2010 Season Preview
November 25, 2009
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Men's
| 2008-09 Record - Overall - Conference Location: Olivet, MI Head Coach: Gene Gifford (Olivet '73) Gym (cap.): Cutler Event Center (1000) Conference: MIAA Region: Great Lakes Team Page |
In his first season (2007-08) as head coach, Gifford led the Comets to a sixth-place finish in the league standings. Last season, Olivet placed fourth in the MIAA standings, hosted a first-round game of the conference tournament and advanced to the tournament seminfinals for just the second time in school history.
The returning starters are junior guard Andre Evans (Muskegon/Muskegon Heights), junior guard Joe Post (Olivet), senior forward Joel Kerns (North Judson, Ind./San Pierre) and junior center Michael McClary (Bellaire).
Evans, who transferred to Olivet from Muskegon Community College, started all 27 games last year. He was third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.9 points per game (ppg). Evans set a new Olivet single-season record for free throw percentage, as he canned 55-of-59 shots (93.2 percent).
Post began last season as one of the first players to come off the bench, but when a player did not return for the second semester, he was elevated to a starting role. For the season, Post started 17 games, while dishing out 116 assists and committing only 49 turnovers. His 2.37 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked first in the MIAA.
Kerns has been a part of the program for the last three years. In 77 career games played, 47 starts, he is averaging 6.3 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
McClary, a two-time second-team All-MIAA selection, has made an impact since the day he stepped on the basketball court at Olivet. In 50 career games, he has 21 double-doubles. The rest of McClary’s career statistics include 624 points (12.8 ppg), 477 rebounds (9.0 rpg) and 83 blocks.
Senior Andy Clark (Perry) came to Olivet after spending his first two years at Lansing Community College. In his first season at Olivet, he played in 27 games and averaged 6.6 ppg. Clark has the ability to score down low or on the perimeter, as he made 38 three-pointers last year, including five versus Calvin College.
Sophomore Jaren Edsall (Whitehall) is another returning player after seeing action in 20 games last year. He scored 62 points and was a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line.
Seniors Chris Beal (Holland), Blake Brannick (Jackson/Lumen Christi) and Bryan Dutton (Brooklyn/Napolean) are all back and are expected to be role players off the bench. Last year, they combined to score 93 points. Sophomore Paul Koviak (Holton) has landed a spot on the varsity team after splitting time on both the JV and varsity rosters last year.
Three transfers -- Cameron Duncan (Lansing/Waverly), Nathan Jennings (Grant) and Dustin Orns (Marshall/Tekonsha) are expected to make large contributions at the varsity level this season. Duncan and Jennings played two years at Lansing and Muskegon Community College, respectively. Orns spent his freshman season at Spring Arbor University. As a senior at Tekonsha High School, he was named the Class D Player of the Year, averaging 33.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Also look for freshman 6’6” center Matt El (Allegan) to play a key role on this year’s team.
The Comets’ home- and season-opener is Sunday, Nov. 15, against John Carroll (Ohio) University. Other non-conference opponents include NCAA Division II foes Grand Valley State University and Saginaw Valley State University. Olivet hosts Albion College for its MIAA-opener Jan. 6, followed by back-to-back road games against Calvin and Hope College. Calvin, Hope and Albion finished 1-2-3 in last season’s MIAA standings.
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