum 3.20 cumulative GPA.
McNaughton made the Dean's List following the 2005 fall semester with a 3.58 grade-point average, upping his cumulative GPA to 3.27. He is a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District team this fall.
McNaughton was a difference-maker on what many Bison followers have called the best team in school history. Bucknell won a school-record 27 games with only five losses, finished 14-0 in the Patriot League, won the league championship for the second year in a row, and defeated Arkansas 59-55 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
A First Team All-Patriot League pick for the second straight year, he averaged 12.8 points per game, second on the team and eighth in the Patriot League. He also led the league and ranked 24th nationally in field-goal percentage at .578.
McNaughton scored his 1,000th point this season and had a number of outstanding performances in the post, most notably a career-high 29-point effort against No. 4 Villanova at Sojka Pavilion. Other notable games include a 15-point, 10-rebound showing in a win over No. 17 Syracuse; 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting in a win over Boston University; a team-high 15 points against No. 1 Duke; 44 points on 21-for-29 shooting in three Patriot League Tournament games; and a team-high 15 points against top-seeded Memphis in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. All told, he scored in double figures in 26 of 31 games and was named to the NABC All-District Team.

Bucknell Men's Basketball Ranked 25th in Final ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches' Poll

Bucknell's historic 2005-06 team received another item for the vault on Tuesday, when the Bison were ranked 25th in the final ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches' Poll. It is the second time this season Bucknell has been nationally ranked. On Feb. 13, the Bison were ranked No. 24, making them the first team in school and Patriot League history to earn a national ranking.
Bucknell received at least one vote in every poll this season, and it was tops among "others receiving votes" entering the NCAA Tournament. After beating Arkansas 59-55 to advance to the field of 32 for the second straight year, the Bison moved up a spot to No. 25 in the final poll.
Bucknell earned 51 points in the coaches' poll. The next closest team in the poll was North Carolina State with 23 points. Fresh off its national title, Florida received all 31 first-place votes and finished at the top of the rankings. UCLA, LSU, Connecticut and Villanova rounded out the top five.
For Bucknell, the ranking punctuates the finest season in the 111-year history of the program. The Bison won 27 games, a school and league record, and became the first team in Patriot League history to go unbeaten (14-0) in conference play. They won the Patriot League championship for the second straight year, earned a best-ever No. 9 seed at the NCAA Tournament and defeated Arkansas in the first round in Dallas.
Coach Pat Flannery's squad was one of five "mid-major" programs to finish in the top 25. George Mason, which made an improbable run to the Final Four, was ranked eighth, while Gonzaga finished 10th, Wichita State 21st, and Bradley 24th.

