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Posting Up - Scoreboard - Top 25 - Features - Notables - Team of the Week - Live Audio |
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A look at the upcoming season 2000-01 season |
Notables Nov 21: IWU gets past top- ranked BearsNov 20: Wash U rallies past DePauw Nov 18: Mac ends long losing streak |
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Connecticut
College With 12 players returning from last season Connecticut College expects to be a factor on the national scene in 2000-01. Leading the way is senior All- American and National Player of the Year candidate Kareem Tatum. Tatum, a guard/forward, was the New England Small College Athletic Conference Player of the Year and a First Team ECAC New England Division III all-star last year. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting .424 from three-point range. Tatum begins the season just 161 points shy of surpassing Zach Smith's program mark of 1,393 points. In addition to boasting the NESCAC's top player, the Camels also return junior point guard, First-Team all-conference selection and All-America candidate Mizan Ayers. Ayers, who also earned Second Team ECAC all-star honors, averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, with 119 assists and just 58 turnovers last season. The backcourt looks to once again be the team's strength with the presence of senior All-NESCAC Defensive Team perfomer Aaron Taylor, junior Leland McKenna, and sophomores Kevin Herrington, Ali Rahman and Joe Tremblay. Up front, the Camels return seniors Tope Adekanbi and Jason Shea junior Rich Futia, and sophomores Aubrey Hodges and Mike Strangfeld. Connecticut College will also benefit from the addition of junior guard Isaiah Curtis. Curtis returns to the program after averaging 10.0 points and 4.1 assists per game as a freshman during the 1996-97 season. Talented freshman Rob Wilson is the Camels' top incoming freshman and will add depth to the backcourt. The 2000-01 schedule is perhaps the most grueling in the history of the program. In addition to 10 games against NESCAC opponents, six of whom earned a postseason invitation a year ago, this year's slate also features games against Springfield, Wheaton and Worcester State. The Camels will also play in tournaments hosted by Johns Hopkins, Western Connecticut State and the University of Scranton. Framingham
State Although success is starting to take shape
at Framingham, the Rams will need an exceptional effort to be successful
this year. The brunt of the responsibility will fall on the
shoulders of the three captains, Jason Lane (sr. Forward), Timmy O'Malley
(jr. Guard), and Jason Robbins (jr. Guard) to lead the team to the top of
the always competitive MASCAC. Lane is a 1st Team All-MASCAC
selection O'Malley is the heart and soul of the squad, who has sacrificed his own personal numbers for the good of the team. Robbins has been a mainstay at the point since his freshman year, and he can always be found on the league leader board in assists and steals. These three will have a major hand in determining the success of this year's addition. Other players who will be integral for this year's team include veterans Eric Taylor (jr. forward), Murdoch Johnson (so. center), and Rich Staffere (sr. forward). Taylor and Johnson will be very important in clogging up the middle and controlling the backboards for the Rams. Also, they will be looked upon to add some scoring punch. Staffere was a consistent three-point marksman whose greatest attribute is his ability to pass the ball. Together with the captain, these players give Framingham a solid nucleus. However, Framingham should also benefit from the addition of a solid incoming class. With five freshmen on the team, the Rams will be able to mix in some youth with their veterans. The class is led by Shane Little, a dynamic athlete, capable of playing many positions. His versatility should get him on the court immediately. Another freshman who is expected to contribute is Tommy Morales. A wide body, Morales should be able to use his muscle to work the glass on both ends. St.
