|
|
|
Posting Up - Scoreboard - Top 25 - Features - Notables - Team of the Week - Live Audio |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alfred "We have very high expectations this season," Coach Jay Murphy said. "We have more experience and are a lot stronger than a year ago." The Saxons last made the playoffs two seasons ago, when they advanced to the ECAC finals. Despite an 11-14 record last year, Murphy is optimistic about the chances of his team's return to the postseason. The team lost eight of those 14 games by a total of 20 points; three of the losses were in overtime. Murphy feels that because many of the players have trained hard over the summer, their extra strength will help them finish off teams late in the game. This, matched with a deeper roster that will allow more substitutions and a more aggressive defense, makes Murphy optimistic about the upcoming season. The Saxons will look to their four captains to lead the team. Senior point guard Willie Smith (Fulton/Fulton) is the leader on the offensive side of the ball this year. Murphy will rely on Smith to pick apart opposing teams' defenses. Smith played just over 33 minutes a game and averaged 11.1 points, 6.4 assists and three steals per contest. Junior forward E.J. Docteur (Seneca Falls/Mynderse) has great skills. Docteur, an ECAC DIII Upstate New York All-Star honorable mention his sophomore year, poses a huge threat on offense, with his ability to both drive and shoot from the outside. Docteur led the team with 35.9 minutes, 20 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. He also made a team-high 43 three-point shots. The Saxons will be looking to exploit defensive mismatches on the 6-6 Docteur. Senior Kareem McKinnon (Brooklyn/Kingsborough), the team's 6-9 center, will play a major role on the defensive side of the ball, with both rebounding and shot blocking. "Kareem gets better and better every year," Murphy said. McKinnnon led the team with 3.2 blocks per game, and averaged 7.9 rebounds and 13 points per contest. Entering his senior year, McKinnon owns team records for blocks in a game (10) and blocks in a season (71) and is tied with former Saxon Mike Wing (1983-87) for the career mark wth 131. Senior guard Robbie Stedman (Perry/Perry) will guide the Saxons with his leadership on the court, as well as his overall good defense and shooting. Stedman, a threat from the three-point arc (34 three-pointers in 1999-2000), was the Saxons' fifth-leading scorer last year (6.9 ppg). The Saxons receive a major boost in the return of junior guard Devon Downing (Canton, OH/Glen Oak), who has been on a leave of absence the past two years. As a sophomore two seasons ago, Downing averaged 21.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 37.2 minutes per game. Downing can play on both sides of the ball very well. "He does whatever I need him to do," Murphy said. The team has four juniors back from last year. Guard/forward Chris Koek (Penn Yan/Penn Yan) started every game last year, averaging 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Koek is an exceptional defender who had 57 steals his sophomore year, good for second on the team. Guard/forward Jason Wheeler (Camden/Camden) is a three-year veteran who does whatever is necessary to improve his game. Forward Brian Strait sat out last season because of ACL surgery. His return means the addition of a fine shooter and rebounder. Guard Tanner Webb (Newark/Newark) is a great shooter who was second on the team in field goal percentage (49%) in 1999-2000. Other returning players are sophomore guard
Brian Roegiers (Marion/Marion), 2.0 ppg in 18 games last year; sophomore
center Jeff Hopkins (Caledonia/York), who came off the bench in 23 games
to spell McKinnon, grabbing 32 boards; sophomore Neil Burley
(Rushville/Marcus Whitman), 5.1 ppg and a team-best 43.3% from three-point
range, and sophomore guards Bryan Crandall (Andover/Canisteo) and Chad
Lewis (Whitesville/Whitesville). The team also recruited two freshmen, Matt Cannon (Wellsville/Wellsville) and James Coll (Pittsburgh, PA/Seton Lasalle), who are expected to play once they learn Murphy's system better. Clarkson Senior co-captain Eric Saucier (Concord, N.H.) returns as a graduate student for his fourth year of eligibility and should continue to improve at point guard for the Knights. Saucier led the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) 6.8 assists per game last season and recorded the third-highest single-season assist total in Clarkson history when he contributed 176 assists. He currently ranks 10th all-time in Clarkson history with 233 and could become just the third player every to reach 400 in a career. Senior co-captain Mark Ruddy (Brampton, Ont.) has proven to be an emotional leader for the Knights ever since he put on the Green and Gold. Ruddy looks to solidify the Knights' frontcourt with his play in the post. Ruddy averaged over five points and four rebounds in 23 games last season and should be a key component in leadership and production for Clarkson this season. Other returning players for the Knights this winter are juniors Scott Sherman (Westport, N.Y.) and Lenny Williams (Snellville, Ga.) as well as sophomores Lee Roes (Lowville, N.Y.), Steve Godlewski (Rotterdam, NY), and Mike Pearson (Baldwinsville, N.Y.). Sherman started a dozen games for the Knights while Williams was a solid contributor off the bench. Roes finished third on