MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM SET TO TIP OFF 2009-10 SEASON SATURDAY AGAINST TRINITY INTERNATIONAL
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| Andy Wolff ranked among AMC leaders with 131 assists in 2008-09 |
(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 30)—It seems rather appropriate that on Halloween night, the McKendree University men’s basketball team will be giving its fans the treat of its 2009-10 season opener.
The Bearcats will play host to Trinity International University Saturday at 7 p.m. in the first game of the year for both squads. This will be the 10th time that McKendree and Trinity International have met on the basketball court, with the Bearcats winning each of the previous nine times.
McKendree faces some lofty expectations heading into the new season. The Bearcats were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Division I top 25 pre-season poll released Monday afternoon. McKendree was also given the nod as the team to beat in the American Midwest Conference race.
Nine lettermen and four starters return from a McKendree team that went 30-6 overall and won the AMC regular-season championship last year. Head coach Harry Statham, who begins his 44th season at the helm of the Bearcats’ program, is looking forward to seeing his team in action.
“We’re excited to get the season underway,” said Statham, who could become the first coach in men’s college basketball history to record 1,000 career victories as early as mid-November. “We’ve been practicing for a while now, and we’re anxious to get out on the court and see what they can do. Most of this team has been together for two years now, so they know what it takes to win in our league and at the national level.”
The four returning starters for McKendree were in the lineup last year and accounted for 53 percent of the team’s scoring offense in 2008-09. Heading the list is junior forward Eric Hobbie, who earned All-Conference honors after averaging 13.6 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per contest. He alson connected on 78.4 percent of his free throw attempts. Hobbie will be joined in the frontcourt by senior forward Kenny Detmer, who posted 8.9 points and 6.8 rebounds a game in 34 starts last year. Detmer shot 51.8 percent from the floor.
Rounding out the trio is junior forward Brad Copelin. He contributed 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Copelin was also productive around the basket, shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
Junior guard Andy Wolff started all 36 games at point guard and led the Bearcats with 131 assists and 55 steals. He also averaged just under seven points per outing.
The Bearcats face the task of replacing a two-time NAIA All-America selection, Eric Palm, in the starting lineup, but Statham believes McKendree has found the right person for the job in junior guard RaShad May. Last season at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park, May averaged 15.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. He earned All-Conference honors for the Highlanders.
McKendree has five sophomores and a freshman who will add depth to the lineup. Forward Shawn Rakers shared AMC Freshman of the Year honors a year ago by posting 9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. He led the Bearcats in field goal percentage at 54 percent and blocked 70 shots in his inaugural season at McKendree.
Guard Karrington Pettiford came on strong for the Bearcats late in the season and at the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship in Kansas City. Pettiford posted 3.5 points and 47 assists in a reserve role a year ago.
Fellow sophomores Ian Ridge, Kyle Heckert and Brandon Dilday complete the list of returning players for McKendree. All three filled important roles off the bench for the Bearcats last year.
The lone freshman on the McKendree roster for 2009-10 is guard John Steppe from St. Anthony High School in Effingham. Steppe averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 assists as a senior and was one of the Bulldogs’ top three-point threats.
McKendree will be tested early and often during the 2009-10 season. Five opponents are ranked in the NAIA Division I top 25 pre-season poll, and the Bearcats will face four of them in the first semester. Following Saturday’s season opener, the Bearcats will play host to No. 12 Lindenwood University on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
-McK-