Joseph's (Maine) In the year after All-American Carl Howell's career ended, Monks coach Rick Simonds essentially had to start over, with every opportunity for his program to crumble and fall apart. However, the Monks still finished in the top two of the Maine Athletic Conference standings, good enough to make a legitimate run at a third consecutive postseason appearance. Now comes the fun part. The Monks should be back in a position to challenge as one of the league's top teams, as the huge recruiting class Simonds brought in last year begins to mature into an effective basketball team. "We have obviously been through a full year of a rather dramatic youth movement," Simonds said. "Every program goes through that at some time or the other. The thing you want to avoid, and I think we did avoid, is a total fallout. I believe we were able to re-establish another line of players who I think are well founded fundamentally." The best thing is that the Monks are still an extremely young team, but one which returns two of its top three scorers and its top two rebounders. They lose only one player who started last season, All-Conference guard Ryan Martin, and have only one senior on this year's squad. With three freshman recruits and the return of two players who weren't available for the second half of last season, injured Nate Pelletier (Brunswick, Maine) and redshirt Mike Ifill (Framingham, Mass.), Simonds has plenty of talent from which to choose. "Instead of just having a youthful team, we have a youthful team that is somewhat blessed with good experience, most of it positive," Simonds said. Simonds spent last season playing around with different lineups, sometimes forced by injuries and departures, and other times, well . just because. Losing Pelletier hurt the Monks where they were most vulnerable, at the power forward position. That forced Simonds to use a mixture of freshman to fill the void in his lineup. Usually, however, the coach was just trying to get his best players on the court at the right time. In 25 games, Simonds used 11 different starting lineups. A total of 11 different players started games for the Monks. That's a lot of changes for a guy not noted for overly tinkering with his lineup. Simonds expects his team will be a little
more stable this year. Despite a lack of overall depth, the Monks
should be able to play as many as 11 players regularly. The backcourt should have plenty of options as 6-3 sophomore shooting guard Travis Seaver (No. Yarmouth, Me.) returns following a stellar freshman season. Seaver recorded 11.6 points per game while hitting 41.8 percent of his three-point field goal attempts. Also returning are sophomore Justin Underwood (Benton, Maine) and junior Torey McPherson (Mapleton, Mainee), each of whom contributed considerable minutes at the point. Underwood made 11 starts, averaged 7.2 points and led the team in assists with 4.4 per game. McPherson recorded averages of 5.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest. The frontcourt, though it lacks a dominating center, could be one of the best in the conference, simply because Vose and sophomore Nick Drayer (Rockport, Mass.) improved so much over the course of last year. Drayer, at 6-9, matured nicely as the year went along, rebounding and playing hard-nosed defense inside. Once his scoring ability develops, he will surely earn the respect of opposing coaches and players for his inside presence. Drayer could be a standout player in the league this season. The 6-5 Pelletier and 6-4 Ifill will need some time to get back in the swing of game action. However, when they do, the Monks will boast a solid inside attack with several different possibilities. Pelletier averaged 8.3 points and 6.0 rebounds before falling to a knee injury on January 30th and should be ready by the season opener. Ifill missed the last 10 games of the season and provides Saint Joseph's with the ability to break opponents down off the dribble. The most exciting aspect of this year's team is the addition of 6'3 sophomore Leroy Gore (Norland/Miami) at small forward. Gore is an exciting young player with the athletic skill and leaping ability to be creative at both ends of the floor. Simonds expects him to be a significant addition. Also expected to make contributions are freshmen Chris Willer (Valley/Bingham, Maine), Aaron Gray (Bridgton/Ellsworth, Maine) and Matt Plummer (Lake Region/Naples, Maine). Willer scored 1,127 points and dished out 483 assists to lead Valley High School to three consecutive state championships in Maine. Trinity
(Conn.) Junior captain Colin Tabb (Somers, Conn.), a swingman, and senior center Julian Bah (Concord, Mass.) stepped in nicely last season after transferring from Division I programs. Tabb led the team in assists with 85 and was second in scoring at 14.2 points per game. The 6-foot-7 Bah averaged 5.9 points and 5.4 rebounds while blocking 34 shots. Junior forward Brian Dion (East Haven, Conn.) will be fully recovered from season-ending leg injury suffered in last year's NESCAC opener, giving the Bantams three experienced starters in the frontcourt. Swingmen Jarod Greene (New Haven, Conn.), a
