November 10, 2006

LE MOYNE MEN'S BASKETBALL: 2006-07 SEASON PREVIEW

Heading into the 2006-07 season, head coach Steve Evans believes the components are in place for a team that can compete with any in one of the nation's deepest NCAA Division II conferences. He returns his top two scorers, boasts a seven-foot center who is improving every day, is receiving leadership from a pair of seniors and has brought in a heralded duo from the junior college ranks to man the point and provide scoring punch on the wing. The Dolphins open the season on Wednesday at Molloy.

The Dolphins have been picked ninth in the preseason coaches poll, but no prognosticator can truly know what is about to unfold in the unpredictable 15-team Northeast-10 Conference this season. All 15 members of the league's three all-conference teams have moved on because they were seniors, so to say the Northeast-10 Conference has lost most of its top players from last season would be a vast understatement. Just five teams return their top scorer and only two return their top two point producers.

Luckily for the Dolphins, their top two scorers are back. Senior forward Matt Cooper (Fulton, N.Y./Fulton) and junior Jason Holmes (Mamaroneck, N.Y./Mamaroneck) led Le Moyne in the scoring column last season.

"I think that's the biggest thing entering the season - that we have our top two scorers coming back," seventh-year head coach Steve Evans said prior to the season. "The problem was that last season we never had both of them fully healthy together at the same time. A big key to our team is Jason and Matt staying healthy and being consistently there for us every night."

To fill a void left at the point guard and wing guard position, Evans searched far and wide for the right fit for his program. He found what he was looking for in California. In junior point guard Mark Covin (Culver City, Calif./Santa Monica), a transfer from the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, Calif., Evans believes he has a defensive force on the perimeter who will distribute the ball. Junior Jonathan Joshua (Inglewood, Calif./Inglewood), a transfer from Porterville College in Porterville, Calif., can knock down a long-range jumper and slash to the basket.

"We've got a very good junior college duo coming from California," Evans praised. "Mark Covin gives us experience through his leadership as he's played on teams that have won. He's going to give us solid minutes at the point. Jonathan Joshua will fill in the role Corey Smith '06 had last year in that he can shoot the ball, but he can take it to the basket as well. The hard part with them is that they are juniors and yet they are new to our system. It's going to take an adjustment with them to figure out the way we play. Once they do that, I think they're going to be better as the season goes on."

In his first two seasons on the Heights, junior Dan Cromwell (Victor, N.Y./Victor) bided his time behind Sid Pond '06 at the center position. Cromwell spelled Pond in spurts, but never played more than 28 minutes in a game. This season, Evans expects Cromwell to start in the middle and be a factor for Le Moyne throughout each game.

"We're looking at Dan Cromwell as the starter at the five position," Evans said. "I think he's made tremendous strides from his sophomore to junior year. Dan has got a great touch with both his right and left hand inside. He can knock down 17-footers and is a weapon that can score."

Versatile senior Phil Schoff (Little Falls, N.Y./Little Falls) has appeared in 69 career games and started 14 in his career. Because of his ability to play in the front court and on the wing, Evans expects key contributions from this senior whether it is as part of the starting five or igniting the team off the bench.

"Phil is the perfect example of what we want our athletes to be here at Le Moyne College,"  Evans, who is also the advisor to Le Moyne's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), said. "Every day in practice he's ready to go and sets a great example both on the floor and in the classroom. As the captain of this team, he's going to have an impact on a lot of games this year."

Here's a look at the Dolphins position-by-position:

CENTERS - THE 5 POSITION

The Dolphins will have to replace one of the conference's most physical pivot men in Sid Pond '06. Evans expects Cromwell and redshirt freshman Mike McDonough (Ogdensburg, N.Y./Ogdensburg) to fill the center position for the 2006-07 season.

Cromwell averaged 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per outing last season. After spending a week in August at the Pete Newell Big Man Camp in Las Vegas and a full off-season training program, Evans expects his contributions and minutes will rise considerably this season.

"At the camp, he was able to be around people that are very similar to him. It was good for him to go away for a week and hear a different voice, hopefully reiterating some of the things we talk about. It's just going to build confidence in his game," Evans commented. "I really have seen him take some big strides. He's better conditioned, stronger and is going to see a lot of time on the floor this year. There's no reason why Dan can't have a terrific year for us."

McDonough, the league Most Valuable Player at Ogdensburg High School in 2004-05, sat out last season as a redshirt. He worked out with the team, but did not appear in a game. Thus, McDonough retained four seasons of eligibility.

"He's got a real advantage by redshirting last year. I think he's caught up to the speed of the college game," Evans said. "He's got great size and a nose for going after rebounds. When called upon, I expect him to have an impact on the game the minute he enters."

