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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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Hunter As always, the Hawks will be competing to carry on a longstanding history of success that has been re-ignited in a major way in recent years. This season's team is comprised of talented players eager to exceed their limits as they look to maintain and extend tradition. The team captain for a second straight year is senior guard Lorenz Albano, who looks for a strong finish to his illustrious career. A sterling shooter from three-point range and the free throw line, he plays both backcourt positions with ease and is especially tenacious on the defensive end of the floor. Senior forward Jermaine Parkinson is a very hard worker in the post whose efforts will be crucial to the team's frontcourt success. Junior center Michael Mauro improves tremendously each season and came up big for the Hawks on numerous occasions last year. Rounding out the returning letterwinners is a trio of guards with versatile abilities who should to continue to make major contributions to the team. This sharp-shooting and defensive-minded combination features junior Rashad Henderson and sophomores Robert Mair and Lincoln Nelson. Headlining the list of newcomers is junior forward Darryl Munroe, whose unexpected transfer from rival Medgar Evers will likely be the biggest impact move in the conference this winter. He earned CUNYAC All-Star accolades last season. Sophomore Jeremy Asgari should come together with freshmen Samir Pepic and Charlie Danowsky to shore up the backcourt with their multiple skills and excellent court sense. Providing a welcome infusion of power on the front line will be the freshman trio of Volkan Eryaman, Omar Bostic, and James Parker. With the exciting blend of experience, talent, and power, the Hawks seem to be on the path to a solid 2000-01 season. The end result should be a vast amount of success as this remade squad looks to write new chapters in the annals of Hunter basketball history. John
Jay This year's team will look to overcome the losses of four key players: Glen Raiford, a three time all-conference selection (11.4ppg), Mickeni Caldwell, with a team leading 7.1 rebounds per game, Giovanni Jamieson, a pure shooting two guard (8.6 ppg), and freshman standout James Gibson (49.6% shooting). However, the return of five players from last year's roster, including three starters, will help to offset their absence. All-Metropolitan Writers Association (Third team) and three time All-CUNYAC selection Andrew Brown heads the returners going into his final year. Brown averaged 15.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.4 spg during the 1999 - 2000 season. Rancourt says "his ability to create for himself, while making his teammates better is invaluable." Also returning to the Bloodhound lineup are juniors Marcos Duran and Howard Hutchinson. Duran, a guard, averaged 6.5 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.9 rpg as a sophomore, while Hutchinson, a versatile slasher, contributed 7.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 1.2 apg. Greg Hamilton (junior) and Chris Granville (senior) will contribute leadership and experience this season. The arrival of an abundance of newcomers at John Jay this year will have a significant impact on the program. Of the 16 recruits on campus, several will be expected to contribute immediately, including three community college transfers: Asher Matthews (Naugutuck Community College), Vyne Johnson (Nassau Community College), and Bruce West (Nassau Community College). All three student-athletes will play major roles in the Bloodhounds' 1999 - 2000 season. A deep freshman class, includes Dave Barry (Archbishop Molloy), Tony Cherry (Taft), Ray Diaz (Holy Cross), Dave Brown (Jamaica), and Harry Stanley (Hamden Hall Prep) who will all compete for minutes. This year's schedule could be one of the most difficult in the history of John Jay basketball. The Bloodhounds will open up in Plattsburgh, N.Y., at the Cardinal Classic against host SUNY-Plattsburgh. The New Year will pose a more challenging task when the team flies south to Fort Lauderdale to participate in the Palm Beach Atlantic tournament; game one will bring UW-Superior to the table, while John Jay will meet host school, Palm Beach Atlantic College (NAIA Division II national contender), in the second game. Difficult non-conference match-ups, against several formidable NJAC programs, will round out the season and prepare the squad for postseason play. In addition to John Jay's out of conference obstacles, the team will face a rigorous intra-conference schedule, as a member of the much-improved CUNYAC. Kings
Point The Mariners wrapped things up last March with their fifth consecutive winning season, recording a 17-11 ledger and advancing to postseason play for the fifth consecutive year. Kings Point, picked to finish fourth in the Skyline Conference in the preseason rankings, captured their third straight regular season title with a 13-4 mark before losing to Mt. St. Mary in overtime in the conference final. The Mariners moved into the ECAC Metro NY/NJ Championship Tournament and fell in the opening round at Montclair State. Picked third, the Blue and Gray faces the same type of odds this season. The Mariners will have new personnel on the bench as they begin the 2000 season. Coach Lange will have two new assistants at his side in Joe Conefry and Chris Carideo. Both Conefry and Carideo come to the United States Merchant Marine Academy with numerous accolades and achievements under their belts. Conefry joins the Mariners' staff after serving as an Assistant Coach at Division I Hofstra and Carideo ended his playing career holding five Division III records at Widener. "Even though the coaches are new to the Academy setting, I am very fortunate to be surrounded by a positive staff that compliments the style of basketball