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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 |
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Bethany "We've looked really good in preseason because we are in very good shape," said Clune. "The guys worked really hard in preseason conditioning and it has really shown early on. "We have had some injuries right off the bat, which has set us back a bit," said Clune. "The injury to Scott Johnson has slowed down our progress a little bit but it may turn out to help us in the long run and allow us to develop the other guards to give us more depth." Last year's starting point guard, Johnson averaged 6.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and really stepped up his play down the stretch. "Johnson has gained experience and improved every day for the past two years," said Clune. "He is our best defensive player and has worked to improve his shot and scoring ability offensively." While Johnson recovers from a knee injury that will keep him on the shelf for a couple weeks, Clune will rely on a trio of players to fill in the point guard spot. Sophomore Zach Graebe, junior Josh Ringer and freshman Adam Packard will fill the void. "Graebe (0.9 points, 1.1 rebounds) provides us with quickness and a spark off the bench," said Clune. "Ringer is a transfer from Butler Community College (Pa.) and will give us much-needed scoring off the bench. Packard comes from a very good high school program and has shown the ability to lead the team." At shooting guard, junior Nevada Smith (10.5 points, 45.7% from three-point range) returns, as does sophomore Mike Majzun who missed last season. "We need to get Nevada more looks because he is one of the top shooters in the country," Clune said. "I'm looking forward to him being more aggressive offensively. "Majzun is going to provide us with a tremendous boost because of his overall game," said Clune. "He is the best athlete on the team, is an explosive scorer and a great defender. He gives us great depth and versatility." Junior Pat Kelly, sophomore Brad Davern and freshman Drew Packard will provide added depth at guard. Junior Todd McGuinness (10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists) is back for his third season as the small forward, with bench help coming from freshman Pat Wilson of Broken Arrow, Okla. "McGuinness is a versatile player who does a lot of things well, " said Clune. "He can score from inside or outside, gets rebounds and is a tough competitor. "Wilson should be solid off the bench for us because he is a good shooter, is aggressive defensively and understands the game very well." At power forward, junior Keith Schubert returns after he was named First Team All-Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC) last year. He was second in the PAC with 18.2 points a game and was Bethany's leading rebounder with 5.8 boards a game. Schubert comes into the season 151 points away from becoming the 14th player in Bethany history to score 1,000 career points. "While Schubert is coming off a good year, he worked hard in the summer to get quicker," said Clune. "He is such a good scorer because he can score inside or go out to the perimeter and hit the outside shot. We are expecting him to build off last year." In the post, junior Pete Stokic (7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds) will be expected to give the Bison a big threat in the middle. "After having two years off, Pete now has a year of competitive experience to build from," said Clune. "I think he'll have a breakout year and be a force in the post." Bench help in the post will come from junior Derek Hoffman, who joins the hoops team after leading the football team in receptions. "Hoffman joins us from football for his first year," said Clune. "He has good size and good hands and will give us good depth and scoring off the bench underneath." When looking at how the PAC stacks up, Clune said the early nod has to go to the defending champions, Thiel. After that, he says it's anyone's guess. "I think you have to give Thiel the edge because they return the best core players," said Clune. "After that, no one really separates from the rest, so we will have to see what happens as the season progresses." When asked what his team's goals are coming into the new campaign, Clune said his team is in a different position than in year's past. "It's been two years in the making but we are in position to compete in every game this year, even with a challenging schedule," said Clune. "But as long as we work hard in every game and improve, we will be in position to compete for the PAC championship at the end of the year." That challenging schedule will get started immediately when the Bison travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., to open up the season in the Wilkes College Tournament against the host team. The Colonels are two years removed from a Final Four appearance. Game time is slated for 8 p.m. on Nov. 17. The Bison's home opener will be Nov. 21 against Penn State-Altoona. Calvin Winkle was a multi-dimensional player for
the Knights, averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and more than three
assists-per-game as he was named the MIAA's MVP for the second consecutive
year. The 6-6 forward finished his career fourth on the all-time Calvin
scoring charts with 1,802 career points. As a senior, he was named the MVP