the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game and came up even bigger in UCAA league games, averaging more than 10 points per contest. Both Godlewski and Pearson logged important time on the court and should improve their games this season. Several newcomers to the Knights hope to fill the void left by several of last year's standouts. Junior guard Nick Redhead (Central Square, N.Y.), a junior transfer from Division II LeMoyne, is an excellent player with a great attitude and should contribute to the Knights right away. Freshman guards Kevin Williams (Syracuse, N.Y.), Dan Broderick (Westport, N.Y.) and Josh Harner (Houston) can also add to Clarkson's scoring punch. Also adding to Clarkson's backcourt is former Clarkson baseball player, senior guard Chad Roes (Lowville, N.Y.), who is forgoing his final year on the diamond for a chance to play with his younger brother, Lee. Freshman forwards Jim Higgins (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.), Gannon Gambeski (Smithtown, N.Y.), and Michael Case (Liverpool, N.Y.) also look to add to the Clarkson frontcourt. D'Youville The backcourt will be run by senior point guard Brent Jamieson, a transfer from Guelph University. Jamieson is experienced and a strong ball-handler who will be responsible for directing the Spartans' fast-break style. Joining Jamieson in the backcourt will be sophomore Anthony Arist and another Canadian recruit, freshman Darrell Hodgetts from Fort Erie. An athletic corps of wing players include returning starters Ian Morris (5.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and James Hunt (11.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg). A pair of freshmen recruits from Silver Creek, NY have been added to the mix as Bill Bender and Chris Mays wil continue their playing days together at DYC following outstanding high school careers. Two more freshmen, Mike Anderson from West Seneca and Andre' Rowe from New York City, will give the Spartans added depth which was sorely needed down the stretch last season. Up front, senior center Dan Ghirsig (7.5 ppg., 6.0 rpg) returns for his final season, but the rest of the frontcourt is a mystery. High-flying freshman Kenny Taylor, fresh off a state final 4 appearance with his Wilson High School (Rochester) teammates, could be a diamond in the rough for Coach Miller. His uncanny ability for getting to the offensive glass should make him a solid compliment to Ghirsig's strength inside. Senior utility man Stewart Kerr has taken on a leadership role and will be asked to step it up some this year, while a pair of freshmen, Ali-Sharif Robinson from LaSalle Academy in NYC and Jason Gelsomino from Cardinal O'Hara High School in Tonawanda will add depth. "I am very pleased with the young guys and I don't think there is any doubt this is the best recruiting class in the history of the program," Miller said. Of course, the team's history has been down and last year's win total of six was the most in the past nine years and surpassed the previous four combined. The Spartans also lost eight games by four points or less, so the team in headed in the right direction. Hamilton With the addition of a strong recruiting class the Continentals look to once again be one of the top teams in the UCAA. Jimmy Driggs started every game at the point-guard position last year. He led the Continentals and was among the nation's best in assists, averaging 6.9 per game. His roll will be similar this year, getting the Continentals organized offensively and distribute the ball. Senior Pat Casey will also see time at the point this year. He's a strong player that will get valuable minutes off the bench this year. Jim McCarthy is the Continentals' sharp-shooter. Last year he set a school record for three-pointers made in a season with 82. When he's "on" McCarthy frees up the inside for the Continentals inside game. Versatility is a good word to use when describing Hamilton's forwards in 2000-01. Seniors Brendan Ferretti and Kris Fudge lead this talented group. Ferretti led the Continentals in scoring last year averaging 12.6 points per game. He can spot up and shoot from the outside or take his opponent to the hoop. Fudge was Hamilton's leader in field goal percentage, hitting 53.6% of his shots from the field. He is also one of the teams top defenders, swatting 39 shots last year. Senior Mike Harrison played a key role off the bench last year and will do so again in 2000-01. Harrison does all the little things to help the team win. He is a tenacious defender, an excellent rebounder and sacrifices his body diving for loose balls. Noah Hammond is a crafty player with an abundance of nifty moves in the paint. His quickness gives him an advantage over his opponents on the perimeter. He's powerful enough to post up and finish strong. Toby Bjorkman and Timmy Vaughan will play key roles off the bench. Both can drive past their opponents or spot up for the three-point shot. Bjorkman is a tremendous athlete that can spark the crowd with his explosiveness. Vaughan is one of the best athletes on the team and will get a chance to show that ability in 2000-01. Patrolling down low in 2000-01 will be Justin Stolarczyk and Joe Finley. Stolarczyk is a strong player with a nice mid-range jump shot and has the potential to dominate the backboards. Finley is one of the strongest players on the team. He had a strong rookie campaign averaging 7.1 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per contest. St.