Bucknell Men's Basketball Coach Pat Flannery Signs Contract Extension

After leading the Bucknell men's basketball program to a second straight record-setting season, Bison head coach Pat Flannery has agreed to an extension of his existing contract, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt announced today.
Flannery, a 1980 Bucknell graduate, skippered the Bison to a 27-5 season, a second consecutive Patriot League championship and a second straight march into the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06. Along the way, the Bison shattered the school and league single-season victory record and became the first team in Patriot League history to go unbeaten (14-0) in conference play.
Not to be overlooked, Flannery's team led all members of the 2006 NCAA Tournament field with a 100 percent graduation rate, and his program's performance in the NCAA's Academic Performance Rate indicator was well above the national average. In addition, the Bison set a school attendance record at Sojka Pavilion this season, featuring eight sellouts and the top 10 single-game attendances in program history.
"Bucknell University is privileged to have Pat Flannery as its head basketball coach," said President Brian C. Mitchell. "He is a leader who has not only brought tremendous basketball success to Bucknell, but he has also been a vocal advocate of the student-athlete ideal. The young men he has brought to our campus are future engineers, businessmen, writers and scientists that also play basketball extremely well. They are role models in the community who are here to experience Bucknell just like any other student. Remarkably, Pat's teams have maintained that focus while bringing national acclaim to our institution through their championship-level play on the hardwood, and their class and poise in the arena of everyday life."
Flannery, who just completed his 12th season at Bucknell, was awarded the mid-season Hugh Durham Award by CollegeInsider.com as the nation's top mid-major head coach, and he is a finalist and strong candidate for the end-of-year Durham Award, which will be announced later this week.
"We are thrilled that Bucknell's men's basketball program will continue to benefit from Pat Flannery's exceptional leadership," said Hardt. "Bucknell is committed to providing Pat with the necessary support to maintain a successful Patriot League program. The last two seasons in particular have been extraordinary. Bison Basketball has reached unprecedented levels of achievement, and people across the nation have taken notice not just of Bucknell's success, but also how the ideal of the scholar-athlete has not been compromised along the way. I look forward to working with Pat for years to come, as we strive to continue the growth of this great program."
"I am extremely happy knowing that my family and I will continue to be a part of this great institution," said Flannery. "I thank the university leadership for the trust it has shown in the work we are doing to continue to make the Bucknell program a success both on and off the court. The entire future of Bucknell University is extremely bright."
Flannery has helped usher in a new and exciting era of Bison Basketball. In 2003, Bucknell debuted in its sparkling new athletics and recreation complex and 4,000-seat arena, Sojka Pavilion. The program will also be welcoming its fourth scholarship class next fall. The fruits of these enhancements began to show in 2004-05, when the Bison finished 23-10, won their first Patriot League championship and, as a No. 14 seed, stunned Kansas 64-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The bar was raised this season. Early in the year Bucknell defeated No. 17 Syracuse and DePaul on the road, lost a hard-fought home game against No. 4 Villanova, then won 17 straight Patriot League games, including three in the Patriot League Tournament. A 74-59 victory over Holy Cross at sold-out Sojka Pavilion, in front of an ESPN2 audience, brought a second straight league title and a return to the NCAA Tournament. This time Bucknell was rewarded with a No. 9 seed, by far the highest in school and league history, and it backed up the lofty placement by defeating Arkansas 59-55 in the first round.
In 2005-06 Flannery upped his career record to 294-194 and his Bucknell ledger to 199-151. With 12 seasons under his belt at Bucknell he is the school's second longest-tenured head coach, only behind his own former coach, Charlie Woollum. Flannery also ranks second on Bucknell's all-time wins list, behind Woollum's 318 (1975-94).
Since Flannery took over the coaching reins from Woollum in 1994, the Bison have continued their storied history of success on the hardwood. In his very first season back at his alma mater he led the Orange and Blue to an 11-3 conference record. Two years later the Bison appeared in the Patriot League championship game, falling to Navy by just one point on the Midshipmen's home floor. Bucknell returned to the Patriot League title game in 1999, this time suffering a tough four-point defeat at Lafayette, but the Bison finally broke through in 2005 with their thrilling championship game win at Holy Cross.
All told, the Bison have posted winning or even conference records in 11 of Flannery's 12 seasons at Bucknell, and he sports a league-record 105-51 (.673) mark in Patriot League play. Flannery has guided the Bison to at least the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament in 10 of 12 seasons.
Off the court, Flannery and his student-athletes have been equally notable. The Bison have taken an extremely active role in the local community through the years, volunteering time to Central Pennsylvania youth basketball programs, the Heiter Community Center in Lewisburg, and the Janet Weis Children's Hospital at Geisinger Medical Center. Bucknell has also claimed six of the last nine Patriot League Men's Basketball Scholar-Athletes of the Year, including Chris McNaughton last season.
The only player ever to lead the Bison in assists four straight years, Flannery enjoyed an excellent career as a player at Bucknell. He captained the 1979-80 team that finished 20-7 and finished with 505 career assists, which was a school record at the time and still ranks third. He also registered 779 career points and was a 78.7 percent free-throw shooter. The Bison were 38-16 in his final two seasons, and he captained both of those squads.
Flannery, 48, led Lebanon Valley to the Division III national title in 1994 before returning to his alma mater.

