I believe this is all of the big south
Team preview: Charleston Southern Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.
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Blue Ribbon Yearbook
Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 334 Division I teams. To order the complete 2009-10 edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, visit
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
(Information in this team report is as of Oct. 1.)
COACH AND PROGRAM
After running aground last year, the Buccaneers are ready to set sail with a new crew.
Well, that's not exactly true. While fifth-year coach Barclay Radebaugh has five new faces to man the battle stations, he also has enough key returnees to think the Bucs might stay on course this season.
"We're as enthusiastic about our roster as we've ever been," he said. "I'm very positive and upbeat about what we're doing. It just hasn't happened yet. We had a good team last year and had some devastating injuries that really hurt us. We worked as a team to get better and we made a lot of progress."
Charleston Southern Buccaneers
Last Season 9-20 (.310)
Conference Record 4-14 (t-9th)
Starters Lost/Returning 3/2
Coach Barclay Radebaugh (East Tennessee State '87)
Record At School 40-78 (4 years)
Career Record 61-86 (5 years)
RPI Last 5 years 231-227-330-326-324
But along the way, two starters -- 2008 Big South Freshman of the Year Omar Carter and useful guard Tovi Bailey -- have transferred. On paper, they're big losses, but Radebaugh insists the Bucs will be just fine, thank you.
"The group we have returning has worked as hard this spring and summer as any group I have ever been involved with," Radebaugh said. "Our attitude has turned the corner toward winning and it's just a positive environment here right now."
PLAYERS
Part of that optimism is because Radebaugh is positive he has one of the best point guards in the league in junior Jamarco Warren (17.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg). The quick, 5-11 guard is the leading returning scorer in the Big South Conference.
"Jamarco is as talented a player as there is in our league or in mid-major basketball," Radebaugh said. "He knows that he has to get better defensively and he has worked extremely hard."
Warren will be creating on offense with two returnees alongside. Kelvin Martin (9.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg) is a 6-5 swingman who was hampered by a gimpy knee last year but looks fully recovered for his sophomore season. "He's the best athlete we've ever coached here," said Radebaugh. "If he doesn't get hurt, he's probably on the all-freshman team."
Austin Johnson (4.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg) appeared in 27 games and is battle-tested for his junior season, particularly if the 6-3 guard can improve on his 38 percent shooting. Johnson is in the best shape of his career and CSU coaches love his toughness.
The Bucs are also particularly high on incoming freshman Jeremy Sexton (18.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 8.0 apg) out of Tennessee Temple Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn. Sexton is a 6-2 combo guard who will work in somewhere, either on a wing or behind Warren. He was the runner-up for "Mr. Basketball" in Tennessee, leading Tennessee Temple to the state finals.
Stanley Honorat (16.0 ppg) is a 6-3 shooting guard from Indian River (Fla.) Community College, who can also help in the backcourt immediately. He exploded for a 33-point game against powerful Miami-Dade last season.
Glen Self (15.0 ppg, 7.0 apg in 2007-08), 6-0, was a promising freshman out of Charleston, W.Va., last year but never got a chance to show what he could do after injuring his shoulder in the preseason and redshirting.
Injuries just killed CSU up front last season, too.
First, 6-8 freshman Kenny Mitchell (16.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg in 2007-08 at Columbia High School in Decatur, Ga.) was lost three days before the start of practice with a heart virus. Mitchell was projected as a bona fide back-to-the-basket bully like the Bucs haven't had under Radebaugh.
Next, 6-10 junior Billy Blackmon (3.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) broke his arm in the 11th game of the season and was lost for the year.
With his 7-foot, 5-inch wingspan, Blackmon can change a game defensively and he had started all season before the injury.
Mitchell and Blackmon are both back and make the Bucs instantly bigger around the basket.
Freshman Tom Tankelewicz (19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.0 apg) should also help up front. He's a prototype small forward at 6-5, and with a great shooting touch. He led the state of North Carolina with his 43 percent shooting from three-point range last year at Middle Creek High School. Tankelewicz knocked down 87 three-pointers but may need to add some muscle to a rail-thin 185-pound frame.
He is skilled, though.
Quentin Goods (2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg) is the team's lone scholarship senior, and he's still trying to reach his potential as an athletic, 6-9 forward. He transferred to CSU after his freshman season at East Carolina.
Joel Lamb (5.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) turned in a solid freshman season and provides good depth at both forward spots. He's a 6-7 sophomore with a nice shooting touch.
The Bucs got deeper with a late signee, 6-7 Zimmy Nwogbo (17.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 bpg) out of Mt. Vernon Academy in Atlanta, Ga. Nwogbo has a seven-foot wingspan, and he helped Mt. Vernon to a state title with his versatile skills, though he'll be a long-range, but worthy project at CSU.
Patrick Shaughnessy (14.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 bpg) will add some depth at center. The 6-9, 240-pound freshman starred at 27-6 Grace Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., coming on strong to earn a spot on postseason district and state tournament teams. Shaughnessy gives great effort every game but is still somewhat unpolished in the post.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C+
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: C
INTANGIBLES: C
The Buccaneers are a little deeper, particularly if they can stay healthy this time around.
Radebaugh has more players that are buying into his system, particularly in a re-newed commitment to defense -- one way for the Bucs to improve quickly.
Part of that improvement could come simply from having more size. "We're just taller," Radebaugh said. "We were tiny [last season]. We played [6-5] Omar Carter at the four and Joel Lamb there, who was just so skinny. If we stay healthy, we'll be one of the bigger teams in the league. And we've got some experience back."
While Radebaugh is high on his incoming class, and for the first time, he's not absolutely counting on any of the newcomers to start. Despite the high profile player turn-over, there's a little stability in the program. "But the biggest thing is our attitude toward the game and our attitude toward the work is much, much better," he said. "I think we're a humble team, and I think these guys are willing to do the work to improve."
