1999-00 Season
Previews
With four starters returning, Adrian Head Coach Buck Riley has already assembled many pieces of the puzzle. The 1999-2000 Bulldogs will resemble a typical Adrian team, one filled with sharpshooting guards and agile forwards. The Bulldogs, however, must try to breathe life into an offense that was anemic at times last year, averaging only 59.9 points in 14 league games.
Headlining the returnees is senior guard Mike Riley (Adrian H.S.), a big-time scoring threat who is capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Riley (6-0), a Second Team All-MIAA pick a year ago, averaged 17.2 points and made a school-record 94 three-point shots. The fiery Riley has strong defensive skills to complement his offensive prowess, and he brings a competitive presence that the Bulldogs have at times sorely lacked. Last season, he had 25 points in the win over Hope and 22 points in the win over Calvin. How well Riley plays this season should have a direct effect on Adrian’s success.
The Bulldogs return one of the MIAA’s most efficient point guards in senior Jason Couisnard (East Lansing H.S.). Couisnard (6-3) led the squad in assists (87) while committing 69 turnovers a year ago -- good for a 1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. In fact, he has never had more turnovers than assists in a season. His ballhandling skills and ability to penetrate open up numerous perimeter shots for Adrian's sharpshooters, and he is also a tenacious defender.
Although they still lack a big man in the middle, the Bulldogs are deep at the forward spot. Sophomore Chris Howard (Adrian H.S.) is a lanky 6-6 -- sporting the build of a forward yet having to play center in the rugged MIAA. A starter last year as a freshman, Howard averaged 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while earning Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors. He is an extremely talented player who brings the complete package to the court. Despite standing just 6-3, junior forward Joel Jerger (Montpelier, Ohio, H.S.) is a tremendous leaper and has had success for the Bulldogs, averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season.
Mike Griffin, a 6-5 junior forward/center from Muskegon Heights H.S., made an immediate impact last year in his first season as a Bulldog. He shot a team-best 48% from the field and averaged 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Junior forward Mike Lagger (Toledo Central Catholic H.S.) also returns to the lineup. Lagger (6-5) started 11 games last year and averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He also led Adrian with 17 blocked shots -- 12 of those coming in MIAA games. Sophomore forward Steve Herron (Harper Creek H.S.) has good size (6-6) but is also a tremendous outside shooter.
A key for Adrian will be sustaining early season momentum. The Bulldogs had a 6-4 record early in the season -- including impressive wins at the Alamo Shootout -- but then proceeded to win only two games in their last 15 tries. As a guard/forward dominated team, defense and rebounding will also be critical.
There are 21 players on the preseason roster, including 10 from Ohio. Also new to the team is assistant coach Gene Klotz, who comes to AC following a successful coaching career at Jackson Northwest High School.
Alma
The return of four starters and eight letterwinners and the addition of perhaps the most talented recruiting class of this decade has Alma men’s basketball fans expecting something that has not happened since 1978-79 -- a winning record in league play.
"We’ve had, traditionally, since I’ve been here, a high turnover. The core group is back intact and for the first time since I’ve been here we really feel that puts us at a higher starting point since we’ve been here -- it just makes everything better," remarked Alma head man Kevin Skaggs, who enters his fifth season at helm of the Scots’ program.
One of the main reasons for the raised expectations is senior Seth Stapleton, who became the first Alma player since Todd Bloomquist in 1994-95 to be designated All-MIAA first team. Stapleton averaged 16.1 points per game while ranking ninth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (49.6%) and fifth in free throw percentage (90.1%). "He was voted captain, receiving a unanimous vote from his peers, which is impressive," revealed Skaggs. "I think that with the work ethic he has brought to the team and his determination and desire to go out a winner is incredible -- he wants to will this team to a winning year and a significant finish in the league and I have no doubt that is going to occur. Everyone looks to Seth as a marquee player and a go-to guy."