of two tournaments including the Old Kent Classic and was a two-time
D3hoops.com Team of the Year member, including a first-teamer in 2000. Although not a prolific scorer, Burgess proved that he could score when needed as he scored a career-high 20 points in a 91-83 win over Grand Valley State in last year's Old Kent Classic while also coming up with several key offensive plays in Calvin's NCAA III Tournament run. Although known as a slasher, Burgess also displayed deft outside shooting touch as he finished second on the Calvin team in three-point shooting, shooting 43.4% (23-for-53) from three-point range. Sophomores Jeremy Veenstra (Kalamazoo Christian) and Bryan Foltice (Tri-Unity Christian) join Krosschell as Calvin's other two returning starters. Both players made a deep impact as freshmen a year ago as Veenstra was named a first team All-MIAA selection while Foltice moved into the starting point guard spot midway through the MIAA season, earning MIAA Player of the Week honors once. A 6-6 forward, Veenstra finished second on the Calvin team in scoring and rebounding last year with averages of 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds a game. A 6-0 lefthander, Foltice averaged 8.1 points a game while connecting on nearly 40 percent (43 of 109) of his three-point attempts to finish third on the Calvin team in three-point percentage and second in three-point field goals made. Foltice will return to the point guard spot but Veenstra's status is unclear as he may move into Winkle's vacated "wing" forward position while also playing his familiar power forward spot when needed. The fifth and final starting position may be filled by 6-7 senior center Josh Tubergen (Holland Christian). A quick leaper, Tubergen has been saddled with injuries throughout his collegiate career but has since put on 20 pounds of muscle over the summer and appears to have a clean bill of health. Averaging just over 13 minutes a game off the bench last year, Tubergen still managed to lead Calvin in blocked shots (44) while also averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds a game. A front line manned by Krosschell, Tubergen and Veenstra could give the Knights one of the biggest and most talented front-lines in Division III basketball. Senior forward Derek Kleinheksel (Hamilton) is another returning front-line veteran who provides valuable depth and leadership. A two-time All-American high jumper in track and field, Kleinheksel averaged 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds a game off the bench last year while connecting on nearly 60% of his field goal attempts. Junior point guard Jon Potvin (Gladstone) is another veteran with plenty of experience. As a sophomore, Potvin started in 14 games before giving way to Foltice. Nevertheless, Potvin continued to fulfill a key role on the Calvin squad and played nearly the entire second half of the national championship game after Foltice was forced to the sidelines with a hip-pointer injury. During his sophomore year, the steady playmaker averaged just under three points a game while hitting on nearly 80% of his free throw tries. Other returning letterwinners include juniors Tim Bruinsma (Grand Rapids Christian) and Nick Ploegstra (Cleveland, Ohio) and sophomores Dave Bartels (Kalamazoo Christian) and Jon VanderPlas (Kalamazoo Christian). In addition, red-shirt sophomore Rob Dykstra (Tri-Unity Christian) returns after missing nearly the entire 1999-2000 season with an injury. A large and talented freshmen class will also look to contribute this year. In winning the final 22 games of its 1999-2000 season, Calvin finished out the year with a 30-2 record, becoming just the second team in Calvin men's basketball history to reach the 30-win plateau. The school record for consecutive victories is 26 games, set by the 1960-61 and 1961-62 Calvin teams. Calvin will need to claim championships at the season-opening Wisconsin Lutheran Tournament and Old Kent Classic as well as a win over Wheaton on November 29 to do so. Capital Head coach Damon Goodwin knows what it takes to construct a winner at Capital. Six years ago, Goodwin took over an 11-14 squad and in just two seasons his Crusaders were 19-8. This year he brings two starters and five letterwinners back and 13 newcomers to improve on last season's 7-18 record. Senior Chris McGuire started all 25 games last season and led the team in scoring (14.2ppg) and rebounding (6.1rpg). McGuire, an honorable mention All-OAC performer a year ago, is a solid forward with a scoring touch, and as one of only two seniors on the roster, will be expected to lead the young Crusaders on and off the court. Junior wing Geoff Glazier also started all 25 games a year ago and led the team in assists (48). Glazier can handle the ball and will need to be a consistent scoring threat for the Crusaders to be successful. Sophomores Geron Tate and Tony Ruberg each took full advantage of their opportunities late last season and hope to pick up right where they left off. Tate, a point guard who started the final 10 games of the season, averaged 8.1 points and 4.7 rebounds and was second on the team in assists (45). He brings versatility to the lineup. Ruberg got the starting nod in the final 12 games last year and showed quick hands, leading the team in steals (30) and has the potential to give the Crusaders some outside scoring. Senior Laran Sims and junior Robert Curd each return to the roster