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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 2001-02 season |
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Randolph-Macon After being named the ODAC Freshman of the Year in 2000, junior forward Jared Mills was a second-team all-ODAC selection last season. He averaged 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, and also had a team-high 25 blocked shots. Junior guard Tim Smith was named Honorable Mention all-conference in 2000-2001. He checked in at 9.5 points per contest, and led the team in assists (3.2 apg), steals (1.9 spg), and three-point field goals made (32). Last year Randolph-Macon had the Freshman of the Year for the second straight season, as forward Kurt Bergmann received the honor. His averages were 8.8 points, a team-leading 6.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per contest, and he also had 12 blocked shots. He will look to continue the success of his rookie year. Senior forward Marshall Rumney will be looking to step up his production in his final campaign. Last season he averaged 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and also blocked eight shots. In the backcourt, sophomore Ryan Stein and junior Jamal Brunt return for the Yellow Jackets. Stein contributed with 7.6 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest as a freshman. Brunt's averages included 6.1 points, 2.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, and he also had 13 blocked shots. Senior Tom Ridder, junior Kevin Gsell, and sophomores Jim Silcox and Nick Hohenwarter will all be looking to contribute in the frontcourt this season. Junior Ryan Sloper and sophomore Buck Poropatich will compete for playing time in the backcourt. The freshman class includes three talented guards: Arthur Kidd, Brandon Scott, and Justin Moyer. Kidd is a 6'3", 195-pound wing guard from Richmond, Virginia and James River High School. He was a Richmond all-city selection as well as an all-district pick, averaging 17.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Scott is a 5'11", 175-pound combo guard from Maple Glen, Pennsylvania and Hatboro-Horsham High School. He averaged 8.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game, leading his team to a 27-6 record and the Suburban I league title. Hatboro-Horsham also finished second in District I AAA and seventh in the state. Moyer is a 6'2", 185-pound point guard from Landisville, Pennsylvania and Hempfield High School. His averages included 19.6 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. He was a Lancaster-Lebanon League all-star, as well as an Associated Press Big School fourth-team all-state selection. Another freshman, Geoff Gunther, will also look to help the team. He is a 6'2", 190-pound guard from Waynesboro, Va., and Waynesboro High School. Virginia
Wesleyan True, Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Year Ron Yuhasz has graduated, taking with him a league-leading 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. But, the notion that the Marlins will have to rely to the dog-paddle to stay afloat this year is totally false ... as in guess again. True, losing Yuhasz creates a major hole in the Marlin line-up, but it's a false idea that second-year head coach Dave Macedo is dealing with the Mother Hubbard Syndrome." The Marlins' cupboard of talent is anything but bare as six lettermen return, including four starters who played significant roles in carrying VWC to a 16-9 finish last year. That quartet includes two of the ODAC's leading scorers, two of the top five three-point shooters, two of the top ten rebounders, and two of the top eleven leaders in assists from a team that ranked among the top three in nine statistical categories. Seniors John Fisher, a 6-5 forward, and James Wallace, a 5-11 guard, a pair of All-ODAC honorees, are expected to continue as team leaders this year, sharing the captain's role for the Marlins. Fisher is among the heirs apparent to the leading scoring role, primed on improving on last year's average of 12.3 points per game, the eighth-best mark in the ODAC. He has the potential to break the 1,000-point plateau in career scoring, which would give VWC it's fifth player in five years to enter the elite scoring ranks. Wallace, the "Dean of ODAC Point Guards," led the league in three-point field goal accuracy and in assists a year ago. He is Virginia Wesleyan's all-time leader in assists, entering the season with a career total of 308. Wallace connected for a team-leading 53 triples last season, teaming with Frankie Cabrera and Yuhasz to give the Marlins one of the most potent outside shooting teams in the ODAC. Cabrera, a 6-1 guard, is back and attempting to build on his 11.4 points per game last year. Cabrera, a tranfer from D-I Liberty, made his debut at VWC an impressive one, as he ranked among the ODAC's leaders in free throw accuracy (81.3%), assists (2.73 pg), and three-pointers made per game (1.91). Sophomore guard/forward David Doino bolstered the effort in steals, ranking second for VWC, but emerged as a crucial player on the boards. He used his 6-3, 210-pound frame to muscle down 7.0 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the ODAC. Doino, who pulled down a season-high thirteen rebounds in an 82-72 victory at Lynchburg, started every game for the Marlins and averaged 9.4 points per outing. Guard Louis Park (4.7 ppg), who keyed several victories as the sixth man off the bench last year, and forward Ryan Kahle (3.1 ppg), both juniors, provide additional experience to a squad that will merge talents with a promising group of nine newcomers. That group includes guard Justin Blazer, an All-Virginia honoree from Tabb High School in Yorktown, Peter Warren, an All-Region honoree from John Handley High School in Winchester, and hulking 6-6, 245-pound Donnell Hammonds, a graduate of Lake Taylor High School in Virginia Beach. Bridgewater