Joining Stapleton as a returning veteran is senior center Jeremy Hyler, who averaged 12.9 points a game while leading the Scots with 9.4 boards a contest. His improved offensive skills, coupled with his always solid board work, was a constant last season, although the Scots must use him on a more consistent basis in 1999-2000 to be successful. "He’s proven the last two years he’s going to be a dominant rebounder in the league. This year, we’ve tried to add a little more in the offensive role for him. With the up-tempo style that we’re going to run this year, Jeremy runs the court better than a lot of big men in our league, and I think he’ll get a lot of looks inside because of that," said Skaggs.
Joining Hyler up front is senior forward Spencer Roecker, who started half Alma’s games last year and is a solid defender and rebounder. Junior Chris Seelbach should also battle for a starting spot, as the Alma coaching staff is expecting a breakout year from him. The front line should also be bolstered by transfer Aaron Kanitz, a 6-7 sophomore who appeared in 16 games at Division II California University (Pa.) last season, as the Vulcans were 24-6 and champions of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
"Aaron is going to be an impact player right away. He can play both the wing and inside. He has the ability to shot that 18-foot shot with ease -- he’s a very talented outside shooter -- he can cross over and go to the basket. His ballhandling skills are very good. He has the potential to become a type of player like Aaron Winkle (of Calvin) in the league," gushed Skaggs.
Freshman Brian Kujawa, who led Cheboygan to the Class B championship game last year, and Alma’s Matt Johnson should also contribute. The backcourt remains more of a question for the Scots, especially at the point guard slot. Last year’s starter, Jim Hanlin, opted not to return to Alma, which leaves an opening. Sophomore Jeff Hosler, who started the final 18 games as a freshman last season at the off-guard, might slide over and handle the point guard duties this season. Stapleton might also see some time at the off-guard slot, while senior Tony Colucci brings great toughness, rebounding ability and outside shooting off the bench.
The Scots will need some new faces to step forward and produce. Among the returners, Skaggs looks for senior Joe Peters and sophomore Spencer Wideman to contribute, while newcomers Sean Dick from Henry Ford Community College and Kalamazoo College transfer Clint Perryman to also see significant
Skaggs related that he and his staff will probably not a make a final decision on the point guard slot until they are well into the pre-league schedule. He also pointed to freshman Jim Kanine as a player that could fill Alma’s need at the point guard slot. Obviously, there are many players fighting for playing time on this year’s edition of the Scots. For Skaggs, that represents a huge stepping stone for the program.
"This is the first year we’ve had this sort of competition. The depth that we have this year -- we have 14 or 15 guys that can play. With that competition factor, every day in practice you just get better -- you just get better."
And while some very good players will be left out of the mix, the feeling surrounding the Scots is a different one than heading into last season. "Players sense when there is something before them that they can excel at, and they sense that this year -- with our team having so many players back with the addition of a number of talented newcomers -- they’re pumped. They’re really ready to get after it."
Skaggs believes that with Alma’s improved depth, they should be able to contend with anyone in the league. "We’re looking for a top three finish -- that would be a significant gain here. The best finish we’ve had here over the last 20 years is fourth. Our goals are to obviously to have a winning record in conference, host a league tournament game -- those goals never change. The goal is always to win a conference championship, but you got to give them steps to getting there."
Calvin
Calvin will be looking to take another step forward in the Kevin Vande Streek era that began three years ago. After a pair of second-place MIAA finishes, the Knights captured their first MIAA title since 1994 last year as they shared the league crown with Hope. A late-season slump that saw Calvin drop four of its final eight games along with an MIAA Tournament semifinal loss to Defiance on a 25-foot buzzer-beater kept the Knights
from advancing to the NCAA III Tournament.
With reigning MIAA MVP Aaron Winkle returning and one of the most talented freshman classes in recent history bolstering the program, optimism is high for Calvin's fortunes for the 1999-2000 year. A closer look at the roster reveals several question marks that must be answered if the Knights are to defend their MIAA title and advance to the NCAA's for the first time since the 1993-94 season however as three starting positions must be filled.