John Fisher "It's going to be interesting year," says head coach Bob Ward, now in his 14th year at the College. "We've lost some very good players over the last couple of years, but when I look at this year's team, I think we're still going to be a very talented and an experienced team." Since the 1998-99 campaign, the Cardinals have graduated six players -- four of whom have combined to score 62 points short of 4,000. This year, Fisher will be without Matt Comerford and Robaire Johnson, who each scored over 1,000 points for their career. "You don't just replace players like Matt and Robaire," says Ward, who ranks as one of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division III basketball with a career record of 244-97. "But I do think we have players that have been in the shadows and are going to play a larger role this year as well as some new faces that can help us." With eight letterwinners returning from last season, including six with starting experience, Fisher has plenty of talent. Add in three junior-college transfers, three freshmen and two new sophomores, and you have the depth needed to play Fisher's rigorous Empire Eight and non-league schedule. After opening the season with the Ramada-Marketplace Inn Invitational, Fisher will begin its Empire Eight schedule before traveling down to New Jersey for the Rowan Invitational at the end of the first semester. Following the Christmas break, Fisher will try to defend its Chase Scholarship Tournament title for the third straight year, before playing the rest of its Empire Eight opponents. "Last year was our first year in the Empire Eight and it's great to be in a league of this caliber," says Ward, who led Fisher to a second-place finish and conference record of 11-3. "Any team in our league can beat you on any given night and the teams we play out of conference are also very strong." The Cardinals will look to its five seniors -- R.J. Fiorelli, Mark Niggli, Ben Weihrich, Rob Schoener and Dan Lutman - to guide the team back to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the seventh time in the last eight years. Fiorelli, who was named to the Empire Eight Second Team last season, led Fisher in rebounding and ranked fourth on his team in scoring, averaging 6.0 rebounds and 11.3 points per game. Niggli, who transferred to Fisher after playing his first two seasons at Canisius College, is also back after leading the squad with 33 steals, while averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Schoener and Weihrich should once again provide the team with scrappy defensive play and solid shooting from the perimeter, while Lutman gives Fisher plenty of depth and experience at the guard spot. "It's not very often you have five seniors on a team," Ward says. "But for the most part, these guys have played together for four seasons, they've never lost a Chase Tournament and they know how to win close games." Six-foot-five sophomore Alpha White, who started at center in 19 games as a freshman, is back for his second year, as is classmate Aaron Berwanger and junior Kris Hall, who each flourished in limited action last winter. Ward has also brought in yet another highly touted recruiting class that includes seven new faces. Junior-college transfers Carl Jefferson, Kevin May and Corey Schmitt could make an immediate impact, while sophomores Matt St. Criox, who gained a year of experience on Fisher's junior varsity squad last season, and Tom Albanese, a transfer from Keuka College, will also press for playing time. Matt Morley, a talented swingman from Union-Endicott, along with 6-foot-6 Phil Nelson and 6-foot-5 Nick Ripple, who each could see action in the low post right away, round out Fisher's freshman class. "I think when you look at the players we have back and the new players we have here now, I think we should be a very exciting team that plays at a level that's fun to watch," Ward says. "We've been very successful over the past 10 years or so and if we show up every night and play to our potential and I think we can continue that trend." |
More Previews
Rankings and links to all D-III teams
Contact Us |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