2005-06 Bucknell Men's Basketball: an Encore Performance

A year ago, Bucknell was the "darling of the dance." The prestigious private school with an enrollment of about 3,400 that stunned perennial power Kansas in the first round of the ncaa Tournament.
The victory made national headlines as the first-ever ncaa triumph for the Bison, or any Patriot League school for that matter. The team earned an ESPY award in the "Best Upset" category and spent the summer reliving the biggest win in the 111-year history of the program.
As the 2005-06 campaign started, with virtually the entire roster returning intact, everyone wanted to know what Bucknell could do for an encore. And despite heaping expectations, both internal and external, all the Bison did was fashion their finest season yet.
Even with a large "bulls-eye" on its back every night, Bucknell shattered the school victory record with a fancy 27-4 ledger, repeated as Patriot League champion and made a return trip to the second round of the ncaa Tournament after a thrilling 59-55 win over Arkansas.
The Bison carried the sixth-best record in the nation - and the highest graduation rate (100%) -- entering the ncaa Tournament. Among its impressive non-conference victories were road wins at then-No. 17 and recent Big East champion Syracuse and DePaul, as well as a home victory over Atlantic-10 finalist Saint Joseph's.
The Bison really made their mark in Patriot League play, becoming the first team in the 16-year history of the conference to run the table, going a perfect 14-0. Three more double-digit wins in the Patriot League Tournament -- capped by an impressive 74-59 win over Holy Cross -- brought them a second straight league title. Then they earned a No. 9 seed in the ncaa Tournament, by far the highest in school and league history.
Once in the field of 65, the Bison made sure their weekend in Dallas would be a long one. With co-captains Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt combining for nine 3-pointers and 42 points, Bucknell knocked off Southeastern Conference power Arkansas in the first round, validating last season's Kansas victory.
In the round of 32, Bucknell ran into top-seeded Memphis, and the Conference USA champ wore down the Bison with its speed, strength and depth. Bucknell whittled a 19-point deficit down to nine in the second half, but the Tigers just had too much down the stretch, and the magical season that nobody wanted to end did just that on a rainy Sunday in Dallas.
Of Bucknell's five losses in 2005-06, three came at the hands of No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament - Memphis, Duke and Villanova. Northern Iowa, which topped Bucknell in double overtime in a BracketBusters classic, earned an at-large bid out of the highly respected Missouri Valley Conference and was also nationally ranked at times this season.
Speaking of national rankings, this season Bucknell also achieved its first-ever listing in a national poll. On Feb. 13 the Bison were ranked 24th in both the Associated Press Poll and the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches' Poll.
While not without star power, Bucknell's greatest asset this season was its depth and its unselfish team play, particularly on defense. Armed with a tricky matchup zone defense, the Bison entered the ncaa Tournament ranked second nationally in scoring defense (55.3). In 31 games this season they have allowed 60 or more points only nine times and 70 or more only five times, while on nine occasions they have kept teams under 50.
Bucknell's entire starting five from last year's Kansas returned this season, and only two of them were seniors. Bettencourt and Lee will ultimately be remembered as two of the program's all-time greats, and they were terrific leaders as well. Lee, a do-it-all 6'3" wing, is the 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year and the first two-time PL Tournament MVP in league history. Bettencourt, a former PL Rookie of the Year and a three-time all-leaguer, finished with a school-record 294 3-pointers. Eleven of them came in two clutch back-to-back performances, first hitting six against Holy Cross in the Patriot League championship game, then knocking down five against Arkansas in the ncaa Tournament.
Another highly decorated performer was 6'11" junior center Chris McNaughton, a two-time first team all-conference pick who is best known for hitting the game-winning shot against Kansas last March. He also saves some of his most prolific performances for the biggest games. He scored a career-high 29 points against Villanova this season, and now in 12 career postseason games he is 69-for-102 (.676) odds from the field.
Often overshadowed by the McNaughton-Lee-Bettencourt triumverate, which accounted for 58.5% of the team's scoring glambling odds, was junior point guard Abe Badmus. The 2005 PL Defensive Player of the Year, Badmus was not a high scorer (6.6 ppg), but he impacted the game significantly with his ability to quarterback the team's offense and prevent his counterpart from doing the same. Badmus had 11 assists and no turnovers in last year's Kansas win, then followed it up with seven assists and two turnovers in the Arkansas victory.
Other key players were sophomore Darren Mastropaolo and junior Donald Brown, who made up a very effective platoon at the "4" position, and reserve sharpshooters John Griffin and Jason Vegotsky, the league-leader in 3-point percentage (.547).
Along with Bettencourt and Lee, reserves Holland Mack and Tarik Viaer-McClymont will also graduate, leaving Bucknell with three starters and 10 lettermen with at least one year of ncaa Tournament experience next season.

