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men's basketball
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2007-08 outlook
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2007-08 Outlook
Incoming Experience Expected
to Help Golden Knights during
Final Year in the GLIAC
There are a couple options
when a team lacks a certain characteristic. A coach can spend hours trying
to teach it, but sometimes only live game experience can teach it. So, the
other option is simply bringing student-athletes with those characteristics
into the program.
Gannon enters the 2007-08 season with six returning players, including two
redshirt freshmen, after back-to-back losing seasons. So, the obvious choice
was to bring in experienced players with winning backgrounds.
Third-year head coach John T. Reilly brought in nine newcomers, including
two walk-ons, to complement the six returners. The common theme among all
of them - experience and a winning background.
“This group likes to win and they want to win,” said Reilly. “They all come
from winning programs that have experienced a lot of success. Now, the Great
Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is completely different
compared to where they come from, but they all have that intense desire to
win. They are willing to sacrifice and help the team.”
The 2007-08 version of the Golden Knights seems to be one that Gannon fans
will enjoy watching while being entertained. In addition to the experience
level, the squad will be loaded with athleticism and hard-nosed defense.
“This team has a chance to be pretty good,” noted Reilly. “But so do a lot
of teams at this time of the year. Potential means little. We want to qualify
for the GLIAC Tournament.
“However, there are several short-term goals that we need to accomplish
to get to that point. We want to be the best defensive team we can because
I believe teams can win a lot of games if they can defend. I think that will
be one of our strengths this season.”
Gannon finished eighth among the 13 GLIAC teams in scoring offense (69.0)
last season. Reilly also hopes to improve that end of the court in 2007-08.
“We have players who can score and we will get extra shots because of our
rebounding ability.”
GUARDS
All five starting positions
appear to be up for grabs as the Golden Knights enter the preseason, including
the guard positions.
Gannon will have returning letterwinners at every position in the backcourt,
but newcomers have pushed for time at each position during the preseason.
Junior Cory Knight and junior transfer Joe Lindsey are battling in preseason
for the starting role at point guard.
Knight is the returning starter after making 19 starts during his first
season as a Golden Knight in 2006-07. The Erie, Pa., native returned home
prior to last season after starting 14 games as a true freshman at NCAA Division
II Pfeiffer (N.C.) University in 2005-06. A former Associated Press All-State
Class AAAA selection at Cathedral Prep High School, Knight led the GLIAC in
assists per game (5.38) and ranked third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02).
Lindsey will compete with Knight for the starting position. The junior transfer
led Monroe Community College to a 56-9 record during the last two seasons,
while ranking among the nation’s top five in assists both years. He averaged
14 points and eight assists while taking Monroe to the National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA) title game last season.
Three players are in the mix to start at shooting guard. Robert Buckner
is the returning starter after a solid freshman campaign last season. He
was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year,
averaging 11.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Buckner led Gannon in three-point
field goal percentage (40.5), hitting 51 of 126 attempts from behind the arc.
He finished 11th among GLIAC players in three-point field goals per game
(1.96).
“Buckner had a fine freshman season last year,” said Reilly. “He is a scorer
and has worked hard to improve at the defensive end.”
Pierre Howard is the top newcomer at shooting guard, transferring from Lewis
& Clark (Ill.) Community College, where he averaged 15 points and five
rebounds. The junior transfer earned all-conference and all-region accolades
while leading Lewis & Clark to a 27-10 record and the NJCAA National Final
Four. He will also see time at point guard and could see time at the other
swing guard position. “He is an excellent on-the-ball defender,” said Reilly.
Preston Harris returns as the third shooting guard in the battle for playing
time. Harris redshirted during his freshman season last year. He was the Region
6 Player of the Year and was named to the All-State third team after averaging
17.8 points at Cathedral Prep High School.
True freshman Corey Dotchin will also compete for playing time at shooting
guard.
The wing position is much like the other two guard positions. There will
be a returning letterwinner and newcomers with legitimate chances of playing
time.
Tyler Stoczynski is the returning starter. The redshirt junior led Gannon
and ranked 10th among GLIAC players in scoring (15.2). He also ranked ninth
in the GLIAC with 2.19 three-pointers per game. As a result, Stoczynski was
named to the All-ECAC honorable-mention team.
