candyfan
Masters Student
Posts: 459
Reg: 01-10-10
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12-29-19 07:13 AM - Post#295394
Though Lewisburg, Pa. is only about a three-hour drive from Philadelphia, if not less, the Bison haven’t always had a Philadelphia presence. Four years ago, the last time Bucknell made it to the NCAA Tournament, there wasn’t a single player from Southeastern Pennsylvania on the roster, though St. Joe’s Prep grad and current SJU assistant John Griffin III was an assistant coach.
But this year’s Bison have two Philly-area products in the typical starting lineup, though one of them came off the bench as Davis made an adjustment from his typical two-big lineup to deal with La Salle’s smaller, perimeter-oriented attack. Andrew Funk, a sophomore out of Archbishop Wood, and Paul Newman, a junior out of Roman Catholic, are both seeing major minutes on a regular basis for the first times in their respective college careers, and while they’re taking their lumps along the way for a 4-9 squad, they’re growing on the job.
Through 13 games, Funk, a 6-4 off-guard, is averaging 10.3 ppg and 4.1 rpg, shooting 31.3% from 3-point range. Newman, a 6-9 post player who did a post-grad year at St. Andrew’s (R.I.) following his 2016 graduation from Roman, is averaging 5.4 ppg and 6.7 rpg in 10 games (nine starts), missing three with a concussion.
“They’ve been great players, I’m really excited about their prospects,†Davis said. “I think like any young guys, they have their ups and downs, but I think they’re going to help us be successful.â€
Next year, the Bison will add a third area product. Coatesville native Deuce Turner, a senior guard at Malvern Prep, is one of two players already signed to play at Bucknell for next fall. A 6-3 scoring guard, Turner is already Malvern Prep’s all-time leading scorer, and is on his way to 2,000 points and the Inter-Ac scoring crown. He also holds the Malvern scoring record (48 points), and was fresh off a 34-point outing in the Play-by-Play Classics event the night before against a loaded Rutgers Prep squad.
“I think he’s got a chance to come in and compete to play right away,†Davis said. “He’s got a different dynamic, he can really score the ball at all three levels. He’s a much better passer I think than he gets credit for at times, you watch him use ball screens and stuff, he can pick guys apart.â€
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