One player Leatherman is glad to welcome back is 2000-01 Second Team NABC All-American, senior Kyle Williford. Williford was a first team All-ODAC selection last season after averaging 19.7 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Williford also recorded 67 blocks on the season. Williford has been selected as a Second Team preseason All-American by D3hoops.com. A quartet of seniors also return to lend experience and leadership to the Eagle squad. Guards Matt Stevens and Brett Childers, along with forwards David Downs and Rocky Rhodes, will all be counted upon for increased production this season. A talented group of sophomores will also play key roles in the Eagles success this season. C.W. Durrette, Andrew Lacey, Ryan Lambert, and Jeff Schwalm all logged more than eight minutes per game last season as freshmen. This cast will be counted on for increased minutes and production this season. A second straight
talented recruiting class will compete for minutes on the floor. Forward
Matt Fitzgerald and guard Ricky Easterling headline the members of the
freshmen class and should see the most minutes of the freshmen this season.
Eastern
Mennonite The Royals, who finished 9-16 last year, return only one of the top five leading scorers from that squad. Graduation claimed leading scorer and All-ODAC selection Joel Kauffman, the 6-9, left-handed ODAC Honorable Mention Neal Lewis, slasher Dustin Blyer, and the under-sized post player Alex Ivanitsky. Also gone is a 6-6 leaping shot-blocker, Jonathon Pankey, who transferred for academic reasons. Thus, what you have on paper is two-thirds of last year’s 69.1 points per game and over half of the 36.0 rebounds coming from a group of guys who will be waiting around for the alumni game in mid-January. Baker, the ODAC’s 1998 Coach of the Year, realizes that heart and hustle must have some strategy to go with it, and he’s been tinkering with various schemes to take advantage of the Royals’ strong guard play. He believes his troops will need to improve at taking care of the ball on offense and playing as a team on defense, but he’s optimistic about the way his players have responded to the challenge. Baker also has a nucleus of solid players to lead the younger troops in accomplishing the game plan. He looks for David Bell, a 6-0 senior guard, to be a player who holds the Royals together offensively. Last year Bell emerged as a starter after two years as a role player and was third on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game. Ironically, it is also Bell who returns the most rebounds from last year at 2.8 per game. Ben Bowman is the team’s other four-year player, though much of the 6-3 guard’s career has been injury-plagued. Despite the injuries, which last season limited Bowman to only 10 games, the strong defender managed 2.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in just over 14 minutes per game. The remaining returners are all sophomores, a six-player group that formed into a strong recruiting class for him last season. Seeing the most time last season was 6-6 Michael Swartley who started seven times, tallying 4.3 points in 13.5 minutes per game. Swartley is one who will need to step to the front, offensively, for the Royals to be successful, according to Baker. Swartley possesses a soft shooting touch and great court awareness, but he’ll need to make better use of his 190-pound frame if the team is to keep opponents off of the boards. Marcus Harris, a 6-2 forward, is the only other sophomore returner not listed as a guard. Harris saw just over nine minutes of action per game last year, scoring a bucket and grabbing just under two rebounds per contest. The four guards, Jeremy Newman, Nathaniel Franklin, Jeremy Miller, and Patrick Ashton added quality minutes to the rotation last season, posting 4.5 points in just over 19 minutes, combined. The team’s depth
at the guard position got deeper, too, with the addition of Anthony Tennyson,
a senior guard who transferred from Longwood College. Tennyson, a 5-9,