The Buccaneers haven't posted a winning record since the 1996-97 season, the year of their last conference title, and realistically, they still seem at least a year away.
The ship finally looks headed in the right direction, though, and Radebaugh is convinced the wind is at their backs and the wins are just ahead.
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: Coastal Carolina Blue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.
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COACH AND PROGRAM
Cliff Ellis runs down his third Coastal Carolina roster and he finds himself saying something he hasn't said much since landing in Conway, S.C., two years ago.
"We're in good shape there," he said assessing first his guards, and then again when talking about his big men.
Ellis took the job so late in 2007, he didn't have a chance to put together a recruiting class, and while hopes and recruiting pedigrees were high last year, injuries and inexperience took a big bite out of the Chants. Now Ellis finds himself smiling when he looks at a roster that includes eight players in either their first or second year in college.
"I think our talent level is going to be the best we've had since I've been here," he said. "But there's a lot of inexperience, and I don't know how big a factor that's going to be yet."
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Last Season 11-20 (.355)
Conference Record 5-13 (8th)
Starters Lost/Returning 1/4
Coach Cliff Ellis (Florida State '68)
Record At School 24-35 (2 years)
Career Record 636-384 (33 years)
RPI Last 5 years 284-120-267-277-303
But there's some experience, too, starting with Joseph Harris (15.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg), a first-team all-conference selection who led the team in scoring and rebounding last year.
The 6-5 Harris is undersized inside but makes up for it with raw athleticism. He flirted with transferring but returned to school in August, instantly improving the Chants' interior game and overall hopes.
The veteran coach has more of his kind of players, more of the depth he likes and more of the athleticism to get up and down the court and get after folks defensively like he did at Auburn, Clemson and South Alabama, where he molded big winners.
PLAYERS
A lot of those hopes, though, hinge on a couple of freshmen running the show at point guard.
The early favorite has to be highly touted Cincinnati, Ohio native Kierre Greenwood (19.0 ppg, 9.3 apg at New Creations School in Indiana). The 6-2 Greenwood was MVP of a couple of major prep tournaments, the Humana Basketball Classic and the NCSAA Prep National Championships, and he has all the tools to succeed. "He's long and has the ability to see the floor," Ellis said. "He can get into the lane. He can finish and he can find people. He can defend, too."
Danny Nieman (17.0 ppg, 8.0 apg at Concord High in N.C. in 2007-08) comes to Coastal after a year at prep powerhouse Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. The hard-nosed, 6-2 Nieman won the starting point job there against tough competition, so Ellis isn't counting him out making a big contribution at Coastal as a freshman, as well.
As insurance, Ellis has 6-3 senior Mario Edwards (9.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.5 apg) back after he filled in last year when starter Mario Sisinni went down with an injury. The Chants will be better, though, if the add-as-needed Edwards can slide back into his small forward/shooting-guard role.
Athletic, 6-2 sophomore Dexter Moore (7.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg) is back after a banner freshman season that saw him improve all year, averaging 8.3 points in conference play.
Ellis expects freshman Tre Lee (7.1 ppg at Bethel High School) of basketball-bountiful Hampton, Va., to push Moore. The 6-3 Lee, despite a senior slump, has all the tools to be successful, and like Moore, is no slouch on the defensive end.
Besides Edwards, fifth-year senior Logan Johnson (6.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Kennedy-King (Chicago, Ill.) College transfer Devin Miller (13.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg) are in the mix at small forward. The 6-6 Johnson has been a starter through most of his career, while Edwards has played all of the perimeter positions and served as a sixth man.
Like Edwards, who hit 37 percent behind the arc, Miller has a soft touch from deep, but he also has more size at 6-5.
They should also be stronger in the paint with the return of 6-10 red-shirt sophomore Jon Pack (3.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and the addition of 6-7 junior transfer Chad Gray (2.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg at South Carolina in 2007-08).
Pack has packed on more pounds since enrolling, up to 230 now, and he has a year of experience, too, at center. The 6-7 Gray should step in at power forward and give Coastal a new dimension, particularly offensively. "I've been anticipating this, and [Gray] is going to be a go-to guy for us," said Ellis. "He's so athletic and he has the ability to knock down shots. He can knock down the three [or] go inside. He's just a very gifted player."
Incoming freshman Chris Evans (15.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 apg) was a late qualifier out of Petersburg (Va.) High School, and he's got the talent to be in the mix, too, at 6-7.
He can also play small forward and could be another rebounding terror. Redshirt freshman Marcus Macellari is a 6-7, 240-pound banger that plays hard and might carve out a space in the rotation, too.
Redshirt freshman Sam McLaurin (0.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg), a 6-8 center, played in six games before a gimpy knee forced him to redshirt.
There's more help on the way for next season with the signing of 6-11 Mike Davis (2.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg), a transfer from Seton Hall, who will sit out this year, lending credence to Ellis' belief that his young team may still be a year away.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C+
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B
With the notable subtraction of Anthony Breeze, who transferred to Appalachian State to join former CCU coach Buzz Peterson, Joseph Harris and Logan Johnson are the only players in the program not recruited by Ellis.
Suddenly the veteran coach has his players in his system.
There's a lot riding on freshmen point guards -- Kierre Greenwood may well decide how good this team can be -- and on Chad Gray being as good as advertised from practices last year, but Ellis likes what he's seeing from his young, rebuilt team. "I think defensively we'll be a lot better because we're so much more athletic," he said. "We're going to be longer and that makes a difference. I think you'll see a difference on the defensive side of the floor."
Ellis is talking about using his bigs ala Butler, but he has also got the depth to go smaller and quicker and really pressure opponents, something he hasn't had much opportunity to do his first two seasons.
"I'm going into this year with two recruiting classes, so now I feel like this is my team," Ellis said. "I like the talent, because it's people we've recruited and that understand the way I want to play."
Sounds like Big South beware.
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: Gardner-WebbBlue Ribbon Yearbook previews the 2009-10 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.
