St Peter's Preview

Seton Hall looks to take down Kiki Clark and The Peacocks tonight.

The Peacocks enter this season off back-to-back above .500 seasons under sixth year head coach Bob Leckie (‘69). Saint Peter’s was 15-13 last season and 10-8 in the MAAC, earning the fourth seed in the 2005 MAAC Tournament. The team was above .500 for two consecutive seasons for the first time since 1994-95 and 1995-96.

The Peacocks are led by three seniors who have been a major part of the team’s recent success. Keydren Clark (New York, NY), Derrick Hooker (Newark, NJ) and Ivan Bozovic (Belgrade, Serbia) will be the team leaders on and off the court.

Two-time defending National Scoring Champion Clark is the main cog that makes the Saint Peter’s engine run. The front-runner for MAAC Preseason Player of the Year honors, Clark averaged 25.8ppg last season on his way to the scoring title. He has eclipsed the 2,000-point plateau, scoring 2,218 points in three seasons. Clark is the only player in school history to score more than 2,000 points. He is second all time in scoring average (25.8) and is the all-time leader in three-point field goals made (330) and three-point field goals attempted (871). Clark is not just a scorer as he has led the team in steals the past two seasons and assists the past three seasons.

Clark along with the other two seniors has started the year slumping. Kiki is averaging 19 PPG while shooting 29.9% from the field, 18.2% from the arc, and almost 4 turnovers per game. Bozovic and Hooker have been struggling as well combining on 6 ppg, 4 rpg, and shooting 40% from the field.

The biggest surprise has been the play of Sophomore Raul Orta SG who could only practice with the team last season. Orta has been giving the Peacocks’ almost 19 ppg while shooting 58% from the field and 61% from downtown. The Pirates will need to keep the backcourt in check if they hope to win.

Sophomore bigman Todd Sowell also showed himself as a force to be reckon with in the paint for Saint Peter’s. He is grabbing over 8 rpg while scoring 10 ppg.

St Peter’s bench is made up of Junior Kinsey Reeves who is seven footer and adds rebounding and shot blocking off the bench. Kaimondre Owes will be the instant offense for the Peacocks’. The 6’3 shooting guard is averaging almost 5 ppg this year despite early shooting woes.

The Peacocks also have five freshmen that play more then 10 mpg and provide good depth. In the backcourt you have newcomers Brandon Brock and Kevin Spann. The frontcourt will be bolstered by freshmen Ismaila Traore, Quentin Martin and Michael Gore.

The Peacocks’ have had a rough 0-3 start to the year. Two of those losses came to Power Conference schools Florida and Pittsburgh. St Peter’s also lost a 3 point game to Oakland so the Peacock’s are desperate for a win and have beaten the Pirates in the Meadowlands so this could be an upset in the making. Shakes’ take- 8 point win as long as Nutter and company do a good job containing Clark. If Clark goes off St Pete’s might steal one.