True freshman George Johnson and senior transfer Vince Mosley are expected
to see playing time on the wing. Johnson was an All-America nominee at Wakefield
(Va.) High School, where he averaged 18 points per game. Johnson is one of
only three true freshmen on the roster. He was a three-time all-district first-team,
two-time all-region first-team, and two-time defensive player-of-the-year
selection in high school.
FORWARDS
The Golden Knights return
only one letterwinner inside, so Gannon fans will have a new set of faces
to learn at the forward position.
Two newcomers and a redshirt freshman will battle for playing time at the
four-position. Mosley, who could also see time on the wing, should see considerable
playing time. He played with Lindsey at Monroe Community College last season,
leading the squad in scoring (16.0) and grabbing eight rebounds per game.
Mosley won two high school state championships at Dilliard (Fla.) High School.
Fellow transfer Dave Wilson is expected to see plenty of playing time. The
junior led Kennedy-King Community College to the regional championship last
season, averaging 12 points and 10 rebounds. He will play both inside positions.
“Dave averaged a double-double and very few offensive plays were run for
him,” noted Reilly. “He is an excellent defender, and does a nice job going
to the glass.”
Mark Demski, who redshirted during his freshman season due to an injury,
will also see playing time at the four. He averaged 10.3 points, eight rebounds,
3.1 steals, and one block as a senior at Cathedral Prep High School. Demski
has a nice shooting touch, shooting 51 percent (108-213) from the field and
70 percent (60-86) from the free throw line as a senior.
“Mark is not afraid to work,” said Reilly. “Mark will help us this year.
He loves to take charges, gets loose balls, and has a lot of energy. He does
the things that do not show up in the box score, but help teams be successful.”
Four players are expected to provide help at the other forward position.
Redshirt junior Pat Washington and transfer Kyle Goldcamp should be the top
two players fighting for the starting position.
Washington played in 25 games last season, starting three. One of Gannon’s
unsung heroes, Washington averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds as the sixth
man. He would have ranked second among GLIAC players in field goal percentage
(61.3, 73-119), but did not have enough attempts to qualify.
Goldcamp brings a ton of experience and talent to Gannon’s inside game.
The lefthander averaged 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season at NCAA
Division II Pitt-Johnstown. He shot 61 percent (130-213) from the field and
blocked 44 shots. Goldcamp ranked seventh nationally in blocks per game (2.7)
as a freshman.
Alfonso Scandrett is the wild card inside. The sophomore transferred from
NCAA Division I Radford, where he played in 23 games as a true freshman. He
can play at either position inside or on the wing. Scandrett averaged 15.3
points, nine rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.8 blocks as a senior at Northwest
Guilford (N.C.) High School.
THE SCHEDULE
Gannon fans will have every
opportunity to see the Golden Knights and the nine new faces in action throughout
the first two months of the season.
Gannon opens the season with eight of its first 10 games at the Hammermill
Center, including a season-opening five-game homestand. The Golden Knights
begin the season Saturday, November 17 against Penn State Greater Allegheny.
The squad then hosts the Gary Miller Classic (Nov. 23-24) before jumping right
into GLIAC play with home contests against Northern Michigan (Nov. 29) and
Michigan Tech (Dec. 1).
The Golden Knights’ 2007-08 opponents won 53 percent (309-278) of their
games last season. Two of those opponents played in the 2007 NCAA Division
II Tournament: Findlay and Grand Valley State. Both teams also received national
recognition this preseason when they upset major Division I schools in exhibition
games. Grand Valley State stunned eighth-ranked Michigan State in overtime
while Findlay shocked Ohio State.
Gannon has five programs that achieved winning records in 2006-07 on its
non-conference schedule. The marquee non-conference home game is arguably
Saturday, December 8 against Edinboro.
The home schedule is also highlighted by a solid field in the 34th annual
Porreco Cup, scheduled for December 29-30. Gannon has won three of the last
four Porreco Cup titles and 10 of the last 13. The four-team field includes
Bowie State, Edinboro, and Seton Hill. Bowie State posted a thrilling 88-87
victory during its last appearance at the Hammermill Center in the 2002 Porreco
Cup finals.
Gannon University~University Square ~ Erie, PA 16541-0001
Toll Free: 1-800-GANNON-U
Sports Press Box E-mail
updated 11/15/07 by: drt
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