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COACH AND PROGRAM
It's not easy being the new kid in school, or in Gardner-Webb's case, the new kid in the Big South Conference.
The Runnin' Bulldogs moved over from the Atlantic Sun, where they had enjoyed some success in recent years, to the BSC last season.
Based on preseason expectations, the young Gardner-Webb team got the equivalent of a wedgie from their new conference mates.
Coach Rick Scruggs' team had been .500 or better in three of the previous four seasons. They were picked for a third-place finish in the Big South, but the Bulldogs' bite proved worse than their bark. "It took some time to get used to the teams we were playing, and even little things like where we were going to stay on the road, and where we were going to eat pre-game," Scruggs said. "Now we even know how long it takes to get to each town and things like that."
Gardner-Webb Bulldogs
Last Season 13-17 (.433)
Conference Record 9-9 (t-5th)
Starters Lost/Returning 1/4
Coach Rick Scruggs (Georgia '79)
Record At School 191-197 (14 years)
Career Record 369-312 (21 years)
RPI Last 5 years 156-159-266-203-219
Scruggs isn't one to make excuses, though a rash of early-season injuries forced him to shuffle his lineup, and his team never found the consistency and chemistry that had helped G-W make a name for itself with efforts like the 2007 upset of No. 20 Kentucky.
"We didn't play well, and a part of that was changing lineups so much, I'm sure," Scruggs said. "But we just didn't do a good job of handling adversity and good teams handle adversity."
Now with four starters back, a year in the Big South behind them and the tough lessons learned, these Bulldogs could be ready for their day in the sun.
PLAYERS
A lot depends on the health of guard Grayson Flittner (14.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.8 apg).
The 6-0 senior was the hero of that upset at Kentucky, and he led the team in scoring last season despite missing five games and being hobbled in several more with a gimpy knee that required micro-fracture surgery last spring.
The Bulldogs lost three conference games with him on the sideline, losses that dropped G-W to .500 in the league and knocked them out of a first-round tournament home game.
If Flittner's knee is up to it, G-W will ask him to do even more this season, maybe even moving over to play some point, because second-team all-conference guard Aaron Linn has graduated. "We've already put in some new plays for the point guard, just in case," Scruggs said. "It's something we've thought about for three years, but we're just not sure he's got the quickness or the ability to push the ball the way we want."
What Flittner does have is great basketball IQ and the distinction of being the team's top passer. Some of Scruggs' favorite plays the last two years were run through Flittner on the wings as a passer. The coach sounds committed to giving the deadeye shooter (.365, 72-of-197 behind the arc last year) a chance running the whole show.
Scruggs has some insurance, though, in two freshmen he thinks can challenge for the job. Brian McNair (16.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 spg), 5-11, led Greenfield School in Wilson, N.C., to a 31-6 record and the state semifinals. Scruggs said he has the tough mentality to be a top point guard right away.
Tom Staton (10.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 spg at Clarkston High School in Michigan) has more size (6-5) and that basketball IQ Scruggs loves. Staton's dad played at Michigan on the 1976 team that reached the NCAA Tournament title game, and he was a late addition after Highland (Kansas) Community College point Eddie Gray's transcripts didn't pass muster at G-W.
The dark horse in the point-guard race is senior Brandon Jackson (1.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.5 apg), who won't join the team until football season is over. A reserve running back and one of the top kickoff return men in the country, Jackson has shown a growing savvy on the basketball court, too.
Another newcomer will step in at shooting guard or back Flittner, and is the heir apparent as the team's next big perimeter scorer.
David Brown (14.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.7 apg), 6-2, was team MVP and school athlete of the year at Broward (Fla.) College. He'll have three years of eligibility and could start this year if Flittner's point-guard experiment works.
Senior C.J. Hailey (6.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg), 6-0, missed five games with a bad ankle, but he's also back to lend some depth on the wing, and could compete for time on either wing at guard or small forward.
There's even more competition at the small forward slot, where 6-4 junior Jonathan Moore (9.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and 6-2 senior Anton Silver (3.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg) both return. Silver may be the team's best all-around athlete, but Moore is a better shooter and passer.
Freshman Keith Manley is another candidate. The 6-5 Greensboro native averaged 19.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and two blocks a game at Grimsley High School, and Scruggs calls him a "maintenance player" because he can go on the floor and fix any problem.
Joshua Henley (6.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg) returns at power forward, where he was a revelation last year as a 6-4, 220-pound freshman. The blue-collar Henley had the top rebounding average among all freshmen in the nation after starter Nate Blank missed time with a thumb injury.
Blank has since transferred to Division II Indianapolis but Henley will get a push from transfer Luke Engelken (10.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg) from Butler (Kansas) Community College. A 6-6 athlete, Engelken can also bump up and play center in G-W's fast-paced, spread-the-floor offense.
Of course, the Bulldogs don't pull their center away from the basket all the time thanks to the presence of 6-8, 235-pound senior Auryn MacMillian (9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg). In fact, when the big Australian came off the floor last year, G-W struggled, particularly against the likes of Kansas State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and the bigger teams in the Big South.
Junior Matt Maden (0.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg) is a 6-11, 275-pound reserve that should play four or five minutes a night at least, particularly against those big foes. Stefan Johnson (9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg) is another option. The 6-6 freshman played on a great Princeton High team in Cincinnati, Ohio last year that had six Division I recruits.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: C+
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C+
INTANGIBLES: B
Gardner-Webb saw five players transfer to lower-level programs, and Scruggs thinks the incoming class elevates the overall talent level of the team.
A lot rides on a new point guard emerging, and in a related matter, the health of Grayson Flittner's knees.
The nagging injuries that forced Scruggs to shuffle his lineup last year probably kept the Big South from seeing the true nature of Gardner-Webb's up-and-coming program.
The Bulldogs didn't have enough depth or talent to play the small-ball, running style Scruggs prefers, and they didn't have the team chemistry or knowledge of the league to help get them through tough times.
