Young Bridgewater Team Looking Forward To Upcoming Season

BRIDGEWATER, Va. - Looking for one word to describe this year's Bridgewater College men's basketball team is an easy task. "Young" perfectly describes the roster that features just one senior. Nine sophomores and seven freshmen complete the 17-man roster as the Eagles look to improve upon last year's record.

"We're definitely young, no doubt about that,' said fourth-year head coach Don Burgess. "We're excited about this year's squad I think we're longer and more athletic. This will be a team that will have the opportunity to grow and mature as the season moves along.

The lone senior on the team, guard Cody Griffith, is the team's leading returning scorer. "Cody averaged 10.2 points per game last year and he really is our only proven scorer. We've talked with Cody about being more consistent this season. Last year, he might get 16 one night and four the next. We need him to be a consistent scorer for this team."

The nine returning sophomores are still in the early stages of their careers, but several received significant playing time during their first year in the program.

In the backcourt, Ronnie Thomas, Malcolm Dickson and Tavis Stapleton each saw quality minutes a year ago. Thomas was the most productive as he scored 4.8 points per game and dished out a team-high 55 assists. Kenneth Waugh, won of the purest shooters on team, was limited by injuries last year, but has come back stronger and could help the Eagles on the perimeter. Kyle VanOrden, another returning perimeter player will also be looking for minutes this season.

In the frontcourt, Daniel McClain saw action in every game and averaged close to four points and three rebounds per night. David Larson was plagued by injuries a year ago, but the staff is hoping the 6-6 forward can stay healthy and be a productive force in the paint this season. Romie Powell, a 6-9 center, and Josh Irwin, a 6-8 forward, could also figure into the frontcourt rotation.

Burgess is also excited about his seven freshmen players. "We feel like we have added some quality players," said Burgess. "We've added some length at the forward position and some quickness in the backcourt."

Looking to compete for time in the backcourt are 5-foot-8 point guards Benaiah Wise and Ryan Johnson along with 5-foot-10 combo guard Matthew Hunter.  Kyle Welty is a solid 6-foot-3 shooter and Justin Hempe is a 6-foot-5 swing player. At the forward spot, smooth 6-foot-3 lefty Aaron Adams and rugged 6-foot-4 Ed Reddick will vie for playing time.

"We need several of these first-year guys to be impact players," Burgess said. "When I talk about impact, I mean that several of these first-year players must be productive players for us.

"We tried to recruit good basketball players from good programs and we were able to do that," Burgess added. "We added good players and also some good leaders. Several of these guys were captains on their high school squads."

While a dearth of experience may also lead to a lack of leadership, Burgess has watched some of the younger players taking a leadership role.

"In the preseason, guys like Ronnie (Thomas) and Daniel (McClain) took the lead in getting the guys into the gym. I can tell already that this group gets along well together."

One emphasis this season for the young Eagles will be improving on the defensive end. A year ago opponents shot 44 percent from the floor against the Eagles and scored an average of 77 points per game.

"One thing is for sure, we can't give up 77 points a night and expect to win in this conference," Burgess said. "We're going to have to play a swarming type of defense. We'll have to use our length and quickness to make things tough for our opponents. And, we're going to have to generate some of our offense off of our defensive play."

Whether it is scoring, playing defense or rebounding, the Eagles will need a team effort in order to be successful this season.

"We're going to have to score collectively, rebound collectively and play good team defense to reach our goals," Burgess said. "We may not have that one guy to dominate the glass or score 20 a night, but if we do those things as a group we will have a chance."

The 2011-12 schedule once again will be a challenge as the ODAC has emerged as one of the top Division III conferences in the nation. A year ago, three ODAC teams were ranked in the Top 17 in the final poll of the season.

"We play in one of the top conferences in the country, so it will be a challenge," Burgess said. "Of course, our goal is to improve our program to the point where we are one of those top teams."

In addition to the conference slate, the Eagles will play in the Guilford tournament and the Daytona Beach Shootout. The Eagles will also host it annual BC/Don Glick Classic with games scheduled against Bluefield and Johnson & Wales (N.C.).

Bridgewater tips off its season with an exhibtion game on Oct. 12 at Division I High Point University. The Eagles open the regular season at home on Oct. 15 against Averett University.