this season and need to provide game experience and depth for to this squad. Sims will play in the backcourt and has the ability to act as a catalyst on offense, while Curd enhances the frontline with added strength and power. Sophomores Drew Davie and Vince Walters round out the returning players on the roster Wing Mark Denner, guard Adam Stolly and forwards Chuck Bihn and Tyler Schleich combine to lead a group of 13 newcomers, who are not only the program's future, but will factor heavily in success of this season as each will see time. Schleich is coming off an injury and may not be at full strength at the start of the season. Along with that group, wing players Matt Castle, Chris Hass, Ryan Martino, Joe Pratt, and Andrew Price, along with guard Gregg Haines, with forwards Travis Rockney and Matt Yeager compose the rest of the freshman class, while transfer Cedric Simpson rounds out the newcomers. Other than the usual challenges that a basketball season brings, construction of The Capital Center has left the Crusaders without a home. Capital's men's and women's team will each play just eight home games, the home portions of their conference schedules, at Bexley High School. On Feb. 3, 2001, both Capital basketball teams will host OAC-foe John Carroll at St. John Arena on the campus of the Ohio State University. The women's will tip-off the twinbill at 1:00 p.m. and the men will play at 3:00 p.m. Without a home facility the Capital Classic Basketball Tournament is on one-year hiatus, which makes for a unique non-conference schedule. The Crusaders will tip-off the season in Fredericksburg, Va., on Nov. 17 against Mary Washington and stay there to meet Delaware Valley on the following afternoon. Another wrinkle in the schedule is a game against Division I Eastern Kentucky in Richmond, Ky., on Nov. 28. Other non-conference games include road dates with Mount St. Joseph (Nov. 22), Ohio Wesleyan (Nov. 25) and Ohio Dominican (Dec. 23). John
Carroll The record for the 1999-2000 season ended at 14 wins and 12 losses, but that hardly told the whole story. For starters, two seniors quit after the fifth game, and the Blue Streaks would go 1-8 in games decided by five points or less. It might be a good thing that the John Carroll men's basketball team will be returning the bulk of its roster, as memory will serve as a motivator. Last season was the first time in four years the men did not reach the NCAA tournament, with JCU finishing its run in the OAC Semifinals on a disappointing note, an 82-77 loss to Otterbein in which the Streaks led by 11 points with just over three minutes left. Head coach Mike Moran, who is heading into his ninth season at John Carroll (141-75), will welcome back four starters and a number of key role players from a year ago. The Blue Streaks top returnees include senior forward/center Micheal Hill, who led the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game last season, He also contributed seven rebounds per game and had 23 blocked shots. He was awarded with second team All-OAC honors for his efforts. Senior forward Larry Holmes also received All-OAC honors last season, averaging 13 points and 10 rebounds per contest, making Holmes the team's top rebounder. Holmes recorded 11 double doubles last season as well. Some other players looking to make contributions for the Blue Streaks are junior forward Paul Nierman (11 ppg, 4rpg) and sophomore forward Antoine Dunklin (5.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg), both of whom are returning starters. Senior Chris Pap (6.3ppg, 1.0 spg) and sophomore Jason Pecjak (2.1 ppg, 0.4 spg) will battle to fill the point guard position, previously held by Luke Dautovic. Veterans such as Eric Badger, Nick DeOnofrio, Chris Endres and Antonio McCladdie should also fit into the mix. The Blue Streaks will open their season against Maryville (Tenn.) at the Emory & Henry Tournament in Emory, Va., on November 18. Wilmington The Quakers tip off their season in the Franklin Savings Tipoff Tournament at Mount Saint Joseph. The new-look Quakers will take on Ohio Wesleyan at 4 p.m., while Mt. St. Joseph and Kenyon will square off at 9 p.m. WC returns eight lettermen and four starters who will try to build upon last season’s 10-15 record. Heading that group are the team's only seniors, Dan Shardo (Versailles/Versailles) and Kevin Long (London/London). Shardo has good size and excellent range. He will move into the WC backcourt this season after averaging 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season as a forward. He led the team with 54 three-pointers in '99-'00 and will enter the upcoming season with 927 career points. Long, a 6-6 center, was named a Heartland Conference honorable mention last season after logging 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He's an accurate shooter down low, but also has a good shooting touch away from the hoop. The Quakers add some size up front with 6-5 Greg Liggens (Toledo/Scott) and 6-6 Matt Vehorn (Botkins/Botkins). Liggens played in 12 games last year and averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 boards. Vehorn returns this season after missing all of last year with a hip injury. In his freshman season of '98-'99, Vehorn averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. That group will try to make up for the loss of All-HCAC forward Jason Phipps, who graduated after leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots last season. In the backcourt, sophomore Adam Weber (Peebles/Peebles) and junior James Mason (Ft. Washington, Md./Bishop McNamara) return. Weber averaged 9.4 points per game and is another three-point threat. Mason returns after missing half of last season with an injury. Before his departure, he averaged 7.6 points and 1.8 assists per game. The Quakers will also approach their first season in the OAC with a very talented recruiting class. A dozen new names appear on this year’s roster and they are backed up by size, speed and tremendous athletic ability. Two or three of those incoming players have the potential to create an immediate impact on the Quakers’ 2000-2001 campaign. On the bench, head coach Scott Stemple returns for his seventh season and owns an overall record of 54-96. Wittenberg Making a return to the top spot more difficult, the Tigers will be without senior starters Lou Stahl and Jon Stafford. Stahl graduated as the Tiger's career leader in both three-point field goals made and games played. Stafford became only the 23rd player in Wittenberg annals to score more than 1,000 points. Heading the list of returnees for eighth-year Head Coach Bill Brown, who brings an overall record of 156-43 into the new season, are starters Chris Fillmore (Barberton,Ohio/Barberton), Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield,Ohio/Waynesfield-Goshen) and Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler). Fillmore, the team's second-leading scorer (12.8) and rebounder (6.7) last season, returns for his fourth year of eligibility after sitting out his freshman season with a knee injury. A 6-foot-6 forward, Fillmore was the Tigers' Most Valuable Player and a first team All-NCAC selection last year. Taylor, a 6-5 senior wing was the Tigers' leading scorer (13.8 ppg) while registering double figures in all 25 games in which he played in 1999-2000. The NCAC's leading active scorer with 974 points entering the 2000-2001 season, Taylor garnered second-team All-NCAC honors last year after being named to the first team in 1998-99. Longley, a 6-6 forward, had an outstanding freshmen season, averaging 8.3 rebounds and 8.8 points per game and earned All-NCAC Honorable Mention honors. Other returning letterwinners expected to vie for starting positions or playing roles in Coach Brown's 10-player rotation include senior Kyle Krauss (Deshler, Ohio/Patrick Henry), senior Alex Welp (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville), junior Chad Mossing (Maumee, Ohio/Springfield), junior Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira), and sophomore B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins). Krauss, a two-year letterwinner and part-time starter during his career, will be looked to provide important ball-handling and leadership duties at the point guard position. Welp, a 6-3 guard, will be in the thick of the battle for time at the second guard spot. A 6-4 wing, Mossing is expected to again make significant contributions after finishing the 1999-2000 season as the Tigers' fourth-leading scorer in a substitute role, although he will be unavailable until January after undergoing recent foot surgery. Gratsch, a 6-7 post player, came on strong last season and will be counted on for important minutes at a post position. Harris, a 6-7 forward who had a solid freshmen year that included several starts when Longley was injured, is expected to play increased minutes at both the forward and post positions. Another returning player competing for playing time is junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood). Freshmen who may emerge to help at the varsity level this season include Mark Borland (Kettering, Ohio/Archbishop Alter), Sal Diagne (Cincinnati, Ohio/Seven Hills), Ryan Dietrich (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills), Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./Adams), Brandon Salamone (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell-Marian), and Josh Taylor (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin). The Tigers, as always, face a challenging 2000-2001 schedule. In addition to their usually demanding NCAC schedule, the Tigers also test themselves with a difficult non-conference schedule that includes a season-opening match-up with Rose-Hulman in the first round of the Albion College Tournament. This year's Wittenberg/Kiwanis Holiday Classic includes Beloit, Hanover and Kalamazoo. Other non-conference opponents include neighboring NAIA rival Cedarville College, long-time foe Otterbein, former NCAC member Case Western Reserve, and independent Thomas More. Wooster "There are high expectations for our team this season," commented Steve Moore, who enters his 14th year as head coach of the Fighting Scots just 16 victories shy of the 300-win mark at the school. "We do have a fine nucleus of returning players, but have some question marks. Our primary goal will be to work day-in and day-out as hard as we can, so that we can continue to improve throughout the season, and hopefully be playing our best basketball at the end of the season." In order for Wooster to win its fourth-straight regular season NCAC title, Moore and company will have to make up for the loss of three key players -- John Ellenwood, Ryan Pedon, and Ryan Snyder. Ellenwood averaged 13.