The Bulldogs may be unleashed this year. "We like big guys that can play several positions and make other people match up with us instead of us matching up with them all the time," Scruggs said. "We can go big or small now."
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: High Point COACH AND PROGRAM
In Big South circles, High Point has been considered one of the more talented teams in the league the last few years.
So it's not surprising after a 9-21, eighth-place season there were major shakeups in the program.
Gone is six-year head coach Bart Lundy, who put together all that talent, it should be pointed out, and whose biggest sin was not reaching the BSC title game with two-time league player-of-the-year Arizona Reid, who graduated in 2008.
High Point Panthers
Last Season 9-21 (.300)
Conference Record 4-14 (t-9th)
Starters Lost/Returning 2/3
Coach Scott Cherry (North Carolina '93)
Record At School First year
Career Record First year
RPI Last 5 years 281-164-184-234-325
First-year coach Scott Cherry, a former assistant at South Carolina, George Mason, Western Kentucky and Tennessee Tech, has been on somebody's bench with a clipboard the last 10 seasons but is still best known in these parts as a Tar Heel player in the early '90s.
And like any good Dean Smith disciple, Cherry plans to run and trap and press, score in transition and on the secondary break. The surprising thing is that he thinks he already has a lot of the players to do just that.
"We're not very big, that's the one thing I'm concerned about," Cherry said. "We're going to have to play a lot of small ball, but I think we've got the type of players I can fit into the style I want to play."
PLAYERS
The Panthers are certainly strong on the wings with the return of two talented guards, 6-2 sophomore Nick Barbour (14.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg) and 6-2 senior Eugene Harris (12.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg).
The ultra-athletic Barbour was the team's leading scorer and landed a spot on one of the Big South's best All-Freshmen teams ever. "He's just a kid that can put the ball in the basket," Cherry said. "He's not the best shooter, but he puts it in. He has a tremendous work ethic and plays with a chip on his shoulder because he doesn't want to lose."
Harris is an undersized combo guard with a reputation as a good defender. He slumped to 30 percent shooting from three-point range last year after canning 43 percent in 2007-08. He also hit 26 less threes (64) than the year before because he was asked to handle the ball more.
Barbour and Harris will be keys as Cherry transitions High Point out of the 2-3 zone often employed last season into more man-to-man. They're also vital as the team's top two scorers.
Cherry's lone recruit this spring may be the perfect fit to help. Tehran Cox (5.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.5 apg at Arkansas-Fort Smith) is a 6-1 junior point guard who will take some of the ball handling heat off Harris and incumbent David Singleton (5.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.8 apg).
Cox led UA-Fort Smith to 23 wins last season but was also a prolific scorer in high school, averaging 18 points as a senior at Fayetteville (Ark.) Christian School. "He played in a system that's exactly how we want to play," Cherry said. "They didn't ask him to score a lot in college but we're going to."
Singleton was another solid freshman addition last year, starting all 30 games, and Cherry calls him a "glue guy" that can hold the team together at a lot of different positions. He improved all season playing point guard but could be more effective on the wing.
Jairus Simms (13.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 6.7 apg), a 6-0 freshman, was recruited by the previous staff out of North Forsyth High in Winston-Salem, N.C., but Cherry thinks he might be able to help, too, off the bench at point.
David Campbell (3.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) is a 6-4 junior with a great spot-up jumper. A former walk-on, he played 18 minutes a game last year.
Redshirt freshman Corey Law (20.7 ppg, 14.3 rpg at Deep Creek High in Chesapeake, Va., in 2007-08) could move into the forward slot. A 6-5 jumping jack, Law would be in the ACC if he were two inches taller, Cherry said.
Jourdan Morris (6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg) is the power forward. He's a 6-7 junior with inside-outside skills that could help HPU spread the floor. He shot 46 percent last year after recovering from a broken ankle suffered in August, but he wasn't consistent. Morris, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, split time with 6-9 Steadman Short (6.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg), who has since transferred to Georgia.
Cruz Daniels (7.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.8 bpg), a 6-11 senior returns at center. The school's all-time blocked shots leader, Daniels led the Big South and was sixth nationally in that category last year and was also fifth in the league in rebounding.
He shot 63 percent from the field but averaged only five shots a game. He may get more if he continues to run the floor in the new system. "He changes the game with his ability to block shots," said Cherry of the long-limbed senior.
There's not much depth up front, and oft-injured Earnest Bridges (4.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will get minutes somewhere. The 6-6 junior can also step out and shoot.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: C-
INTANGIBLES: B
The simple analysis is that the roof caved in on High Point last year after the graduation of the versatile Arizona Reid.
Eugene Harris' offense suffered without Reid and point guard Mike Jefferson, and the Panthers dipped from 71 points per game in 2007-08 to 64.4 last year. HPU was also last in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.79), and the results were predictable.
The Panthers lost 10 of their first 11 conference games and dropped eight games decided by five points or less. Once untouchable at home, HPU was just 1-8 in league play in the Millis Center.
Barbour can carry the team offensively at times and everybody's job gets easier if Harris finds his shooting touch. If Steadman Short were back, Cherry would have a complete team and a huge front line to intimidate in the league.
Instead, the Panthers will scramble and will need to hit perimeter shots to be effective. "When you lose a big guy like that who could average double figures, that puts a little crimp in what we're trying to do," admitted Cherry. "I still feel good about this team. We've got really good, young players, a bunch of good guys."
The good news is that six of the top seven scorers are back plus Corey Law, who will help though he's still an unknown commodity offensively. "It's really going to take some time for our guys to figure everything out," Cherry said. "I feel we've got the athleticism to play that way [man-to-man, pressure].
We're going to be exciting. It's going to be interesting to see how quickly they get it figured out. I feel like we have a chance to have a good year."
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: UNC Asheville COACH AND PROGRAM
UNC Asheville won six of its last eight games before running into Radford in the Big South Conference tournament semifinals and nearly pulling a huge upset on the Highlanders' home floor.