that we want to play," noted Coach Lange. The road to the NCAA's will hardly be straight and paved, but Lange and company are extremely eager to regain their throne atop the Skyline Conference. The team will seek to run an up-tempo offense, scoring points quickly and outworking opposing defenses on the opposite end of the floor. With the "team over I" philosophy firmly in place, Kings Point will be a squad that features numerous players and will generate a well-balanced and potent attack. The system is designed to create a well-balanced machine for the hardwood, a team that exploits it's players strengths and disguises their weaknesses. It's also the type of system that will allow the coaching staff to play the five best players at one time, not necessarily two guards, two forwards, and a center. The Mariners will be led by returning guard Johnny Garrett. Garrett, named last year's Skyline Conference Player of the Year, wowed crowds with his amazing athleticism and ability to penetrate through opposing defenses. He led Kings Point in scoring, rebounding and steals last year with 16.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Coach Lange states that Garrett is "the best one-on-one defender that I've ever worked with. I expect Johnny to take his aggressiveness on the court to a high level." Also returning for the Blue and Gray will be junior co-captains Nate Barton and Kevin Bernick. Barton is a constant three-point threat from the point and last season was named Second-Team All-Star. He earned Conference accolades after finishing the season ranked first in the Skyline in free throw percentage (83.7) third in assists (6.0 apg) and 10th in scoring (12.3 ppg). As the 2000 season approaches, Barton will look to become extremely effective on defense as well as continuing to dominate from the outside. Bernick returns for Kings Point to take command of the perimeter corps after averaging 9.9 points per game last season. "Kevin Bernick has physically and mentally improved his game to a higher degree than any other player I've been around," said Coach Lange. Bernick and Barton will be hard-pressed to improve upon their success rate from behind the arc, but their smooth stroke and lethal accuracy will naturally stretch opposing defenses. Kevin Kreutz, Jason Bernick and Kevin Corrigan return for their second stint at Kings Point and will also play pivotal roles at the guard positions in the upcoming year. Labeled with the reputation of being a fundamentally sound player, Kreutz is a natural scorer who will provide the team with an offensive spark and give the coaching staff another option. Kreutz started 22 games last year because of his tremendous work ethic and enthusiasm. Jason Bernick developed last year into Kings Point's tough guy. Corrigan was a walk-on player last year, who worked hard in the offseason and has elevated his game accordingly. The Mariners will also unveil an untested group of exciting and explosive perimeter players. Mark Medvetz, James Young, Vince Rogers, and Zishaan Raymond were all great perimeter players in high school and will add a substantial amount of depth to the team. Brendan Smith is another player that will add depth to the perimeter. Smith is a solid contributor who sees the floor exceptionally well. In the frontcourt, the Mariners will have a tough time replacing All-Conference center Mike Hyland, but the team is quick and strong up front. Kings Point will play with a lack of collegiate experience down low, but have the athletic ability to compensate. Sophomore Seth Cobb has great discipline and played in every game last season, shooting 53.8% from the floor. The rest of the frontcourt will be dominated by new faces, as freshmen Gabe Whitney, Joe Spano, Ryan Melogy, and Fred Slanovec all prepare for an eventful year. Whitney brings his sizable frame (6-7, 250) down low where he hopes to punish opposing teams with his strength. Spano was a co-player of the year as a senior in high school, and like many members of this team, he is blessed with the gift of versatility. Melogy is a great example of a player that plays above his size. He can be a ferocious rebounder who loves to attack the basket. Slanovec is another defensive terror that recorded a phenomenal 21 rebounds per game in high school. The coaching staff will look to substitute frequently, utilizing their entire 16-man roster, including nine freshmen. College
of New Jersey While the contributions of last year’s seniors will be missed, the Lions return eleven players from last year’s team, and hope to once again compete for 2001 the NJAC Championship. Among the players that Coach Castaldo will be relying on to lead TCNJ this season will be 6-6 senior forward Rich Wilson. TCNJ’s leading returning scorer, Wilson averaged 13.4 ppg last season, while shooting a team-high 55% from the field. An excellent athlete, Wilson will also anchor the Lions front court defense with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability. Wilson led the Lions in rebounding as a junior after averaging 8.7 rpg. Another senior looking to make a big contribution will be 6-3 J.R. Gillern, who started all 24 of TCNJ’s games last season. As a junior, Gillern averaged 10.3 ppg and 4.4 rpg. An excellent outside shooter, Gillern connected on 44 of 115 three-point field goals last year (38%). He will be counted on to provide the Lions with a consistent outside threat this season. Two other seniors Coach Castaldo will look to are 6-0 guard Todd Decker and 6-5 forward Chris Brown. Decker started 12 games at point guard as junior, while Brown played in all 24 games off the bench last season. Both players will provide the Lions with much needed senior leadership and depth to the Lions roster this season. Three juniors looking to contribute this season will be 6-1 guard Brian Latour and 6-7 forward, Matt Ritter. Latour started 12 games during the 1999-2000 campaign, and finished second on the team with 61 assists. He will see time