185-pound shooter, played his high school ball at Highland Springs. With four starters returning, veteran Coach Bob Johnson’s squad includes a wealth of experienced leaders who should help Johnson and Assistant Coach Jeff Starr lead E&H towards the top of the conference. Junior Paul Russo returns at the point guard position for the Wasps. Russo led the team in assists (97) and steals (43) last season, while averaging 10.1 points per game as the team’s floor general. Senior Kenny Carver and Junior Cortez Watson also return for E&H. The two post players contributed 8.1 and 8.0 points respectively last season, while combining to chip in nearly 10 rebounds per game. Last year’s team scoring leader Scott Laird returns to the E&H lineup this season as well. Laird led a balanced Wasp scoring attack with 10. 7 points per game last year while averaging 4.1 rebounds per game and tallying 47 assists. Other key returnees for the Wasps include junior forward Jay Rosser, who saw playing time in every game last season and averaged nearly seven points and three rebounds each outing. E&H fans also celebrate the return of junior Steve Carter and sophomore Israel Long who each saw significant playing time and made contributions to the team last year. Aside from 10 returning letterman, Johnson’s 2001-2002 team includes five new players who will look to make their marks on the E&H men’s basketball program and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Guilford After posting a 10-15 record and a team-record nine Old Dominion Athletic Conference wins, the Quakers are expected to return three starters and six other key contributors. Several of the 10 newcomers are expected to make an impact. "It’s legitimately time to shoot for a winning season and the ultimate goal of winning the conference championship," says Estes. "We want to be in the top four in the league. With that said, our number-one goal is to give our best effort every time we hit the court. If we do that, the other goals will fall into place." Four seniors will lead the way — guards Paul Kindem (11.0 ppg) and Brad Woolley (7.0 ppg) of Chapel Hill, NC, 6-9 center Aron McMillian (8.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) of Greensboro and guard Bryson McKinney (4.1 ppg) of Ararat, N.C. "Kindem has been the nucleus of the rebuilding program here," says Estes. "Woolley is a versatile player and McMillian is an excellent passer and a key to our inside offense." Sophomores Thomas Swindell (5.2 ppg) of High Point, N.C, and Josh Connor (4.4 ppg) of Greensboro are other top returnees. Of the newcomers, the coach says: "We have players representing each position. They have ball-handling skills, shooting ability and athleticism. With development, experience and commitment they should be able to make a tremendous impact for the future of Guilford basketball." Guilford’s best season since 1995 ended February 17 when the sixth-seeded Quakers suffered a 73-56 loss to Randolph-Macon in the quarterfinals of the ODAC Tournament Salem, Va. Estes believes this year’s team can turn the corner. "I’m excited about the momentum that is building for Guilford men’s basketball," he says. Hampden-Sydney Leading the way for Hampden-Sydney is a trio of captains, including juniors Matt McKeag and Marcus Gregory and sophomore Brandon Randall. McKeag returns to the Tigers for his third season after two steady campaigns as a Tiger forward. Last season, McKeag enjoyed his best offensive season after averaging 7.2 points per game and knocking down 38 three’s. Gregory meanwhile, took over the point guard reigns last season and proceeded to lead the Tiger troops to an ODAC Championship and to the second-round of the NCAA Tournament. Gregory performed well on both sides of the ball both as an offensive general (finished seventh in the ODAC with 96 assists) and as a defensive criminal (led ODAC with 58 steals). Randall had a solid freshman campaign in 2001, capped off by an All-ODAC Tournament nod after scoring 17 points in the title game against Roanoke. The diaper dandy finished second on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg) and assists (68) and third in steals (36) as he made 15 starts and played in all 29 contests. Bobby Jackson returns to the Tigers as the lone senior on the roster. Jackson had an impressive junior campaign last season as he led the team in scoring (11.3 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg) and finished second on the team with 38 steals. The forward also earned All-ODAC Tournament honors as he performed steadily in all three tournament games, averaging just over 12 points and seven boards. Lynchburg Four seniors dot the Hornet roster, and all should see quality minutes this season. Swingman Philip Saunders, the leading returning scorer from last winter, averaged 9.6 points a game. He also contributed 4.2 rebounds and 53 assists, and should start at forward. Mike Main returns to man the point, after leading the squad with 99 assists while starting 24 of the team’s 25 games. Guard Luke Ensor and 6-4 forward Jaime Copsey will be counted on to provide leadership as the only four-year members of the program. Ensor played in all 25 games last season, averaging 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds a contest, while Copsey chipped in 4.9 points and 4.2 caroms in 22 games. Junior 6-4 post man Danny Swank is the leading returning inside contributor. He led the squad in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and blocked shots (1.0 bpg) while adding 5.9 points a game. Sophomore forward Paul Monica contributed off the bench last season, and 6-5, 230-pound sophomore