The Bulldogs were playing their best basketball at the end of the season.
So, what else is new?
North Carolina-Asheville Bulldogs
Last Season 15-16 (.484)
Conference Record 10-8 (4th)
Starters Lost/Returning 2/3
Coach Eddie Biedenbach (NC State '68)
Record At School 181-202 (13 years)
Career Record 211-253 (15 years)
RPI Last 5 years 250-242-249-145-200
Fourteenth-year head coach Eddie Biedenbach always seems to meld a contender by season's end, and this year he has more working parts to put the Bulldogs in the thick of the conference race from the get-go.
"I think our perimeter people are pretty good, as good as anyone in the league," he said. "The guys returning will all be better, but it's going to come down to how well we rebound against teams like Winthrop and Radford. I think that's going to be the key thing."
The normally scrappy Bulldogs were next to last in the league in rebounding last year with a minus-3.1 margin that ranked ahead of only quick-shot-addicted VMI.
The thing that kept UNCA in the race was that efficient offense hitting 44.5 percent from the field, cutting down turnovers and playing better defense as the season went along.
PLAYERS
The three guards key in a lot of that success all return. Matt Dickey (10.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg) is the most talented, and he earned conference all-freshman honors despite playing on an injured ankle that required postseason surgery.
The 6-1 sophomore shot 46 percent from the field and 82 percent at the free-throw line, and by season's end was a top offensive option from the perimeter or off the dribble. "He's a good shooter, he's athletic and tough," Biedenbach said. "He has some quickness and plays hard."
The man Dickey replaced in the lineup, then fellow-freshman J.P. Primm (9.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.5 apg) is "very much improved," says his coach. The 6-1 Primm's ankle injury allowed Dickey to start, and Dickey was too good to take out of the lineup. A team guy, Primm's demotion made him work that much harder over the summer, particularly to improve his 40 percent shooting. He'll start alongside Dickey this season.
"Primm worked his tail off because he's driven," Biedenbach said. "He's the leader. When he's in town, the guys are all playing [in the off-season]. When he's not here, sometimes they're playing, sometimes they're not."
Sean Smith (10.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 apg) is the only senior on the team. His improvement as a shooter and defensively helped the Bulldogs get rolling the second half of last season. A coach's son, the 6-6 Smith shot 46 percent (74-of-162) from three-point range.
UNCA has some quality depth on the perimeter thanks to three freshmen. Newcomers Jaron Lane (22.0 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Austin Alecxih (11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are both heady players who could work into large roles immediately.
The 6-4 Lane led Conley High in Greenville, N.C. to a 25-3 record, earning conference, county and district player-of-the-year honors. Alecxih -- pronounced Ah-lexee -- played at powerhouse Oak Hill (Va.) Academy. He averaged 24 points and nine rebounds the year before at Penn Manor High in Millersville, Pa. At 6-5, he's an excellent shooter who could be the perfect replacement for graduated Reid Augst (15.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg), last year's leading scorer.
Diminutive 5-10, red-shirt freshman Madison Davis (15.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg in 2007-08 at Tuscola High) joined the team as a walk-on out of Waynesville, N.C., but could help with his quickness.
Redshirt junior John Williams (12.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg) mans the power forward spot. A chiseled 6-4 muscle man, Williams could push for all-conference honors despite his lack of height. He clears space inside and shot 53.8 percent from the field.
The true key to UNCA's success this season is who emerges to help Williams out inside.
The Bulldogs have a kennel of possibilities, including three returnees. Eric Stubbs (3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg) started nine games last year. The 6-8 junior had "moments," says Biedenbach, but he needs to be more consistent. At 225 pounds, he's also not exceptionally large and in tandem with Williams, would make the Bulldogs smallish inside.
Sophomore Sean Hobbs (0.3 ppg, 0.1 rpg) is a 7-2, 260-pound project, who played in only eight games.
Jeremy Harn (9.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg in 2007-08 at Chapel Hill High) is a 6-8 red-shirt freshman walk-on who also needs some work.
Incoming freshman D.J. Cunningham (23.0 ppg, 17.0 rpg, 7.0 bpg) may be the most talented of the center prospects. The 6-10 product of Waterford (Ohio) High School has some polish to his game but will face a learning curve picking up the UNCA offense and adapting to college competition.
Sophomore Quinnard Jackson (2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg) is a bulky, 6-5 forward who can back Williams. Red-shirt freshman Terrence Turner (10.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg in 2007-08) is more athletic but needs more experience. Knee injuries and a dislocated foot over the summer have also hindered the 6-5 forward's development.
Chris Stephenson (3.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg) is an undersized 6-3 forward who hasn't found a real niche. He will get minutes behind Williams and possibly behind Smith at small forward.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: A-
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: C
INTANGIBLES: A
The Bulldogs were blindsided a year ago when they lost 7-7 center Kenny George just before the start of the school year.
A lot of young players were thrown into the fire, and as the season went on, forged into a team. Biedenbach credits assistants (and former Bulldogs) Brett Carey and Nick McDevitt with revamping the offense late last season to give Matt Dickey & Co. on the perimeter more latitude.
UNCA will benefit from those positive experiences down the stretch last season, but the Bulldogs still need one of their young centers to unleash himself and take charge around the basket.
Freshman D.J. Cunningham is the most intriguing prospect, but he's green in a league suddenly chockfull of quality post players.
The Bulldog guards are good enough to take this team a long way, particularly if they cut down on turnovers.
That's an important part of Biedenbach's formula if UNCA again isn't a great rebounding team. The Bulldogs need to shoot a high percentage and force opponents into more turnovers.
Sounds simple, and don't be surprised if the Bulldogs find a way to win a lot of conference games this year.
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: VMI COACH AND PROGRAM
There is a little bit of a military feel to how the Keydets approach their basketball fortunes this season.