Bucknell Men's Basketball Celebration Planned for Tuesday Evening

The Bucknell ncaa basketball team concluded its greatest season ever on Sunday with a loss to top-seeded Memphis at the ncaa Tournament, and now plans are in place for a celebration in honor of the Bison team on Tuesday, March 21.
Beginning at 6 p.m., there will be a parade along Market Street in downtown Lewisburg. The parade will wind up at Sojka Pavilion, where there will be a rally beginning at approximately 6:30 p.m. The celebration is free of charge and open to the public.
Among the scheduled guest speakers are Lewisburg mayor Judy Wagner, Pennsylvania Rep. Russ Fairchild (R-Snyder/Union), Bucknell University president Brian C. Mitchell, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt, Bison head coach Pat Flannery and members of the Bucknell team.
Bucknell finished 27-5 basketball spreads, setting a new single-season victory record, won the Patriot League championship and advanced to the second round of the ncaa Tournament for the second year in a row. Seeded a best-ever ninth in the ncaa Tournament, the Bison knocked out No. 8 Arkansas 59-55 in the first round on Friday.

Bucknell to Make Return Trip to Patriot League Title Game after 64-50 Win over American

Chris McNaughton and Kevin Bettencourt scored 16 points apiece and Charles Lee added 15 to lead top-seeded Bucknell to a 64-50 wagering spreads victory over No. 4 American in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals on Sunday afternoon at Sojka Pavilion. The Bison set a school record with their 25th win of the season, and they will return to the Patriot League championship game for the second straight year.

Second-seeded Holy Cross, a 73-66 winner over No. 3 Lehigh in the other semifinal contest, will travel to Bucknell (25-4) for the championship game on Friday, March 10 at 4:30 p.m. The game will air live on ESPN2.
Tickets for the championship game will go on sale on Monday morning beginning at 11 a.m. at the Weis Center or Elaine Langone Center box offices. A special student-only sale will take place from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Monday morning at the Sojka Pavilion box office. Valid Bucknell ID is required to purchase a ticket during that period.
Bucknell started and finished the first half in strong fashion in the win over American (12-17). The Bison ran out to an 8-0 lead, capped by a crowd-pleasing thread-the-needle bounce pass from Bettencourt to McNaughton for a transition dunk. American finally got on the board 4:56 into the contest on Derrick Mercer's jumper, but Bettencourt answered with the first his four 3-pointers on the day to make it 11-2.

The Bison ncaa basketball then went nearly five minutes without scoring while American rattled off nine straight points to tie the game at 11. Darren Mastropaolo ended the Bucknell drought with a short hook shot, starting an 11-3 run that gave the Bison the lead for good.
Bettencourt hit a three and then fed McNaughton for a layup for a 22-14 lead with 5:44 left in the half. Linas Lekavicius, who led the Eagles with 21 points, made a free throw to trim the margin to six at 28-22, but over the final 1:27 of the half Bettencourt drained another trey, Donald Brown made 1 of 2 free throws and Lee beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer that bounced several times off the rim before dropping in. The Bison took a 35-22 lead into the locker room and maintained at least a nine-point lead the rest of the way.
Bucknell's largest lead was 16 points spread at 46-30 after McNaughton's short hook shot capped a 9-2 run. Lee had two conventional 3-point plays, one after an offensive rebound and put-back and the other after an acrobatic spin move through the lane.
Lekavicius, who scored 15 points in the second half from his guard spot, tried to keep American within striking distance with a series of tough shots in the lane, but the Bison always seemed to have an answer. Lekavicius brought the Eagles within nine at 49-40 with a 3-pointer from the right corner with 9:17 to play, but Lee and Abe Badmus hit four straight free throws to push the lead back to double figures. Lekavicius later had a nice put-back of a Brayden Billbe miss, but Bettencourt answered with a dagger-inducing 3-pointer after a Jason Vegotsky offensive rebound and kick-out.
The Bison, who went 11-for-12 from the free throw line in the game, got four straight from John Griffin and Bettencourt in the final 1:07 to seal it.
Bucknell shot 57.7 percent in the first half as the starting five combined to go 15-for-20 from the field, and the Bison shot 48.0 percent for the game. They held American to 36.2 percent shooting.
Bucknell had an outstanding 16-to-11 assist-to-turnover ratio, while the Eagles managed just 5-to-13. Bettencourt led all players with six assists, while Lee added four. The Bison held a 28-26 rebounding edge.

