*** College Basketball Preview - Patriot League ***
The My Sportsbook
By Frank Haynes, College Basketball Senior Editor
OUTLOOK: This could be the most competitive season in Patriot League history, with at least half of the teams all having a legitimate shot at claiming the league title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Bucknell appears to be the odds-on favorite at the start, and Pat Flannery's squad boasts three preseason All-PL First Team selections. Defending champion Lehigh will likely stand toe to toe with the Bison, while American University, which has appeared in the last three PL Tournament title games and features the preseason pick for PL Player of the Year, and Holy Cross will certainly pick up their share of wins and be in the mix all season long. As for Colgate, Lafayette, Navy and Army, they could make some noise, but more realistically, have a tough road ahead if they have Patriot League title aspirations. Colgate comes into the season in search of scoring following the loss of two All-PL performers, while Lafayette will be hard-pressed to duplicate last year's 18 wins despite having some talent in place. Navy has a new head coach in former Villanova assistant Billy Lange, and it will take some time for the Midshipmen to buy into his system and make a climb up the league ladder. As for Army, there isn't anywhere for Jim Crews' club to go but up, as the Black Knights won just six games last season, only three of which came against league foes.
CONFERENCE CHAMPION: Bucknell
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH: 1. Bucknell; 2. Lehigh; 3. American; 4. Holy Cross; 5. Colgate; 6. Lafayette; 7. Navy; 8. Army
TEAM BY TEAM ANALYSIS:
BUCKNELL - Littered with talent, the Bison are clearly the team to beat in 2004-05. With three preseason PL First Teamers on board, Bucknell should have very little trouble producing at both ends of the court. All five starters are back from a team that went 9-5 in league play last year, giving coach Flannery the luxury of experience at every position. Junior Kevin Bettencourt (14.9 ppg, 2.8 apg), sophomore Chris McNaughton (11.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and junior Charles Lee (10.1 ppg, 2.6 apg) all averaged double figures in scoring last season, with McNaughton serving as the team's top rebounder and Bettencourt its leading assist man. Despite an overall FG percentage below 36 percent, Bettencourt set a new school record with 72 three-pointers. McNaughton had an impressive rookie season and is looking to improve, while Lee is simply a solid all-around player capable of leading the team by example. Sophomore Abe Badmus will serve as the Bison's primary playmaker, while guys like sophomore John Clark and senior Chris Niesz will add support where needed.
LEHIGH - Led by two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year Billy Taylor, the Mountain Hawks come into the 2004-05 season as the defending league champs. Repeating won't be an easy task, however, as the team lost its leading scorer, assist man and thief in last year's PL Player of the Year, Austen Rowland. Still, the Hawks welcome back four starters, including sophomore guard Jose Olivero. As a PL All-Freshman Team pick a year ago, Olivero averaged 11.6 ppg and hit 51 three-pointers. Big things are expected from senior forward Earl Nurse (6.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and sophomore center Jason Mgebroff (7.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Junior guard Joe Knight, a transfer from High Point where he earned Big South Rookie of the Year honors in 2003, is being looked at as a guy who could potentially fill the void left by Rowland, while senior swingman Nick Monserez should add some spark as well. Another guy to keep an eye on is freshman forward Bryan White, who along with Knight could provide some energy off the bench.
AMERICAN - As long as star guard Andre Ingram is on the court, the Eagles have a shot to win against almost anyone. Ingram, who averaged 13.6 ppg to finish fifth in the PL in scoring last year, is a solid three-point shooter and he led the league in treys in '03-'04 with 78 en route to being named PL Freshman of the Year. He has much loftier goals this time around and is the early choice to pick up league Player of the Year honors. Ingram isn't the only option for coach Jeff Jones, as senior forward Matej Cresnik and sophomore guard Linas Lekavicius will be asked to add support and could shine with Ingram receiving most of the attention from the opposition. Another guy who could figure into the equation, particularly at the offensive end, is senior guard Jason Thomas. Lekavicius is especially important as he will be asked to hold down the point following the loss of former standout Andres Rodriguez, who was the PL's top playmaker last year with 7.3 apg.
