2008 Patriot League Hoops Preview

A year after riding the role of underdog straight into its first-ever NCAA Tournament, American heads into this season as the Patriot League’s overwhelming favorite. And with good reason. Jeff Jones’ team boasts the league’s most potent backcourt in sub-6-foot seniors Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer, both preseason all-league picks. Carr (18.4 ppg) smashed a Patriot League record last season by hitting 135 3-pointers — 36 more than the previous mark — while Mercer (12.4 ppg, 4.0 apg) is arguably the league’s top returning point guard. Along with returning forwards Bryce Simon (7.0 ppg) and Brian Gilmore (8.9 ppg), they helped the Eagles win 10 of their final 11 games against conference opponents. All told, the team returns six of its top seven players. 

2. Lehigh (14–15, 7–7)

For Lehigh, last season was about gaining experience. This season will be about turning the corner. The Mountain Hawks, who went into last season with 10 freshmen or sophomores on the roster, now boast a group that appears ready to make the jump into the league’s upper echelon. They are led by the inside-outside combination of 6'7" forward Zahir Carrington (12.5 ppg) and 5'11" guard Marquis Hall (14.1 ppg), the latter a second-team all-league pick a year ago. Two other starters return in guards Matt Szalachowski and Rob Keefer, along with a number of other rising sophomores and juniors. One of the main challenges for this undersized team will come on the boards.

3. Colgate (18–14, 7–7)

After tying the school record for wins last season and advancing to its first Patriot League final since 1996, Colgate once again should find itself in the thick of things despite losing two significant starters in power forward Kendall Chones (12.0 ppg) and point guard Daniel Waddy. The Raiders return one of the league’s top scorers in swingman Kyle Roemer, who last season averaged 16.2 points to earn second-team all-league honors. Coach Emmett Davis also may have found the point guard he’s desired in Texas blue-chipper Anthony Hill. The 6'0" Hill, son of former Dallas Cowboy Tony Hill, eclipsed 400 assists and drilled 215 3-pointers during his high school career and leads a strong incoming class that could make immediate contributions.

4. Holy Cross (15–14, 5–9)

Injuries took a toll last season on Ralph Willard’s squad, which failed to win 20 games for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Now, with three starters returning to a team that ranked 16th in the nation in scoring defense, the Crusaders look to bounce back. Senior forward Alex Vander Baan (8.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a preseason all-league pick, missed 10 games due to injury last season, while senior point guard Pat Doherty (7.4 ppg, 4.3 apg) has missed parts of the past three seasons. Colin Cunningham (8.1 ppg), a senior small forward, is the other returner. Junior Eric Meister and senior Greg McCarthy look to compete for the starting spot at center, while junior Adam May, sophomore Andrew Beinert and senior Lawrence Dixon will vie for time at the other guard slot.

5. Bucknell (12–19, 6–8)

Dave Paulsen, a two-time National Coach of the Year at Division III Williams College, takes over for Pat Flannery, who retired following 14 seasons at the helm. Paulsen inherits a squad that will rely on several key returnees, including senior shooting guard Justin Castleberry (10.1 ppg) and junior guard Stephen Tyree, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Two part-time starters, sophomore point guard Darryl Shazier and junior power forward Patrick Behan, also will look for more prominent roles. The team’s biggest weakness could be its frontcourt, with the losses of 6'8" Darren Mastropaolo (graduation) and 6'11" Todd O’Brien (transfer to Saint Joseph’s). That means 6'11" senior Josh Linthicum, who missed one month with a knee injury, and 6'8" freshman Enoch Andoh will need to carry much of the load.

6. Navy (16–14, 9–5)

Picked to finish near the bottom of the league last season, the Midshipmen defied the experts by posting their best record in seven years. This time around, that task may be more difficult, particularly without league Player of the Year Greg Sprink, (21.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Coach Billy Lange, however, does return four starters, including guards Kaleo Kina and Chris Harris, who both averaged more than 14 points per game. Transfer O.J. Avworo will run the point after starting 24 games as a freshman at Idaho. Guard Romeo Garcia and center Mark Veazey, who each moved into the starting lineup as freshmen last season, will look to boost their production at the offensive end.

7. Army (14–16, 6–8)

Questions abound for the Black Knights following the graduation of Jarell Brown (18.2 ppg), a first-team all-league guard who scored more than twice as many points as anyone else on the team. With no dominant scorer, Army will rely on several players who showed flashes last season, but lacked consistency. Senior center Doug Williams (7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg) brings an established presence to the post, while junior point guard Josh Miller (8.4 ppg) came on late in the season, earning a spot on the league’s all-tournament team. Juniors Cleveland Richard and Marcus Nelson each will look to pick up some of the scoring slack at guard, while senior Kenny Brewer, who left the team midway through last season, returns to add much-need athleticism at forward.

8. Lafayette (15–15, 6–8)

The Leopards’ backcourt is in good hands with the return of senior Andrew Brown (15.9 ppg), the team’s leading scorer last season, and junior Michael Gruner, who arguably was its most improved player. Gruner, along with junior Jeff Kari and sophomore Deirunas Visockas, will need to pick up some of the scoring slack created by the graduation of Bilal Abdullah (15.0 ppg). The real question for Lafayette, however, will be its frontcourt, following the graduation of three-year starter Everest Schmidt and Ted Detmer, one of its best all-around players. The continued development of Marek Koltun, a junior center, and Jared Mintz, a sophomore forward, will be key.