After losing the all-conference tandem of Travis and Chavis Holmes, VMI is looking for some soldiers to plug into the line.
"We lose 3,800 career points with the twins," coach Duggar Baucom said. "We lost a lot of points with Reggie [Williams] the year before, and they moved the three-point line back and everyone thought the end of the world was coming, and we had the second best record in school history."
Virginia Military Keydets
Last Season 24-8 (.750)
Conference Record 13-5 (2nd)
Starters Lost/Returning 1/4
Coach Duggar Baucom (Charlotte '95)
Record At School 59-62 (4 years)
Career Record 96-81 (6 years)
RPI Last 5 years 316-317-296-273-131
What Baucom is saying is go ahead and pick the Keydets down in the standings and underestimate a team that does look short-handed.
Of course, in warfare as well as basketball, a little subterfuge is expected. Baucom, who has worked wonders since taking over the program five years ago, thinks he can rally the troops even without the twins and leader Willie Bell.
PLAYERS
The Keydets still have a lot of depth in the backcourt with the return of senior point guard Adam Lonon (2.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.3 apg), who missed all but 14 games last year with a hamstring injury.
The defense-oriented, 5-11 senior had been an iron man before that setback, starting 58 games in the previous two seasons. He was felled on the last day of preseason conditioning last year and could never get completely healthy.
Ron Burks (4.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) took over last year as a freshman and the Keydets didn't drop off much. The 6-4 sophomore had never played point before, but he can play any of four positions in the VMI system, and Baucom said he has to be on the floor somewhere, particularly if he has, as expected, improved his perimeter shooting.
Freshman Joe Carr is a tough-as-nails 6-2 guard out of The Woodlands (Texas) Christian Academy, and he'll get minutes, too, as VMI moves Burks off the ball. A big, strong player, Carr is a floor leader and "not a liability" as a shooter, Baucom said.
On the wings, Baucom has players who certainly aren't liabilities as scoring options. Austin Kenon (16.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, .390 3PT) and Keith Gabriel (13.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg) can both fill it up, as required in Baucom's blitzkrieg offense. Kenon led the conference with 3.72 three-pointers made per game and he exploded for conference championship game records of eight three-pointers and 34 points in the Keydets' finale.
"He's a very good player, and we need him on the floor," said Baucom of the 5-11 junior. "He even played a little point for us last year, and he can take it off the dribble more. Teams really load up to stop him, and that opens things up for everyone else."
Gabriel was second in the conference in scoring among freshman only to Liberty's Seth Curry last season when he suffered a knee injury in VMI's winter breakout where the freshmen are hazed by the upper classmen. His numbers dipped a little and likely cost Gabriel a spot on the conference's all-freshman team. The 6-2 sophomore was sixth in the league with his .363 three-point percentage.
Don't be surprised if Kenon and Gabriel both put up big numbers and compete for a spot on the all-conference team.
Another sophomore, 6-4 Michael Sparks (7.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg) will also see a lot of duty. He was "up-and-down" last year, Baucom said, after having a rough time adjusting to life on the VMI "Rat Line."
The front line is more of a concern for Baucom. He's counting on lightly used senior Carl Josey (0.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg) to help more this year. The 6-5 Josey is greatly improved and already had a reputation as a good defender.
Sophomore Wayne Whiting (1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg) is another option. He's one of the bigger Keydets at 6-7, 240, but he played in just 13 games last year, averaging just 3.1 minutes.
After those two, two freshmen are most likely to fill in. Stan Okoye (19.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg) and Nick Gore (14.0 ppg) have some skills that can help. Okoye, out of Knightdale High School in Raleigh, N.C., is versatile and athletic and a good shooter. His long arms and leaping ability make him seem taller than his 6-5 frame.
Okoye averaged 20 points as a senior and was invited to play in the North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star game.
The 6-7 Gore is from The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., and is known for playing hard. He shoots well from three-point range and is a good passer.
Junior Hunter Houston (3.7 ppg, 1.1 rpg) has had moments, like an 18-point game at Charleston Southern last year when he hit six three-pointers. A 6-6 forward, Houston (pronounced "How-ston") can give the team a lift if he can get over nagging injuries that have plagued him throughout his career.
The tallest Keydet is 7-0, 245-pound Stephen Sargent (1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg), a redshirt sophomore who still qualifies as a project.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: C
FRONTCOURT: D
INTANGIBLES: B
Baucom doesn't expect to win 24 games this year, but he still sets his goal high.
If some of the unknown commodities up front can fill roles, there's enough scoring on the perimeter to keep the show rolling. The Keydets averaged 93.8 points a game last year, leading the nation in that category for the third straight year.
Baucom, who went to the fast-paced game out of desperation four years ago when his team was hard-hit by injuries, is now married to the system. "I hope we'll play a little bit faster," he said. "We did last year without Reggie and we averaged four more points a game. We'll tweak it a little, but it will basically be the same style."
And VMI is now married to Baucom, wisely extending his contract through 2011-12 just before the beginning of last season.
Last year was the first winning season for the program since 1997-98, and the 13 conference wins were a school record. Ten road victories was another school mark for a program that has a Sweet Sixteen appearance on its resume in 1977.
The misconception about Bacuom Ball is that VMI doesn't play much defense.
Actually, the well-conditioned Keydets press and trap the whole game, trying to force tempo and hide that lack of size. They defend as hard as anyone in the conference, just at a higher speed.
The big question is can they replace the athleticism the Holmes twins and Bell brought to that mix, particularly on defense?
If the Keydets don't have the answer defensively, they'll just have to score more points.
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: Winthrop COACH AND PROGRAM
Excuse the once high-flying Eagles if they just want a "do-over" on the 2008-09 season.
Winthrop, Big South champions in eight of the previous 10 seasons before last year's 11-19 meltdown, had a little bit of everything go wrong.
Graduation had hit the team hard, but veteran coach Randy Peele had a lot of parts to keep the party rolling in Rock Hill. Then the injuries started and one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country took a heavy toll, too.