FORWARDS - THE 4 POSITION

The Dolphins feature arguably the conference's most experienced forward in Cooper. The product of nearby Fulton has been Le Moyne's top scorer in each of the last two seasons. He averaged 12.4 points last season and 14.5 per outing as a sophomore and needs just 41 points to join the program's list of 1,000 point scorers.

"People probably think he's been in the league eight years. He played a lot as a freshman and has been a key player for us every year since," Evans said. "Usually you're remembered for what you do your senior year. You're looking at a kid who had a lot fall on his shoulders as a sophomore and as a junior. Matt is going to draw double teams. The best part is that he has other people that can help carry the load."

Freshman Laurence Ekperigin (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y./Walter Panas) should also see time in the Dolphins' frontcourt. Ekperigan averaged 23 points en route to numerous accolades as a senior at Walter Panas High School in Westchester County.

"Laurence is just scratching the surface as far as his potential. He's as athletic as any player we've had at Le Moyne," Evans said. "When he steps on the court, I've noticed a competitiveness that you really like to see in a freshman."

Senior Adam Zaremba (Endicott, N.Y./Union-Endicott) has also earned a spot on the 2006-07 team.

"Adam has done everything that we've asked of him here at Le Moyne," Evans said. "He was a manager last season and has worked our camps. It's been a goal of his to be a part of our basketball team and I'm glad he's stuck it out. He deserves this opportunity."

WINGS - THE 2 AND 3 POSITIONS

Evans will rely on a number of scorers and defenders at the wing position. Holmes, Joshua, Schoff and junior Matt Vassil (Dalton, Pa./Abington Heights) will vie for time in one of the two off-guard spots.

As a 6-foot-3 two-guard with a wingspan greater than his height Holmes offers matchup problems for the opposition and a shutdown defender for Le Moyne's defense. Holmes, second on the team with 11.2 points per game in 2005-06, has averaged in double figures each of his first two seasons. His 1.9 steals per game (102 total) rank first on the program's all-time list.

"Jason has been looking for his teammates a lot more because he knows that he's going to be a marked man this year. He's making great decisions to get other people involved and that's what great players do," Evans said. "He's still going to be counted on to find ways to score, but he's emerging as an unselfish player and it's only going to make our team better."

Schoff can play out on the wing or fill a forward position for the Dolphins. Either way, Evans sees his senior captain making an impact this season.

"Phil Schoff is a versatile player who can play multiple positions," Evans said. "He's been asked to play the two, the three and the four. He understands what we try to do and we're going to need him to step up and play."

Joshua, a Central Valley (Calif.) Conference first-team all-conference selection, enters the season as an unknown to the Northeast-10 Conference.

"Jonathan is probably our best shooter. He can really shoot it when he gets it going. He can also put the ball on the floor and take it to the basket," Evans said. "He brings a maturity and competitiveness through which he will go out and work hard every game."

After an injury-shortened first season, Vassil returned to play in 14 games last season. He scored 15 points in 69 minutes. Vassil drilled three of his six 3-point attempts and grabbed 10 rebounds.

"Matt Vassil is going to be pushing guys in practice and I think he's going to be ready to play when his number is called," Evans said. "He shoots the ball extremely well. Everyone has to be ready because it's such a long season - we're going to be calling on guys to help us through."

Freshman Brandon Mauer (Pittsfield, Mass./St. Joseph Central), a walk-on, will compete for time at the wing guard position.

"Brandon is a very good shooter. He's the most capable walk-on that I've coached. He loves basketball, wants to compete and get better and he's working to beat somebody out," Evans said. "There could be times this year when he's called upon to go in."

POINT GUARD - THE 1 POSITION

Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team selection Damani Corbin (Brooklyn, N.Y./Frederick Douglass) will be taking the season off as a redshirt. With his absence, a pair of newcomers should battle for the opportunity to run the point guard position. Evans, a former point guard, expects to hand the reins to Covin and freshman Durett Miles (Schenectady, N.Y./Schenectady). He expects to play the pair and believes their primary job is to keep tempo in the Dolphins' direction and run the team.

Covin was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Central Valley (Calif.) Conference.

"He's the type of player that can put good pressure on the ball," Evans said. "He's very good in the open court and very unselfish. We've got guys who can score so we need a point guard that can distribute the ball and I think that's what Mark is going to do. We're very pleased with the effort he's shown on the court in practice."

Miles averaged seven assists per game at perennial power Schenectady. Evans is excited about the future with Miles. 

"Durett is a freshman and the game is a little quicker at the college level so he's going to go through a little bit of a learning curve to understand the quickness and speed of the college game," Evans said. "Once he puts it all together, he's got a very bright future. He's very coachable, comes from a very good high school program and is used to winning games."

The Dolphins play their first home game on Saturday, November 18 against Mansfield. Listen to all of the action this season on Syracuse's SportsRadio 620 WHEN-AM.