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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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Springfield The 93rd edition of SC men's basketball features a veteran group comprised of four returning starters, including All-NEWMAC selections Michael Parker, an All-American candidate at small forward, and three-point specialist John Gleason, a senior who is back at shooting guard. Eight returning players averaged double figures in minutes last season, and five of the Pride's top six scorers are back. "I'm excited about the season," said fourth-year head coach Charlie Brock. "We've got a lot of players back. But it's hard to tell what will transpire. We are coming off what I call an average season, and that should motivate us. With this many players coming back, our experience could be the difference." Brock welcomes back an experienced group of junior and senior-laden frontcourt personnel, led by Parker. The 6-3 senior forward is the two-time NEWMAC Player of the Year and could emerge as one of the best players in Division III. "Michael can do a lot," Brock said. "He can shoot from the perimeter, drive and dish and overpower people inside. He's an awesome offensive rebounder. I'm asking Michael to be a little more selfish this season. We need him to score, especially late in games, but I'm also looking for him to make everyone on the court better. That's how good I think he can be." Parker finished first in the conference in rebounding (8.2), third in scoring (15.3), and fifth in assists (3.2) while leading Springfield in blocks (22), and finishing second in free throw percentage (78.6) and minutes (766) in 23 starts. Named a Division III News Honorable Mention All-American and a NABC/Chevrolet Division III All-District Northeast All-Star, Parker became the 23rd 1,000-point scorer in Springfield history last season and is currently 20th with 1,124 points. Senior power forward Keith Arnold moved into the starting lineup last season after coming off the bench for two seasons. The 6-4, 220-pounder was a major contributor, averaging 7.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 24 appearances. "Keith is a self-made man," explained Brock. "He's worked extremely hard to put himself in position to see major minutes. Keith is very physical under the basket, and, as a senior captain, his leadership will be important to us." Junior Adetokunbo Adewuyi earned NEWMAC Rookie-of-the-Year honors in the 1999-2000 season averaging 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. Last season, the 6-5 center was limited to 20 games. Brock expects Adewuyi to play a bigger role this season. "The key for Adetokunbo is consistency," Brock explained. "We need eight-to-10 rebounds a game, including four or five on the offensive glass. He needs to score a little bit and play great defense in the post." Junior Dyshawn Thames and Kamor Yussuff will battle for time at power forward. Thames, a 6-4 junior who averaged 6.9 point and 5.1 rebounds in 16 starts last season, can score in the post and is very effective facing the basket. "The door is wide-open for Dyshawn," Brock said. "He is line for major minutes. He gives us a different look because he can step out and shoot it." Brock plans to move Yussuff, who he calls the team's best offensive rebounder, closer to the basket than he's been in the past, where Brock feels he's valuable. The 6-5 junior averaged 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 20 appearances last season. "Kamor is an interesting guy," Brock said. "He can do a lot of damage in the post and he really attacks the offensive glass. He could see a lot of playing time." Freshmen big men Kyle Marion and Caleb Sayward may get called upon to play during the season. Brock needs to resolve the unsettled situation at point. Senior Shahid Abdul-Karim, and sophomores Gary Greaves and Joe Reed will all get a chance to run the team at various points this season. Abdul-Karim gets the first shot. The 6-1 senior led Mercer County (N.J.) Community College to the NJCAA Division II finals two seasons ago, earning all-conference honors in the process. In his first season in the Maroon and White, he played in 12 games. "Shahid has an outstanding opportunity to earn a starting spot," Brock said. "We need him to be very assertive in running the team, and he'll get a very serious look in the early part of the season." Greaves is a transfer from Lehman (N.Y.) College, where he started 24 games and averaged 9.9 points and 4.6 assists as a freshman. The 5-9 sophomore should excel in transition. "What Gary brings is speed. He gives us a chance to get easy baskets, which is what we haven't had in a couple of years," Brock said. Sophomore guard Joe Reed, who gained valuable experience off the bench last season, provides a steady hand at the point. The 5-10 sophomore played