Craig Wermuth added a physical presence to the Hornet inside game after transferring to LC in the second semester. Freshman Ryan Pehanick will compete for a starting position in the post, while freshmen Jared Hale, Matt Quenville and Ashby Tarkington will see good minutes at the guard positions. Newcomers James Bradley, Dedrick Craft, and Todd Crown will attempt to work their way into the backcourt rotation, and Travis Crown and Jesse Prentice hope to break into the frontcourt lineup. The Hornets look to improve on last year’s 4-21 record and will rely heavily on new blood for improvement. Roanoke With that said, the dependence on newcomers to the program will be at its highest level in several years, perhaps at the peak since Moir took over as head coach 13 years ago. The lone senior on this season’s squad is Akron, Ohio, native Jaimar Mansel. Known throughout the conference and the region for his outstanding defensive play, the Maroons will count on Mansel to add significant numbers to the offensive side of the ball this season. One of the top offensive threats in the conference last season, junior Robby Pridgen is coming off of his first complete season in Salem and looks to add to numbers that saw him lead the team in scoring last year. A deadly outside shot led him to set a school record for three-point attempts in a season last year. Late in the 2000-2001 campaign, center Heath Puckett suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the final seven games of the season. Still battling back from that injury, Puckett has the chance to become a star in the post. Joining Puckett in the battle for the starting center role will be fellow third-year player Nathan Stewart. After seeing limited playing time in each of his first two seasons in Salem, Stewart enters the 2001-2002 season in the best shape of his college playing days and ready to contribute significant minutes to the Maroon effort. Probably no player
on the roster has as much chance to make a greater impact on the outcome
on the season as junior Mikal Townsend. As a sophomore, Townsend averaged
just under four points per game, but proved he was ready for a larger
role on the team when he scored 24 points in two starts last season. Sophomore Jason Graffam developed into one of the conference’s top freshmen a season ago. His play on the wing was often the spark the Maroons were looking for in a contest. In 12 games as a freshman, Drew Crowder attempted 22 shots, 16 of which came from three-point range. Three sophomores that saw limited varsity action last season add depth to the Maroon bench in a variety of ways. Between them, Joe Milton, John Rutledge, and Brett Wermuth have just six games of varsity play under their belts. All three, however, will play more into Roanoke’s plans this season. Four newcomers to the Roanoke program plan to have an immediate and sizeable impact on the team’s success this season. Junior transfer Josh Foster enters his first season in Salem as a likely candidate to receive starting minutes for coach Moir. Foster comes to Roanoke from Division II Glenville State University, where he averaged 7.2 points in 15 starts as a sophomore. Perhaps no other player in coach Moir’s tenure enters the Maroon program as heralded as junior transfer Kenny Harrell. Harrell began his career as a scholarship player at Virginia Tech before transferring to Division II Shaw University. As freshmen, Kevinn Hunter and Robert Winfield could see time, but will have to develop in different aspects of the game to make an impact. Washington
& Lee Junior forward Jake McAlister claims the most experience, while Lafave hopes that freshmen Mark Franceski and Patrick Neuman can also contribute. McAlister has played sparingly during his first two seasons after battling injuries. Last season, he played in 22 games averaging 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds. Franceski comes to W&L following an outstanding career at North Pocono High School in Pennsylvania. An solid all-around player, Franceski graduated as his school’s all-time leading scorer. Neuman, a defensive lineman on the football team, will join the team following the gridiron season. Junior Scott Hettermann and sophomore Hamill Jones will also see some time at power forward. Hetterman averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 18 games last season, while Jones averaged 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 22 contests. Lafave feels that the strength of his team lies in the backcourt where several young, athletic players can make an impact. Sophomore Michael Denbow returns to run the point following a productive freshman campaign which saw him average 1.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 23 games. Denbow will share the position with freshman Ian McClure, who comes to W&L from DuPont Manual High in Louisville, Ky. McClure was regarded as one of the Top 15 players in Louisville as a senior. The one position that has plenty of depth is the wing where the Generals can play any number of people. Junior Toussaint Crawford returns to the lineup after taking last season off to focus on his studies. An explosive player, Crawford averaged 7.2 points and 1.7 rebounds as a freshman. Crawford’s potential