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks en route to earning All-American honors in his senior year, while Pedon played a major role as the team's emotional leader, despite not seeing much playing time as a senior. Snyder was solid in his freshman year, tossing in 8.3 points per outing, but he chose to transfer to Kent State University for personal reasons. Despite those losses, the nucleus of a team that won 26 of its first 27 games against Division III opponents last year by an average of 18.7 points, prior to losing to eventual national champion Calvin College in the NCAA Tournament, returns. "We lost two outstanding young men to graduation," Moore said. "Those close to our program realize Pedon didn't play a lot of minutes, but he provided outstanding leadership. In Ellenwood, we obviously lost a very talented basketball player and another excellent leader. So, we have some big shoes to fill, but I believe that we do have the players to step into that leadership role in seniors Nate Gaubatz and Steve Thompson, as well as junior Antwyan Reynolds." With Gaubatz, Reynolds, Thompson, and sophomore Matt Smith returning, as well as a talented group of newcomers, the Scots' guard and wing positions are well stocked. Reynolds, a lightning-quick point guard and the squad's top defensive player, was voted on to the All-NCAC Second Team last season. He averaged 10.6 points, 4.1 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game in 1999-00, while often taking the big shot in crucial situations. Thompson, a wing player, recovered nicely from a mid-season knee injury last year and ended up receiving honorable mention on the all-conference team. He averaged 11.0 points to go along with 3.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per outing, while making 80.8% of his free throws (61-of-76) and canning 38.1% of his three-point attempts (43-of-113). Gaubatz, a guard, has been one of the top sixth men in the country throughout his career. Despite just eight starts in 86 career games, he has averaged 6.3 points, 2.5 boards, and 2.1 assists, and usually finds himself in at the end of contests due to his outstanding ball-handling skills and clutch free throw shooting. Smith is a solid all-around player, who has the athletic skill to become a top player in the NCAC as well. He poured in 6.9 points per outing in his first year at the wing, while also grabbing 2.5 rebounds, dishing out 2.0 assists, and hitting 47.9% of his three-pointers (45-of-94). In addition, sophomore Chris Olson and several freshmen will be competing for perimeter spots on the varsity squad. "Without question, we have some fine players at the perimeter positions," explained Moore. "If we remain healthy, our perimeter play has the potential to be a real strength of this team." It is a different story for the Scots when it comes to the post players, as they return just two letterwinners in Brian Carlisle and Bryan Nelson. Nelson established himself as one of the premiere forwards in Division III in his rookie campaign and hopes to stay healthy and avoid the sophomore jinx this season. Nelson averaged 12.9 points and led the NCAC in rebounding with 8.8 caroms per game, while converting 56.1% of his field-goal attempts (143-of-255) and 81.0% of his free throws (81-of-100). Carlisle, a junior center, was the team's Most Improved Player last year and is expected to play an even bigger role this season with the departure of Ellenwood. After seeing limited time as a freshman, Carlisle went on to average 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 1999-00. Other potential contributors include freshmen Ty Alexander, PJ McCloud, and Mike Yelley. "I think the biggest question mark is our depth at the inside positions," Moore explained. "Carlisle had a fine sophomore year and worked hard in the offseason, while Nelson obviously put together a special freshman season, but we need to establish depth and have others contribute at these positions in order to be successful." Wooster, which already played some additional games on its European trip this past summer, has planned a difficult non-conference schedule, including two outstanding fields at the Scots' annual tournaments, to prepare itself to take another run at the NCAC title. As usual, Wooster opens the year with the Al Van Wie Classic when it will host Aurora, Marymount, and Savannah College of Art & Design. Marymount and Savannah A&D were both NCAA Tournament teams a year ago. Just as impressive is the field at the Mose Hole Classic in December, which features the Scots' longtime rival Case Western Reserve and perennial powers Calvin and Chicago. In addition, Wooster will compete in the Carnegie Mellon Tournament with Thiel and Washington & Lee, as well as travel to Westminster (Pa.) and to Savannah A&D. "I believe that we've always played tough schedules throughout the years, sometimes including games against Division I and II opponents, but I think this is the toughest non-league schedule we've ever had during my tenure," summarized Moore. The Scots' conference slate features home-and-home series' with the nine other NCAC schools except for Oberlin and Ohio Wesleyan, which Wooster will play single games with. "I think the NCAC will be very challenging this year," said Moore. "A lot of teams return much of their roster and there are a lot of teams on the up swing with young coaches, which should result in the league being tougher than ever this year." |
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