Winkle will be the cornerstone that Calvin will build its attack around and is one of several players that will provide versatility for Vande Streek. A 6-6 combination forward, Winkle averaged 19.1 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last year while winning the MIAA scoring title by averaging 19.6 points a game in conference play. During the year, he became the 13th player in Calvin history to crack the 1,000 point barrier and completed the season with 1,245 points to moved into eighth place on the all-time Calvin list. An 85.9% free-throw shooter, Winkle connected on 34 of 34 free throw attempts during one late-season stretch and was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Year. In addition, he was named a second team GTE Academic All-American to become the third player in Calvin men's basketball history to earn GTE Academic All-America honors.
Joining Winkle as a returning starter is 6-7 sophomore center Josh Tubergen (Holland Christian). A tremendous shot-blocker, Tubergen is a "difference-maker" when in the ball-game. As a redshirt freshman last season, Tubergen averaged 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a game but saw his time limited during the MIAA schedule as a back injury kept him out of nine conference games. When Tubergen was in the lineup, Calvin was 13-1 last year. If Tubergen can remain healthy this year, he could become an impact player in the MIAA.
The remaining three spots must be filled although there are plenty of talented candidates to choose from. The most pressing spot to fill is the point guard position as Mike Gotfredson has left Calvin for the University of Michigan Business School. Sophomore Jon Potvin (Gladstone) and freshman Bryan Foltice (Tri-Unity Christian) will battle it out for Gotfredson's vacated spot. Potvin was the full-time starter at the point for the Calvin junior varsity last winter and saw action in nine varsity tilts, averaging 1.0 point and 1.5 assists per outing Foltice is one of Calvin's most heralded recruits after earning Class D All-State honors three consecutive years at Tri-Unity Christian.
The shooting guard spot might be filled by Winkle, or could go to either 6-3 senior Nate Karsten (Holland Christian) or 6-1 junior Nate Burgess (South Christian). Karsten finished fourth on the team in scoring last year, averaging 7.5 points a game but struggled to find his three-point shooting stroke as he connected on just 34 of 110 attempts. Like Karsten, Burgess appeared in all 26 games last year while averaging 3.7 points and 1.7 rebounds a game. A tenacious defender with quickness and leaping ability, Burgess has shown the ability to knock down shots from the perimeter.
Winkle's normal position has been at the small-forward slot over the bulk of his three-year career but if Winkle moves to the backcourt, expect 6-6 freshman Jeremy Veenstra (Kalamazoo Christian) to step into the wing position. A two-time Class C All-Stater at Kalamazoo Christian High School, Veenstra is the cousin of four-time MIAA MVP and Calvin legend Mark Veenstra. A solid post-player, Veenstra can also move into the power forward spot. The power forward position looks to be grabbed by 6-8 junior Brian Krosschell (Grand Rapids Christian) who saw action in all 26 games as a sophomore while averaging 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds.
Sophomore Nick Ploegstra (Cleveland), a transfer from Hiram, should also help strengthen Calvin's interior game. Freshmen to watch include 6-3 shooting guard Dave Bartels (Kalamazoo Christian), 5-11 guard Kyle Smith (Grand Rapids Baptist), 6-4 forward Chris Kuperus, 6-6 center Jon VanderPlaas (Kalamazoo Christian) and 6-7 center Tony Westhouse (South Christian).
The non-conference schedule includes a season-opening tournament at Wheaton (Ill.), the Old Kent Classic Thanksgiving weekend and a Christmas tournament at Azuza Pacific. Calvin will open the Wheaton tourney against Beloit; the Old Kent Classic against Division II crosstown rival Grand Valley State; and the Azuza Pacific tourney against Lewis & Clark (Ore.). The Old Kent Classic will also include Aquinas and Hope with Eastern (PA) filling out the Wheaton tourney and Bethany (CA) completing the Azuza Pacific tournament.