in all 26 contests, averaging 13.5 minutes per game. "Joe's a solid back-up point guard," Brock explained. "He helped himself by getting stronger over the summer." Freshmen Glenn Pape, Kesseck Burke, Eduardo Roker and Brian Wild are talented newcomers who might figure into the rotation as well. The Pride is deep and experienced at the two-guard spot with Gleason and junior Jonathan Trant. Gleason returns as one of the top long-range shooters in New England. An All-NEWMAC selection last year, the 6-1 senior finished sixth in the conference in scoring (13.9), second in free-throw percentage (88.8) and third in three-point percentage (40.1). Gleason scored a career-high 29 points in a 68-48 win at MIT on his way to being named the NEWMAC and ECAC Division III New England Player of the Week (Feb. 6, 2001). "He is an outstanding three-point shooter, as good as there is in our league," Brock said of Gleason. "We need to get him good looks at the basket." Trant, a 6-2 junior, was a major factor in the Pride's run to the Sweet 16 two seasons ago. As a freshman, he was thrust into a starting role when Randy Alexander went down with an injury. Trant responded by scoring in double figures on four occasions and shooting 41% from three-point range. Last season, he made 13 starts and averaged 7.1 ppg. "We need Jonathan to have a big year," Brock said. "The contribution he made as a freshman was huge." The 2001-2002 season opens with a milestone for Springfield College, the Birthplace of Basketball. SC's season-opener at second-ranked Franklin & Marshall (Nov. 16) is the 2,000th game in the program's history that dates back to 1906. The Pride plays either Scranton or Salem State the next day. After what he terms a marginal season in which SC finished with a 14-12 record in 2000-'01, Brock has challenged his team with a demanding schedule that he hopes will maximize their potential. "We look to compete against the best teams we can get on the schedule," Brock said. "We need to play quality programs early on to prepare for the big games in February and March." Brock's expectations are clear. "There are a couple of things we need to do if we want to get back to the NCAA Tournament," Brock explained. "First, we need to make plays at the end of games. We lost five conference games by five-or-less points last season. Second, we need to dominate on the offensive glass. We have big, strong athletic players who should be able to get it done." "I'm also counting on big contributions from our juniors. These guys have seen time the past two years, and for us to be a better team, we need then to step up. If they do, we should be in good shape." The parts are there for a memorable season: senior leadership, depth, experience and an extraordinary talent in Parker. If the Pride stays focused and healthy, SC fans can expect another exciting ride to the NCAA Tournament. Amherst Newly elected tri-captain Steve Zieja, a Second-Team All-NESCAC selection as a sophomore, will anchor a stacked frontcourt after pouring in a team-high 17.8 points per game during a breakout 2000-01 season. A 6'5" power forward, Zieja finished fourth in the NESCAC in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and sixth in free throw percentage (.787%). He fell just two points shy of becoming only the fifth player in Amherst history to score 500 points in a season. 6'8" junior center Pat Fitzsimons joins Zieja in the paint after finishing second in the NESCAC in blocked shots (2.1 bpg) and third in rebounding (9.3 rpg) to go along with a hearty 10.2 point scoring average as a sophomore. Senior captains Paul Williams and Pat Taverna were key reserves during last season's NCAA Tournament run and will provide added experience at forward, as will 6'4" sophomore Tim Jones, who played in 15 games as a rookie. The Jeffs' backcourt will be equally formidable, with junior Ryan Faulkner — who led the NESCAC with 5.9 assists per game last season — returning at point guard along with explosive sophomore floor generals Adam Harper and John Donovan. A disruptive defensive presence, Harper posted a team-high 59 steals in just 18.2 minutes per game last season, while Donovan was a skilled playmaker and slick passer in limited action off the bench. On the perimeter, sophomore sharpshooter John Kloepfer's and junior slasher Suli Jenkins' contrasting styles will provide a valuable one-two scoring punch off the bench. Head Coach Dave Hixon's troops will also get a boost from a trio of high-profile newcomers - point guard Ray Corrigan, shooting guard Brian Preston, and 6'7" forward Andrew Schiel. Amherst kicks off a challenging regular-season slate against visiting Mass. College of Liberal Arts on Nov. 27, with its NESCAC opener set for Jan. 18 at Williams. As usual, the Jeffs will face a slew of tough non-conference foes, highlighted by a Dec. 4 matchup at Clark and a pair of high-profile tournaments — the Pioneer Valley Invitational (Dec. 7-8) featuring Western New England, Westfield State and Springfield and the Bahama House Classic (Jan. 1-2) at Embry-Riddle in Daytona Beach. Plymouth