6-foot-4 junior and a tremendous leaper, and sophomore Ryan Uszenski (Metuchen,
N.J.), an excellent athlete who can also shoot from the outside, will
battle for a starting position at forward as well. In the frontcourt,
6-foot-5 junior Rick Hein (Bolton, Conn.) and 6-foot-4 sophomore David
Wilson (Sharon, Mass.) will give Ogrodnik great depth. Keohane, a tremendous athlete, has developed nicely as a point guard, totaling 148 assists in the past two seasons. LaBella, a left-handed shooter with three-point range, is capable at either guard spot. Both lead by example with their toughness, hustle, and team-first attitude. Wallach, an all-NESCAC selection, is a proven scorer who averaged 13.0 points and shot 43.3 percent from three-point range in 1999-00. Junior guards Matt Jones (Meriden, Conn.) and Jamie Silvestro (Fairfield, Conn.) and sophomore Matt Brogan (Belmar, N.J.) gained valuable experience in limited roles last season and should be ready to contribute this season. Despite the loss of All-NESCAC forward Rory Neal to graduation, the Bantams have plenty of reason for optimism this season. The addition of the first-ever NESCAC post-season tournament to determine the league champion and the NCAA qualifier from the league will make the 2000-01 campaign very exciting. Coach Ogrodnik, who also welcomes a standout recruiting class, states, "The experiences of advancing to the Elite Eight two years ago and battling through adversity last season should only help us in 2000-01. The continued development and maturity of the returning veterans will determine the fate of this group. It is vital that we work hard and continue with the same commitment that has characterized our program through the years." Wentworth TechAnytime a team loses four impact players to graduation, the assumption is that the team will be going through a rebuilding process. When you figure that those four players accounted for 75% of your total offense, the rebuilding assumption now becomes a reality. In addition to losing the likes of Sterling Marshall, Kevin Hanlon, Kenny Bascomb, and Rich Bradley, the Leopards will also be without head coach Harry McShane, who is taking a leave of absence this season. Filling McShane's shoes will be Tom Devitt, who served as an assistant under McShane last season and has six seasons of Division I coaching experience, having worked as an assistant at both Boston College and American University. "When you lose what we lost," said Devitt. "It is definitely a challenge to fill those shoes. I've seen some bright spots so far this season, but we'll be young. I like to think that we are 'the young and the restless.'" However, the cupboard is not entirely bare entering this season. Devitt welcomes four letterwinners back from a year ago, including senior co-captain Eric Witschel (Tel Aviv, Israel) and junior co-captain Nick Stewart (Marlboro, Mass.). Witschel, a forward, started all 24 games he played in as a junior and was a solid post player, averaging 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He also shot over 50 percent from the floor and earned second team Academic All-District honors during the 1999-200 season. Stewart, who can play both the guard and forward position, averaged 7.4 ppg in 18 games a season ago and looks to better his scoring numbers. "I am looking to the captains to assume a leadership role, both on and off the court," said Devitt. "We have eight players who were not on last year's roster, including six newcomers." Also returning for the Leopards will be sophomore guard Earl Faulk (Mattapan, Mass.) and sophomore forward Tim Jacob (Bow, N.H.). Faulk played in all 25 of the Leopards' games a season ago, averaging 3.4 ppg, while Jacob averaged 2.0 ppg in 20 games as a rookie. Two familiar faces re-join the Leopards in senior forward Kareem Quow (Fort Washington, Md.), who lettered in 1997-98 and 1998-99, and junior forward Jared Fortes (Randolph, Mass.), who played during the first half of the 1998-99 season. Both should help to provide depth to the Wentworth squad. Six newcomers join the Leopards this season as a part of the rebuilding process and represent one of the more talented recruiting classes in recent history. Leading the way is junior forward Adam Hansen (Dover-Foxcroft, Maine), a former standout at Southern Maine Technical College. Freshman guard Chris Yost (Madison, N.J.) is very athletic and could see time at the point, while freshman guard David Iannotti (Sandwich, Mass.) provides a three-point threat. Freshman guard Wade Fleming (Lebanon, N.H.), who starred on Wentworth's men's soccer team this past fall, will provide depth at either the point or shooting guard position. Freshman forward Joe Ramirez (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and freshman center Carmino DeMercurio (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) will both provide depth at the post position. "We'll be a different kind of team this season," said Devitt. "We're much more athletic than we have been and we are bigger, both height-wise and strength-wise. The downside is that we are not as skilled as we have been in recent years." In addition to the 11-game Commonwealth Coast Conference schedule, against such teams as Colby-Sawyer, Endicott, Salve Regina, and Curry, Wentworth will play in two tournaments this season: the Scotty Wood Tournament at Muhlenberg (Penn.) College and, for the second time in three seasons, the Western Connecticut State Invitational. Wentworth also has non-league opponents such as Springfield, Coast Guard, MIT, and Bridgewater State. In the CCC Preseason poll, the Leopards were selected eighth. Western
New England Western New England, under the direction of coach Doug Pearson, posted a 22-6 record last season that was the second highest win total in the school's 34-year history. The Golden Bears also placed first in the GNAC during the regular season with a 14-2 mark and captured its first GNAC Tournament crown with an 84-74 victory against Emerson. WNEC advanced to only its second NCAA Division III Tournament in school history, losing a heart-breaking 79-77 decision to host Amherst. Heading the list of returnees are 6-5 senior center/forward Eric Stewart (Fort Montgomery, N.Y.); 6-5 sophomore forward Kris Hebert (Chicopee, Mass.), and 5-10 sophomore point guard Mike O'Connor (Farmington, Conn.). Stewart, the team captain, averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and shot 53.1% from the field last year in earning GNAC Player-of-the-Year honors. He also was among three Golden Bears' players who passed the 1,000-point mark in career scoring. Hebert averaged 10.8 points in 12 games (seven starts) before a knee injury sidelined him for the season. O'Connor was selected the GNAC Rookie-of-the-Year after averaging 7.0 points and 5.0 assists. WNEC also welcomes back 6-7 senior forward Lew Larrabee (Worcester, Mass.) who averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23 games (12 starts); 6-5 junior center Andrew Thornton (Chicopee, Mass.) who averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in 28 games (one start), and 6-3 sophomore forward Dave Jagodzinski (North Hatfield, Mass.) who averaged 4.5 points in 26 contests (five starts). Larrabee will be counted on to fill the void created by the loss of Abraham. "We are coming off a championship season and a NCAA bid, and we hope to achieve those goals again this year," said Pearson, who is in his third season. "We lost the leadership of forward Ryan Abraham and guard Tom Keane, two of the finest players ever to play here, and both 1,000-point scorers. We should be able to make-up for the loss of production, but the leadership void will be more difficult to fill." Also returning are 6-2 senior guard Brian Krepcio (Ellington, Conn.), 5-10 senior guard Rob Nieves (Ravena, N.Y.), and 6-5 sophomore forward Bryce Hardy (Farmington, Conn.). Krepcio is the leading candidate to start at the shooting guard position. He averaged 3.1 points in 27 games off the bench last winter. Joining the Golden Bears lineup are 6-5 junior forward Jeff Schrandt (Avon, Conn.) who is a transfer from Western Connecticut, 5-9 sophomore guard Gerry Toney (West Hartford, Conn.), 6-1 freshman guard Chris Conley (South Portland, Maine), and 6-4 freshmen forward Mike McFarlane (Bridgeport, Conn.). "Our seniors will have to step forward if we are going to have a chance to repeat as conference champion this year. I think we have the talent, but we have a lot of new faces and young players that must improve if we are to do it," noted Pearson who has a 36-17 record (67.9%). Southern
Vermont Up front the Mountaineers have lost Chris Farruggio. Farruggio was the leading point producer inside, he averaged 17 ppg. He will be missed but the team will be deeper inside this season. Joe Welch, a 6-4 forward returns after missing most of last season with a broken hand. Welch will give the team better production on the glass and better defense, but his role will have to expand on the offensive end. Others expected to help are 6'6" Hesser College transfer Marius Zalieckas, Zalieckas is a big banger and a hard worker. Freshmen Mark Cooper a 6-4 forward from the Darrow School and Travis Dutcher, a 6-6 forward from Edmenston Central School are expected to produce some up front. Returning big man Tyler Tuomisot (6-5) forward could also see some time up front. The Mountaineers are still climbing the ladder in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, but do not be surprised if they upset some teams this season. Beekman is poised to have a big season and he may be the best player in the league. |
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