Friday's championship game will be a rematch of the 2005 Patriot League title contest between Bucknell and Holy Cross. The Bison won that one 61-57 on the Crusaders' home floor. Bucknell and Holy Cross also met in the 1993 championship, with the Crusaders winning that one in Davis Gym.
Bucknell, which became the 16th No. 1 seed to advance to the league title game in 16 years, won its 20th straight game against Patriot League competition. It was the team's 26th straight home league victory and its 12th straight overall home win. The Bison are now 108-32 at home in coach Pat Flannery's 12 seasons. Gamble on college basketball march madness

Bucknell Men's Basketball Beats Army 70-47 to Finish Perfect 14-0 in Patriot League

Senior co-captains Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt scored 18 and 13 points, respectively, in their final regular-season home games, leading Bucknell to a 70-47 basketball gambling spreads victory over Army at sold-out Sojka Pavilion Saturday night. With the victory, Bucknell becomes the first team to go undefeated in Patriot League play at 14-0.
Now 23-4 overall and one win shy of the school record, Bucknell will be the No. 1 seed at next week's Patriot League Tournament and host a rematch with Army in the opening round at Sojka Pavilion on Friday at 8 p.m. The Black Knights, who were led by 16 points from Matt Bell, fell to 5-21 overall and 1-13 in the Patriot League.
The Bison also received 12 points from John Griffin and 11 from Chris McNaughton and captured their 24th straight home victory over a Patriot League opponent. It was Bucknell's 10th straight overall home win and its 11th in a row over Army.
Prior to the game, seniors Lee, Bettencourt, Holland Mack and Tarik Viaer-McClymont were honored with their families in an emotional Senior Night ceremony before the standing-room-only crowd. Mack and Viaer-McClymont made their first career starts, while Bettencourt tied the Bucknell record by playing in his 118th career game. It was the 74th victory for this senior class, moving them into a tie for fifth in Bucknell basketball history.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half in this one, as Army shot 35 percent from the field and Bucknell 36 percent. The Bison trailed 15-14 inside eight minutes remaining in the half before closing on an 11-3 run, with all 11 points coming from Lee. His 3-pointer gave the Bison the lead for good at the 7:45 mark, and later had a 3-point play and a tough fallaway jumper to make it 25-18 at the half.
Bucknell put the game away in the first 1:11 of the second half, scoring nine points in only two possessions. First, McNaughton went to the line and made the front end but missed the second. Darren Mastropaolo corralled the rebound, though and kicked it out to Bettencourt for a 3-pointer. About a minute later Mastropaolo scored inside and was fouled. He missed the free throw but the rebound was swatted out to Bettencourt behind the arc for another three and a five-point possession. That made it 34-18, and the Bison would go up by 21 before Army made a late rally.
The Black Knights scored eight straight points behind a Jarell Brown 3-pointer - the first field goal of the night for Army's leading scorer - and five free throws. Bell's free throw brought Army within 52-39 with 6:42 left.
The last eight minutes of the game were loaded with fouls, and Bucknell answered Army's run with six straight from the stripe, twopl each from McNaughton, Viaer-McClymont and Griffin. Lee's 3-pointer with 4:16 to ay restored the 20-point cushion at 61-41, and Mack provided one last exclamation point with a crowd-pleasing put-back while drawing a foul in the final minute.

Bucknell ncaa basketball was solid defensively, forcing 17 turnovers while holding Army to 36.6 percent odds shooting. Brown, who scored 25 points against the Bison on Feb. 1 and averaged 14.9 points per game coming in, was held to seven points on 2-for-8 shooting.
The Bison committed only 11 miscues, shot 40.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded Army 38-27.
Since the Patriot League's inception in 1990-91, six teams had finished the league slate with one loss, including Bucknell in 1993, but no team had ever run the table. The Bison became the 200th Division I team in NCAA history to complete a perfect conference season and the 90th to do it with at least 14 wins. Duke, George Washington, Gonzaga and Memphis are the only remaining league unbeatens in the nation this season, in addition to Bucknell.
With a victory over Army in Friday's Patriot League Tournament opener, the Bison would tie the school victory record of 24 wins, set by the 1983-84 team. Tip-off for that contest is 8 p.m., with No. 4 American and No. 5 Lafayette to come first at 5:30 p.m.