was never more evident than against Lynchburg when Lafave knows that he’s begun laying a foundation for successful basketball at Washington and Lee. The 2001-02 season will have its ups and downs, but the Generals will be much better for having gone through it. Chowan "Being associated with the Dixie Conference has been a step in the right direction for Chowan College. Being in the Dixie can give us credibility in terms of recruiting new players and motivating the current players knowing that we are playing for something at the end of the year." Burke is no stranger to the Dixie Conference. Thirty years ago Burke was hired as head basketball coach at Greensboro. At the time, he was the youngest head coach in the conference. As Chowan enters the Dixie Conference this season Burke is the now oldest, but newest, head men's basketball coach in the conference. Burke is ready for the challenge and as usual, he has a talented group of young athletes to help open the door to the Dixie Conference. That group of talented athletes will be led by senior forward Bryan Christian. The lone senior on the 2001-2002 squad, Christian poured in 13.4 points per game and grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game one year ago. Burke is counting on Christian for leadership on and off the court and to step it up on the interior. With his added strength he should be able to bang around down low and grab more rebounds. Burke also says that Christian has been working on his perimeter play, which will add a new dimension to his game. Juniors Jerimy Norwood and Steve Harler return after playing on the varsity squad for two previous seasons. Norwood appeared in all 25 games for the Braves last season and really started to come around in the second half of the season. The 6'5'' forward has the ability to bang around down low and spot up outside for the shot. Norwood netted 3.8 points per game and grabbed 1.9 rebounds per game last season. Harler, a hard-working shooting guard, returns after appearing in 13 of last season's games. Harler is one of the best outside threats on the squad and is a team player. Burke hopes to see his hard-work pay off this season. Sophomores Anthony Jones, Roland Brown, Justin Blanding and Bobby Womack round out the returning players that will make an impact on the 2001-2002 season. Anthony Jones, the only freshman on the varsity squad last season, will vie for a spot at the point guard position. Burke has seen considerable changes in Jones since last season in his overall confidence and his perimeter game. Last season Jones appeared in 24 of the Braves games and averaged 3.1 points per game. Burke also added that Jones will be an important part of the success for the Braves this season. Justin Blanding will also get thrown in on the mix at point guard. Blanding saw most of his time on the junior varsity squad last season could be in the point guard rotation this season. At the forward position, Roland Brown is one of the most versatile players on the squad this season. Brown has worked hard on his perimeter play as well as his play in the paint. Rounding out the sophomores is forward Bobby Womack. Once his confidence in place, Burke says he could be the most viable inside threat the Braves have this season. In addition to the returners Burke is counting on four transfer students that will also have their chance to make their mark this season. Sophomore Dejaun Green is one of the most talented players to come through the doors of the Helms Center. Burke has high expectations plans to utilize Green's strengths once his confidence is in place. Steve Harris is another transfer student who sat out during the 2000-2001 season. Harris will add some quickness inside the paint and be a defensive threat for the Braves this season. Perimeter players Greg Long and Rocky Ferrante round out the group of transfers. Long will vie for the point guard position this season. Long is more of a true point guard with the ability to spot up from outside and get things going both offensively and defensively for the Braves. Burke says that Long will blossom into an impact player for the Braves. Ferrante has the ability to play several different positions on the floor and will be a strong contributor this season. The rest of the 2001-2002 team will be filled by a few freshmen and junior varsity players as the season progresses. These players will battle to make an impression on Burke in the first semester. "I am excited about the freshmen that are in this year. Possibly four to five freshmen could possibly make the varsity squad." Burke has certainly been in this position before, having a group of talented players and trying to learn the right mix of players to win games. Burke states, "The keys to success this season will depend on how quick the team blends together and how the leadership establishes itself from the start." Chowan has been preseason ranked 7th out of the 8 total teams in the conference. The challenge is there for Burke and his band of Braves and he is certain that they will make things very competitive in the Dixie this season. |
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