Capital
Capital enters the season needing to replace three starters who led the team in points, rebounds and assists last year. The Crusaders go from being a team with three seniors in the starting lineup to a squad with only two seniors on the entire roster. As a result of the turnover in personnel, a handful of players who were cast in supporting roles last season will now be thrust into the spotlight.
One player who has spent his whole career on center stage is Brad Howe. The senior wing averaged 15 points per game last year and drained 73 three-pointers, while also leading the team in steals with 57. He and sophomore Robert Curd are the two returning starters for the Crusaders. Curd worked his way into the starting lineup during the season and emerged as a strong physical presence and tireless rebounder in the post.
Laran Sims inherits the point guard role after gaining experience by coming off the bench last season. Sims excels at penetrating to the basket and applying pressure defense on opposing guards. Chris McGuire and Patrick McNeal, both junior forwards, are also expected to be key players this year. McGuire combines the strength of a post player with excellent range as a perimeter shooter. McNeal is a hard-working and versatile athlete who will play mainly in the post, but is capable of defending smaller perimeter players if necessary. The Crusaders are also bolstered by the presence of team-oriented senior Brent Fahle who is an excellent passer and three-point shooting threat.
Wabash
When a program reaches the point where it
can consider a 17-9 season somewhat lackluster, there's one thing
for sure -- it's used to success. The Wabash basketball team has
reached that point.
Over the past three seasons, the Little Giants have been one of the premier teams in NCAA Division III, posting a record of 63-19 while winning two conference championships and twice advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. So last year's overall record and fourth-place finish in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference wasn't at all what the players were hoping for. Granted, the HCAC was one of the toughest conferences in the nation with three 20-win teams and two NCAA Tournament qualifiers. This season's squad wants nothing less than to return to the form it displayed during those championship seasons of 1996-97 and 1997-98.
Despite the graduation loss of All-America forward Chad Tabor, who ended his career third on Wabash's all-time scoring list, head coach Mac Petty's Little Giants will take their shot at a North Coast Athletic Conference crown in their first season in the powerful new league.
All-America shooting guard Josh Estelle (New Castle, Ind.) leads the charge. After averaging a cool 23.7 points per game last year, Estelle's goal this season is to help Wabash return to the top. He wants to be the best player in Division III hoops-a lofty aspiration-but not out of reach for the 6-2 sharp-shooter.
Over the past three seasons, Estelle has made 223 three-pointers and has scored 1,380 points, which is eighth all-time at Wabash and puts him within reach of Pete Metzelaars' school-record total of 1,973 career points. In fact, if Estelle can score five points more than his junior season total of 615, he'll become the first player ever at Wabash to score 2,000 career points. That's a lot of weight to put on his shoulders, but Estelle is the type of player who performs best when the game's on the line and the pressure mounts.
Senior forward Brian Latham (New Castle, Ind.), Estelle's prep teammate, will make it tough for opponents to focus solely on Estelle. The 6-6 Latham joined Estelle on the First Team All-HCAC squad last year after averaging 13.9 points and 9.1 boards per outing. Latham has been one of the top shooters in Division III the past two seasons, making 240 of 403 (.596) attempts.
Several other experienced lettermen return, along with some impressive recruits, and should make the Little Giants' first season in the NCAC one to remember. Among them are senior point guard Antoine Carpenter (Ben Davis HS), senior guard Alex Thatcher (Bishop Chatard HS), senior forward Michael Babcock (Penn HS), and sophomore forward/center Pleas Ferguson (Arensal Tech HS).
Wooster
With just 52.7% of its point production
and 46.3% of its rebound production returning, most programs
would need to use a year to rebuild their team. But Wooster head
coach Steve Moore and his coaching staff, who have averaged 23
wins a year this decade, hope to simply reload and compete for
yet another North Coast Athletic Conference championship in this,
its 100th season of intercollegiate basketball.