How heavy?
Winthrop, once a mid-major poster boy, was 1-10 out of the gates, and never really recovered. "We had lost our entire starting lineup and last year was the year of major concern, even more so than my first year," said Peele, who took over the program from Gregg Marshall in 2007. "The injuries and the schedule, especially with just three of the first 11 at home, really hurt us."
But the Eagles may have mended their broken wings and could be ready to again take flight, certainly to contend again in the Big South. The favorite last year despite all the turnover, the Eagles would like to fly under the radar this preseason. "I feel like we're going to be better," said Peele. "We may be a year away but we're going to be able to match Radford's size."
Winthrop Eagles
Last Season 11-19 (.367)
Conference Record 9-9 (t-5th)
Starters Lost/Returning 0/5
Coach Randy Peele (Virginia Wesleyan '80)
Record At School 33-31 (2 years)
Career Record 79-100 (6 years)
RPI Last 5 years 78-73-66-108-255
Radford won the Big South with a big lineup in a traditionally small-ball league.
Of course Winthrop first charted that course during its 10-year dynasty with a bevy of bigs the rest of the Big South couldn't match.
The Eagles have still got a lot of bodies up front, but the key to just what they can do this season lies on the perimeter. Their .406 field goal and .284 three-point percentages were the worst in the league, and the 61.1 points per game they manufactured were next to last and a long-time team low.
So with much the same cast back from last year, why the optimism?
Well, late in the year Winthrop's winning ways returned, the Eagles reeling off five straight before bowing to nemesis UNC Asheville on the road in the BSC tournament.
PLAYERS
That late-season surge, plus the return of sophomore guard Reggie Middleton (5.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) from a broken bone in his right leg, is a good start.
A 6-1 penetrating point, Middleton missed eight conference games, and Peele is convinced he can make the team better with his quickness and savvy.
Middleton had two more assists in eight fewer games than his replacement Justin Burton (5.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.5 apg), a 5-10 junior. "He's one of the best guys in our league at getting into the lane and finding people," Peele said of Middleton. "He makes really good decisions once he gets there."
Burton shot 33 percent from three-point range and he's still improving, so he'll earn minutes.
Sophomore Andre Jones (9.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg), a 6-2 stud, is the heir apparent at shooting guard, where he was second on the team in scoring as a freshman and is still miffed about being left off the conference's all-rookie team.
Freshman Robbie Dreher from Greenville, S.C. may shoot himself into the picture, too. A 6-4, 180-pounder out of Southside High, Dreher averaged 26 points in leading his team to the Class AA title, then pumped in 23 in the North Carolina-South Carolina Classic.
Another possibility is versatile 6-7 Gideon Gamble, a redshirt freshman from Westlake High School in Atlanta. Gamble averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists but reported to Rock Hill at just 169 pounds. The MVP of the Georgia High School all-star game, he was up to 184 as school began. He appears ready to put his offensive skills and long arms to work for Winthrop.
Senior Raymond Davis (3.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg) is also available. The 6-4 Northwest Shoals (Ala.) Community College transfer appeared in 28 games last year but struggled with plantar fasciitis and never got off on the right foot.
"We're going to have more weapons," Peele said. "They're not going to be able to zone us for 30 games like last year. We struggled to score, and I saw more zone than I had the previous five years combined."
Mantoris Robinson (7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg), a 6-5 senior, is back at small forward and is the returning conference defensive player of the year. Winthrop is counting on him for a little more offense, but if not, he's still one of the most valuable Eagles.
Peele has six players he can run through the power forward and center spots. The big headline is the return of 6-10 senior Andy Buechert (3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg in 2007-08). The big German tore up his knee in the preseason last year and sat out, just months removed from an All-Big South tournament performance in the Eagles' title run. A rugged defender in the paint with an improved offensive game, he can make a difference.
Junior Charles Corbin (9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg) was the team's leading scorer and rebounder last season, and at 6-7, 227 pounds, he's a wide-body option at power forward.
George Valentine (4.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg) was playing his best basketball late last season. The 6-8, 240-pound junior hit 64 percent of his shots from the field, easily a team high.
Matt Morgan (3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg in 2007-08) joins the fray, too, after transferring from St. Bonaventure, where he was twice Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Week in 2007-08. The 6-9, 226-pound sophomore is another skilled, back-to-the-basket option.
Chris Malcolm (3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.47 bpg) is a 6-7 sophomore with a 7-1 wingspan. He was fourth in the Big South in blocks (44) despite playing just 14 minutes a game.
Freshman Julius Francis (8.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg) is a 6-11 Nigerian center by way of Good Counsel High School in Olney. Md. He's the tallest Eagle in 28 years and has the size to be a factor after adding 20 pounds (to reach 243) during the summer.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: C
Until the Eagles prove they're not the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight anymore, there are still a lot of questions around this team.
Peele is hoping at least a couple of players from this deep -- maybe too deep -- rotation step up to all-conference caliber. Corbin and Robinson are the most likely candidates, but Middleton could be that type of player, too.
Peele is convinced the answer is still defense, as it long has been at Winthrop. The Eagles were second in the league, allowing 66.4 points last year, but that wasn't good enough for Peele.
"We have to get better defensively," he said. "Our opponents shot 42 percent, which is too high, so we have to tighten that up. But we've always been a team that's hard to guard, and last year people just didn't feel like they had to come out on us. The bottom line is we have to be able to make shots."
For the most comprehensive previews available on all 334 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2009-10 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at
www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.
Team preview: LibertyCOACH AND PROGRAM
Since the end of last season's remarkable 23-victory campaign, Liberty saw its top scorer transfer to Duke, its best all-around player graduate, two other starters leave the fold and the coach take off for the top assistant's job at the University of Virginia.
Seth Curry and his 20.2 points per game are sitting out in Durham this year, and fellow starters Anthony Smith and a couple of underclassmen are gone, too.