State "I think we'll be an improved rebounding team," said Scheinman, "and a good shooting team. We've emphasized defense, and hopefully that will be better. Offensively, we should have a well-balanced attack, not looking to one particular guy like last year." PSC will have to
overcome the loss of two-time All-Conference forward Tony Leading the cast of returnees is senior center Jason Blackburn, an All-LEC Second Team pick last season after averaging 16.8 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds. He shot 56.2 percent from the floor and blocked 40 shots and should be one of the dominant players in the conference this season. "I've been very impressed by Jason's continued improvement and maturity as a player," said Scheinman. "He's a guy that played only 61 minutes his freshman season, and now he's truly one of the best players in the league. He's done a great job as captain. I'm very proud of his improvement." Joining Blackburn as captains this season are junior guards Kenny Stewart and Dan Craig. Stewart plays the 2-guard spot, and provides an excellent all-around game and intensity along with 10.9 points per game. Craig has started every game at point guard his first two seasons, but has been slow recovering from offseason knee surgery and is questionable coming into this season. The other returning starter is sophomore Frankie Finklea, the 2000-01 LEC Rookie of the Year. The athletic small forward averaged 9.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season, including 15.8 points in the final six games down the stretch. He was also PSC's leading three-point shooter, connecting on 41% (34-for-83) from beyond the arc. Sophomore Ryan Chicoine will likely step into a starting role. The 6-7 big man can play both center and forward, and has improved with a season of college basketball behind him. A strong defender and rebounder, Chicoine has improved his offense and should be a key for the Panthers this season. With Craig's status
questionable at point guard, the Panthers may look to Scheinman expects junior transfer Donnelle Combs to be the first man off the bench in the frontcourt. He's a power post player who could be a strong sixth man. Sophomores Mike Reynolds and Rob Nugent are also available as backup post players. Sophomores Harold
Roy and Mike Kalbfell give PSC depth at the small forward spot, and freshman
forward Matt Budrow and freshman guard Jason Pride could also contribute
off the bench. Sophomore guard Travis Farley and "Our goal is
always to win the Little East Conference," said Scheinman. "Our Trinity
(Conn.) Senior tri-captains Colin Tabb, an All-American candidate, and Bryan Dion give Trinity two of the top forwards in the New England region. Tabb was an All-NESCAC and an All-ECAC New England selection last season, after leading Trinity in scoring (18.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). The swingman leads the team by example; scoring the ball from anywhere on the floor and playing with 100% intensity at all times. Dion, a 6-6, athletic and versatile player, can dominate the game offensively and defensively. With abilities ranging from guarding opposing centers in the post to bringing the ball up the court against a press, he allows Coach Ogrodnik several options during the course of a game. Swingmen Jarod Greene, a 6-5 senior and a tremendous leaper, and junior Ryan Uszenski, an excellent athlete who can also shoot from the outside, are proven veterans, while 6-5 senior Rick Hein has improved steadily over his career in the post. All three will be in the mix for a starting position this season. Junior forward Corey Days, along with talented 6-5 twin newcomers Darren Baker and Dion Baker, and 6-6 freshman center Jim Bebry give Ogrodnik depth in the frontcourt. Senior point guard Matt Jones, who emerged as a defensive force and a dangerous 3-point shooter in 2000-01, is the top backcourt returnee. Sophomore shooting guard Shaun Smyth will compete for playing time with top freshman guard prospects Jesse Farrell and John Halas. With Tabb and Dion as two of the top players in the league, the Bantams have plenty of reason to expect to contend for the NESCAC Championship title. Ogrodnik, who will once again welcome a standout recruiting class, states, "The success of the recent seasons, particularly coming so close to the NCAA's (tournament) last March, should only help us in 2001-02. The continued development and maturity of the returning veterans will determine the fate of this group. It is vital that we work hard and continue with the same commitment that has characterized our program through the years." |
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