Griff Notes, compiled by director of athletic communications Matt Reitnour, is an inside look at the Canisius men's basketball program as the team works toward the 2009-10 season opener at Loyola (Chicago) Nov. 17.

Frontcourt Presence
A lot observers of MAAC basketball are quick to point out that the league is very guard-oriented, but this year's edition of the Golden Griffins are looking to challenge those thoughts. Four juniors - Greg Logins, Rishawn Johnson, Tomas Vazquez-Simmons and Elton Frazier will all see time in the frontcourt this year for the Blue and Gold, and all four will look to build on two previous seasons of game experience.

Between those four juniors in the frontcourt, Canisius boasts a total of 244 games played and 146 career starts. Logins was honored as a Preseason All-MAAC third-team selection a few weeks ago at MAAC Media Day, Vazquez-Simmons is considered one of the league's premier shot blockers and Johnson has worked hard to change his body-type, dropping nearly 60 pounds since walking onto campus prior to the start of the 2007-08 school year. Add in Frazier, one of the league's most athletic players, and the Griffs' frontcourt might be one of the most recognizable in the conference.

"Greg has gotten better and better each year," Canisius head coach Tom Parrotta said. "He can play with his back to the basket, but he does a good job of stretching defenses with his ability to shoot from the outside. He's a great worker on and off the floor and I was happy to see his hard work recognized by the other coaches in the legue with his preseason all-league honor."

Vazquez-Simmons 137 blocked shots in his first 62 career games as a Griff, but Parrotta wants to see the 6-foot-7 junior be more of a force at the offensive end in 2009-10.

"People are aware of what Tomas can do defensively, but we want him to be more aggressive on offense," Parrotta said. "We're looking for him to assert himself with the ball, and there's another guy that forces teams to come out and cover him on the perimeter because he has good touch from the outside."

Johnson was slowed last year with an early-season foot injury, which he suffered in practice. "Bigs" as he's known around the team could be looking to change his nickname to "Slim" with his weight loss, which has made his already quick footwork even more dangerous.

"I think you can say 'Bigs' is one of the most improved guys on our team right now," Parrotta said. "His ability to move in the post with the ball has made him a real force to be dealt with. And he comes to work each day. He's doing a great job pushing the other guys to get better as well."

Frazier joins the frontcourt group at the four-spot after playing as a guard in the two previous seasons. Parrotta feels the position change has helped the Syracuse, N.Y. native grow as a player.

"Elton is playing a different role for us this year and I think his move to the forward has helped his comfort level," Parrotta said. "He's really taken to the change because it allows him to defend, run the floor and show his athletic ability."

Turning the Corner with Turnovers
Down the stretch last season, Canisius did a much better job of protecting the basketball, limiting the turnovers while posting a 4-2 record in the final six games of the season. According to Parrotta, the coaching staff has once again stressed protecting the basketball, and with five returning starters, the message has been heard loud and clear.

"Our guys understand that a key to our success is limiting the turnover number," he said. "We've addressed that since day one, but as this group matures together, I think they feel more comfortable with each other on the floor, and that will help us limit the mistakes with the ball. We're playing differently now, so that will help, but it's definitely a major goal for us to be on the positive end of the assist-to-turnover margin."

The New Guys Getting Acclimated
Two of the roster's newest additions, freshmen Alshwan Hymes and Reggie Groves, spent some extra time in the gym after Thursday's practice working on some shooting drills. This time last year, these two players were just getting the basketball season started. Fast forward to November 2009, and they are already a month into hoops season, one of many major changes college freshmen across the country face when playing Division I ball.

"This year is different for me because the high school season doesn't start until the middle of November," Hymes said. "Now, we're a few days away from starting the regular season. In high school, you're working out with a few friends and getting ready to make the team. This November, we're already into the year and we're working on preparing for Loyola in a few days."

"One of the major differences for me is that the players at this level are more competitive," Groves said. "Every drill moves quickly, and guys go at it with total effort. In prep school, we just had a few plays and we just played the game. Here, we have to know a lot more and understand your spacing and your role in each play. As a basketball player, I like that part of it."

NCAA Tournament Planning in Full-Swing
On Thursday, members of the Canisius athletic department, the Niagara athletic department and the HSBC Arena staff met with folks from the MAAC office and the NCAA as the "gameplan" for the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament were laid out. The NCAA Tournament manual, which covers everything about the tourney, was discussed and members of the four parties wrapped up the day by taking a tour of the arena. The MAAC, Canisius and Niagara will co-host the first and second rounds March 19-21, 2010, the fourth time March Madness has landed in Buffalo since 2000. Tickets are still available. For more information, click on this link.