at both guard positions. Ritter played in 12 games off the bench last season, and will be counted on to provide some depth in the frontcourt. Also returning from last season’s squad is a deep and talented sophomore class. Now with a year experience behind them, Coach Castaldo expects several of his younger players to make major contributions this season. Leroy Peterson, a guard, saw action in 23 games as a freshman and will compete for playing time in the backcourt. Sophomores Gyl Vaught and Alex Mahony will also compete for backcourt time. In the front court, 6-3 Sam Page played in 23 games as a freshman and should play a major role this season, while 6-5 Marcel Grant seems ready to step up and compete for playing time. The Lions welcome two newcomers for 2000-2001 season. Mercer County College transfer, 6-0 Chris Hatchell, will be counted on to make an immediate contribution for the Lions. Hatchell was named Junior College Region 19 Player of the Year at guard last season after averaging 23 ppg. Another newcomer is 6-6, 240 pound freshman Derek Brown. Brown, who averaged 12 ppg and 9 rpg last season at Scotch Plains High School. Brown will provide the Lions with some front court depth. TCNJ opens the 2000-2001 season at home on Nov. 17 and 18 with TCNJ’s Tip-Off Tournament. TCNJ will host Curry College, City College of New York, and Washington College (Md.) in this year’s tournament. In addition to TCNJ’s tournament, the Lions will compete in the King’s College Invitational Tournament on Jan. 6 and 7. The tournament will provide the Lions with some excellent midseason competition from the likes of Dickinson, SUNY-Farmingdale, and host King’s College. The NJAC schedule will give the Lions a challenge throughout the season. League play for the Lions begins on Nov. 21 with a road contest at Rutgers-Camden. Out of conference competition for the Lions will come from the likes of FDU-Madison as well as Division I Princeton University on Jan. 29. TCNJ hopes its non-league schedule will prepare them for a run at the NJAC Championship in February. St.
Joseph's (L.I.) While the 2000-2001 team will miss graduated seniors Mike Clauberg, Ed Miller and George Politis, returning veterans will provide the experience to challenge for that Skyline title. Leading the veterans will be seniors, and team captains, Jon Hardy, Doug Modica and Tom Solch. Hardy led Division III in 3-point percentage for the first half of the year, finished the season ranked 27th, and was named to the HVMBC All Conference team. Hardy set SJC records for best 3-point percentage in a game (5-for-5), and season (45.9%) last year. Tom Solch, a 6-4 swing man, was named the Most Valuable Player of the HVMBC tournament, was selected Skyline Rookie of the Week and Hudson Valley Conference Player of the Week. Solch finished the season averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds per game. Doug Modica, a 6-5 forward, ranks sixth all-time in career rebounds (380), and averaged nine points and six rebounds per game. All three have demonstrated not only their basketball skills, but leadership qualities during this past season. Junior point guard Tom Roeder "made quite an impression on the fans, and our opponents as well, last year," according to Maniaci. A starter at the point guard spot since his freshman year, Roeder finished last season ranked fourth in steals (3.9) and sixth in assists (6.9) in Division III. Roeder set an SJC mark for steals in a season (97) and tied the record for assists in one game (16). He was selected to the Hudson Valley All-Conference team, and was named Honorable Mention All Skyline Conference. Roeder ranks third in SJC career steals (153), and averaged 12 points, four rebounds and seven assists last season. While this program has no 'stars', whatever Roeder does will help determine just how far this team can go this year. Junior Kevin Smith (6-7) returns this season with the opportunity to be recognized as the finest big man ever to wear a St. Joe's uniform. He's been working hard in the weight room, and recognizes the important role he must play for the team to reach its potential. Kevin will have to make up for the loss of last year's front line. That's a big job, and the staff believes Kevin is up to the challenge. Junior Jim Kennedy will start the season as
the backup point guard, and his two years' experience with the Golden
Eagles will come in handy with so many Bryan Mann and Jim Steigele round out the veterans this season. Both are hard-working backcourt players who continue to improve, and can be counted on to provide the all-court pressure the team will need to compete against some of the deeper teams this season. Mann has improved on his 3-point shooting, and Steigele's been working hard in the weight room and on his ball handling. Newcomers this season include junior college transfer Colin Delaney from Canton JC and Mercy HS. "Colin sports an accurate and consistent 3-point shooting skill that will force opposing defenses to come out farther than they normally would. This should permit our inside people more mobility in the lane area. Longwood HS graduate Vinny Samuels is potentially as talented a guard as we have ever recruited", according to Maniaci. Samuels can play all three guard spots this season. "Samuels knows what it takes to win
championships, and brings that with him every time he hits the
floor," said Maniaci. The last two additions to the team are multi-sport freshmen 6-5 Matt Mason from Massapequa, and 6-1 Tim Trava from Patchogue-Medford high school. Both are outstanding soccer players as well. Mason is an outstanding leaper and rebounder, who can score inside, and defend against taller opponents. Tim Trava, who is coming off a serious leg injury, is an exceptional outside shooter and defender who comes from the same program as Tom Roeder. Both of these young men are expected to make an impact once they join the team. |
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