There’s no question that it will be difficult for the 1999-00 Scot men’s basketball team to equal last season, in which Wooster advanced further than any team in school history - the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, and won both the NCAC regular season and postseason titles. But, the Scots do have seven returning letterwinners as well as untapped potential from a large and talented recruiting class.
"With the graduation of four players, two of which were starters, we certainly have some holes to fill," commented Moore. "Losing those players has created some question marks, however, we have a good returning nucleus. I think there is a great deal of potential from the group of returnees as well as a lot of promise in the newcomers. We hope that potential will answer some of the question marks."
The biggest of the Scots’ losses comes in the form of 1998-99 co-captain Ryan Gorman, who was a second-team All-American in 1997-98 and averaged 12.2 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game during his storied career. Other graduated players include two-year starter and outside threat Chris Gardner, 1998-99 co-captain Mark Schlabach, and a great leader in post player John Wilson. In addition, point guard Pat Noles, who transferred to Otterbein, and three-year starter Brian Watkins, who decided to concentrate on his academics, will not be returning.
The brunt of the question marks might fall onto the shoulders of senior forward John Ellenwood, who was named to the All-NCAC First Team last year after leading Wooster in scoring with 13.8 points per game and grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game. "John has had an excellent career for us so far," commented Moore. "We’re confident that if John can remain healthy, he’ll have an excellent senior year. We’re looking for him to be not only a talented player on the court, but a leader for us."
The main scorer from the outside will be junior wing man Steve Thompson, who scored 9.5 points per game last season and shot a team-high 41.7% from behind the arc. "Steve has improved greatly as a player since he’s been here at Wooster," said Moore. "Steve’s worked extremely hard to improve his skills and hopefully this will be an even better year for him."
Distributing the ball to Ellenwood, Thompson, and the rest of his teammates will be sophomore Antwyan Reynolds. The lightning-quick point guard moved into a starting role midway through last season and ended the year, averaging 6.1 points per game, 1.8 assists per game, and a team-best 1.9 steals per game. "Antwyan had a very fine first year for us," said Moore. "When he was inserted into the starting lineup, Antwyan played with a lot of confidence and aggressiveness at both ends of the court for us."
Other key returning letterwinners for the Scots include junior point guard Nate Gaubatz, senior wing man Ryan Pedon, sophomore forward Brian Carlisle, and sophomore forward/guard Brian Mitchell. Gaubatz is an experienced all-around player, who will contribute on both ends of the court, while Pedon is a great leader for Wooster and could play some significant minutes this year. Carlisle, who averaged 7.5 minutes of action in the post as a freshman, and Mitchell, a sophomore forward/guard, will compete for playing time as well.
The remainder of the playing time will be divided among several returning junior varsity players as well as a large group of freshmen. Contenders in this group include freshman center Scott Miller, freshman forward Bryan Nelson, sophomore forward/center Cory Phillips, sophomore forward Corey Rose, freshman guard Ryan Snyder, and freshmen forwards Matt Smith and Chris Van Buskirk.
This relatively inexperienced team will be tested early and often, as Wooster once again will play a very difficult non-conference schedule in order to prepare the Scots for the new-look NCAC. Highlighting the non-conference slate are competitive fields at the Al Van Wie/Rotary Classic, the Kalamazoo Tournament, and the Mose Hole/Kiwanis Classic, as well as Gannon, a strong Division II team, and traditionally strong Thomas More and Capital. Conference play will feature two new teams in Wabash, a strong Division III program, and Hiram, a former member of the Ohio Athletic Conference, as well as the traditional powers in Allegheny and Wittenberg.
"Year in and year out, we play a difficult schedule to challenge our team and this year’s is very much that way," explained Moore. "It’s important because the NCAC will be very competitive this year. There’s a lot of parity in the conference. Night in and night out, it will be a battle, and we’ll have to be ready to go."