Coach Ritchie McKay will be on the bench at Virginia next to good buddy Tony Bennett.
But before thinking the Flames are reduced to embers, consider that first-year coach Dale Layer still has a lot of the pieces McKay assembled the last two years in building that surprisingly strong squad last year.
Liberty Flames
Last Season 23-12 (.657)
Conference Record 12-6 (3rd)
Starters Lost/Returning 3/2
Coach Dale Layer (Eckerd '80)
Record At School First year
Career Record 270-193 (16 years)
RPI Last 5 years 222-316-280-258-152
And, in Layer, Liberty landed a coach that has been here before -- as an assistant in 2007-08, on McKay's staff that orchestrated LU's best season since winning the 2004 Big South title.
"This is a special place," said the former Colorado State and Queens College head coach. "It was hard to leave [in 2008] even though I was going to Marquette to work with one of my best friends [Buzz Williams]."
But the lure of the Big East and the chance to work with a talented Eagles team that won 25 games last year, probably did just what Layer wanted -- land him back in a head-coaching job.
A proven commodity on the sideline, Layer is noted for preaching tough defense, and he'll begin transitioning that Curryless offense from completely drive-and-dish to more of an inside-outside concept.
That's one of the many good-news, bad-news scenarios for Layer.
He'll be counting on some youngsters in the paint to help that transition, and the Flames' returning firepower -- what there is of it -- is still mostly on the perimeter.
PLAYERS
The really good news is that the perimeter returnees start with skilled 6-3 sophomore Jesse Sanders (6.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg). "I think we've got one of the best point guards, if not the best point guard in the league in Jesse Sanders," Layer said. "He sets the table for everybody. He's the best leader on the team as a sophomore."
Sanders plays hard, sacrificing his body on daring drives and serving as Liberty's linchpin emotionally.
With Curry and the versatile Smith gone from the wing guard slots, Layer is counting on two or three of several candidates to emerge in what should again often be a three-guard, and sometimes even four-guard attack.
Redshirt sophomore Johnny Stephene (3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg) started three games last year and played in all 35. He is generously listed at 6-2 but has some toughness to his game.
Another redshirt sophomore, Jeremy Anderson (6.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg in 2007-08) is back after missing all of last season with a stress fracture in his right foot. The 6-6 Anderson, who was chosen to the Big South All-Freshman team, could help provide some of the perimeter scoring.
David Minaya (3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg at Tennessee Tech in 2007-08) sat out last year, too, after transferring. But he has some Division I experience, and great size at 6-6. He started 13 games at Tennessee Tech as a freshman.
The Flames are also excited about 6-4 freshman Chris Perez (24.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.0 apg), who last season led Oldsmar (Fla.) Christian Academy to a 24-8 record against one of the toughest prep schedules in the country. Perez has a scorer's body, and he will get a chance to step in and contribute.
Evan Gordon (13.0 ppg, 6.0 apg), a 6-2 freshman, has the bloodline to succeed. His brother Eric, Jr., plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, and his father, Eric was a standout for Liberty from 1982-84. Gordon, an Indianapolis native, prepped at powerful Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy last year, and will push for time at point.
Hybrid guard Kyle Ohman (13.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will again be a mainstay in his senior season. The team's leading returning scorer and rebounder, Ohman played 33.5 minutes a game last year, usually battling inside against foes much bigger than his thick 6-4 frame.
A former walk-on, Ohman has turned himself into a force in the Big South, inside and from the perimeter, where he hit 41.5 percent (100-of-241) from three-point range last season.
Ohman may get a push from freshman Patrick Konan (14.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) out of The Rock High School in Gainesville, Fla.
The 6-5 Konan is an athletic slasher who could replace those traits in the lineup lost with Smith's graduation. If he can play major minutes, Ohman might be freed to play more guard or undersized power forward.
The real keys for the Flames, though, will be a trio of big men. Tyler Baker (4.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg in 2006-07), a hard-luck, fifth-year junior who just can't stay healthy, is the lone big man with experience. He played one game last year before a foot injury knocked him out for the season the way an ankle injury kept him out as a freshman. In between, the 6-9 Baker played 31 games in 2006-07, and demonstrated a soft shooting touch from the perimeter.
Carter McMasters (1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg), who red-shirted last season with a stress fracture in his right leg, could be a difference-maker. The 6-11 freshman played in just five games but has since added 25 pounds and up to 235 this year. He has a skilled face-up game, and how fast he comes along will have a lot to do with LU's success this season.
Incoming freshman Joel Vander Pol (21.9 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 7.7 bpg at Evangelical High School) will also see a lot of action. A 6-10 center, the Florida native needs to add some beef to his 215-pound frame. "They've got to be able to hold their own defensively and contribute significant points, rebounds and minutes," Layer said.
Sophomore Bill Weaver (1.1 ppg, 0.8 rpg) is a 6-4 combo forward who runs the floor well and can contribute defensively.
Freshman Antwan Burns (22.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg) is also raw offensively but has a big 6-6 body to bang inside. He led his South Central High team in Winterville, N.C., to the Coastal League Championship.
Walk-on James Spencer (0.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg) started four games last year and played in 32. The 6-1 junior is a backup point guard.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B-
BENCH/DEPTH: C+
FRONTCOURT: D
INTANGIBLES: B
Liberty found a winning formula last year with a young, undersized team that dribbled and drove and isolated on offense and hustled and scrapped on defense.
Layer would like a more balanced mix, now a necessity in the bigger Big South, but he doesn't have any proven commodities up front and he's missing some of the pieces -- Curry, Smith and Brolin Floyd -- that made last year's magic work.
Layer has a roster with 11 freshmen and sophomores, so there's a big learning curve, and a schedule that includes Clemson, Notre Dame, Northwestern and George Mason all before Christmas.
"We've got to grow up," said Layer. "I think we've got players in place, and I think we have depth and athletic ability. We've got scorers, but it depends on how quickly we mature."