HOLY CROSS - If the Crusaders are going to make headway in the PL this season, they will need to get consistent play from the point. The loss of the league's all-time assist and steals leader in Jave Meade leaves a huge hole to fill, but coach Ralph Willard has confidence that a guy like sophomore Torey Thomas has the talent to secure the job. Junior guard Kevin Hamilton led the team in scoring (11.0 ppg), steals (72) and three-pointers (53) last season, but he suffered his third broken wrist in a little more than a year so his status for the start of the campaign is in question. Senior center Nate Lufkin was productive last year, averaging 8.8 points and 4.9 caroms per contest, while Keith Simmons contributed 8.5 ppg an hit 33 treys. Hamilton is the key to any success Holy Cross achieves this year, but the Crusaders could surprise some folks and challenge for the league's top spot with consistent efforts from a host of other players.
COLGATE - The loss of the team's two top scorers (Howard Blue and Mark Linebaugh) will certainly be felt, but coach Emmett Davis believes he has some players capable of filling the void. Junior guard Alvin Reed is the one guy Davis will look to most, as the 6-1 San Bernadino, CA native is the top returning scorer (11.4 ppg) and he also paced the club in assists (3.3 apg) and steals (37) last season. Senior forward Andrew Zidar highlighted the team's effort on the glass with 6.6 rpg while also contributing at the offensive end with 9.5 ppg. Sophomore forward Kendall Chones (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) will be counted on to give the Raiders some spirited play at both ends of the court, while big things are also expected from juniors John Foss and Marc Daniels. Keith Williams is one of just two seniors on the team and is coming off a pair of knee surgeries, but he is hoping for a return to the form that saw him earn PL All-Rookie Team honors a few years ago.
LAFAYETTE - With a new long-term contract in hand, Lafayette coach Fran O'Hanlon has been given the vote of confidence that he is the man to lead the Leopards for the next decade. Unfortunately, Lafayette has just one starter back in the fold in junior guard Pat Betley (6.6 ppg), but he has tremendous outside touch and will be asked to up his offensive production this season as a result. Senior center Sean Knitter averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season, his first as a Leopard after coming over from Delaware, and his play will be instrumental in helping Lafayette exceed expectations. Other guys who should play an important role in the Leopards' success include sophomores Marcus Harley and Jamaal Douglas who averaged just 7.5 and 3.1 ppg, respectively, last year. One of five freshman on the roster, 6-2 guard Pat Cummins could make his presence known early on, but for the Leopards to be truly successful, Knitter is going to have to dominate down low and Betley will need to become even more of a long-range shooting threat.
NAVY - New coach Billy Lange has his work cut out for him this season, as not only is he replacing a legend in Don DeVoe (more than 500 career wins), but he has no real scoring options now that sophomore forward Carlton Baldwin is expected to miss at least the first half of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a broken toe on his left foot. Baldwin led the Midshipmen in both scoring (8.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.1 rpg) last year, and his absence means junior guard David Hooper is the team's leader in both categories despite netting just 7.8 ppg and grabbing only 4.0 rpg in 2003-04. Senior guard Taj Mathews (2.8 apg) will serve as the team's floor general, but again, scoring will be a problem and as a result, Lange's first season could be one of pain and heartache. The Mids are sure to play hard, but a glaring lack of talent will keep them in the lower half of the PL standings all season long.
ARMY - The Black Knights are young and really have no idea what it's like to win on a consistent basis. Coach Jim Crews' squad features just one senior and one junior, with sophomores ruling the roost (11 in all). Guard Matt Bell is the team's top returning scorer, rebounder and assist man, but he averaged just 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game last season. Joining Bell in the Army backcourt is Travis Owsley, but he too struggled offensively in 2003-04, netting just 5.4 ppg. Up front, the Black Knights will rely heavily on Colin Harris to provide some offensive punch, while Erik Engstrom could become a force on the glass. Army won just six games in Crews' second year at the helm last season, and while the team is likely to be competitive in more games this time around, there are no guarantees that will translate into more victories.
