OUTLOOK. Getting to the point of the matter, guard WILLIE POWERS III returns for his junior season and a chance to make up for lost time.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "OUTLOOK. Getting to the point of the matter, guard WILLIE POWERS III returns for his junior season and a chance to make up for lost time."

Curtis Horatio Blankenship
5 years ago
Views:

1 OUTLOOK etting to the point of the matter, guard WILLIE POWERS III returns for his junior season and a chance to make up for lost time.

2009-2010 PREVIEW EALES DESTINY DEPENDS ON DEENSE Attention to detail, commitment to defense and team attitude influence eorgia Southern success in 2009-2010 T here s plenty different about the

Young ( 94) returns to lead his alma mater to the next level of success, and 11 players are back, the team will have a whole new look.

2 PREVIEW EALES DESTINY DEPENDS ON DEENSE Attention to detail, commitment to defense and team attitude influence eorgia Southern success in T here s plenty different about the edition of the Eagles men s basketball team new coach, new attitude, newcomers and new uniforms. While a familiar face in eorgia Southern alumnus Charlton C.Y. Young ( 94) returns to lead his alma mater to the next level of success, and 11 players are back, the team will have a whole new look. We have gotten a lot accomplished in the last six months, said first-year head coach Charlton Young. We have had success in several different aspects The top returning scorer from a year ago with 12 points per game, senior guard Antonio Hanson will be an even more effective offensive threat for the Eagles in EORIA SOUTHERN MEN S BASKETBALL of our program: building our staff, recruiting, and getting our team acclimated to our system, and hopefully all the while attracting more interest in Eagle basketball. Over the last several months, Young has certainly gained the attention of his players on matters both on the court and in the classroom. The guys in the program, they have recommitted, and they have been working, Young said. I tell them if they keep working, the score is going to take care of itself. The way Young himself has been working, it will be hard for anyone to keep up with him. rom the moment he accepted the head coaching position, Young has moved at a break-neck pace planning, watching film, and recruiting, not just student-athletes, but fans and supporters as well. He loves every minute of it, but he s ready for the start of the season, ready for the points to count. The biggest thing I want everyone to see in our team is our attention to detail in every aspect of the game, and a new The biggest thing I want everyone to see in our team is our attention to detail in every aspect of the game. Coach Charlton C.Y. Young Preseason shifts back to his role as a scoring guard after stepping in as a starter at point guard last year. Drayton was named to the SoCon All-reshman team for his efforts. and improved emphasis on defense and rebounding. Young said. There s a terrible misconception that just because you play fast as a team, you re not going to defend, said Young. We ll manufacture points, but there is going to be a premium on defense and rebounding. I think if you want to have a chance to win a championship in the Southern Conference, you have to be a team that holds the opponent under 40 percent field goal percentage. After setting goals for the team for the team, the focus in preseason has been on improving both the individual and team defensive commitment. Young has been changing the offensive mindset of the Eagles as well. We ve been introducing a lot of new things in a short amount of time, Young said. I have been really happy with how our players have been embracing the make the extra pass and take the insideoutside threes philosophy.

2009-2010 PREVIEW UARDS After a knee injury last January put Willie Powers III on the bench for the rest of the last season, Sophomore Ben Drayton III shifted over from the scorer s spot to take over

Willie has the talent to do it all, he could be our best all-around player, he can make great decisions at high speed, but he has to push himself to be a better defender, said Young, who knows

3 PREVIEW UARDS After a knee injury last January put Willie Powers III on the bench for the rest of the last season, Sophomore Ben Drayton III shifted over from the scorer s spot to take over the point. Powers was averaging 14.5 points and 3.6 assists per game, good enough to put him in the Southern Conference s top 10 for both categories and his absence created a deficit. Willie has the talent to do it all, he could be our best all-around player, he can make great decisions at high speed, but he has to push himself to be a better defender, said Young, who knows firsthand the physical and metal sharpness required of a point guard. With Powers ready to reclaim his starting position, Drayton can focus on his role as a scorer and the Eagles will find a place for him on the court, either as a starter or spark off the bench. Drayton benefitted from the experience as he was one of three Eagles who played in all 30 games, with 22 starts, and averaged 11.8 points per game. Antonio Hanson, the team s leading scorer last season at 12.0 points per game, hit 83 three-point goals, nearly double the number of the next Eagle in line. Hanson averaged nearly 30 minutes an outing and was second behind Drayton with 2.4 assists per contest. After gaining that year of experience last season, I would say that Antonio may be one of the best shooting guards in the Southern Conference, said Young. He ll start attacking defenses more so the three-point shot will be just one of his weapons. Antoine Johnson, who Coach Young calls possibly the best on-ball defender in the conference, and maybe the nation, is a key to eorgia Southern s success on both sides of the floor. John- One thing I know for sure, there is not a better coach in the country for the eorgia Southern University than me. I ve got blood, sweat and tears on that floor. Coach Charlton C.Y. Young Press Conference April 9, 2009 Coach Young calls the heartbeat of the team. The junior guard hasn t missed a step after a knee injury kept him out of the action last season. son started five games and averaged 6.3 points per game while taking on toughest defensive assignments. A.J. can really get into the paint and create plays for himself and others, Young said. He can really help us push the tempo of the game and defensively, he can be a big-time player. Also returning is junior guard after an ACL injury sidelined him for the entire season. The heartbeat of the team, according to Coach Young, Rucker can run the floor Key to eorgia Southern s success on both sides of the court, senior Antoine Johnson create plays for others and relishes the label as the toughest defender. and force opponents to change their shots. Rucker is due for a breakthrough year and is ready to compete again after not seeing game action since March Blake Thompson will be off the court until January rehabilitating a knee injury that hampered him late last season. Sophomore Jeb Brannen dedicated himself to the offseason workouts and continues to improve every aspect of his game. reshman Alex Coxworth joins the team with solid credentials. Blake and Jeb have worked hard and they are committed to eorgia Southern basketball, said Young. We re excited these young men, and freshman Alex Coxworth, are a part of the program. ORWARDS As much as defense will set the tone for the Eagles this season, a balanced offensive attack will keep opponents guessing. Young aims to counter the EORIA SOUTHERN MEN S BASKETBALL 33

2009-2010 PREVIEW Settling in at small forward, senior Tyler Troupe s 6-7 frame will help on defense and rebounding while giving the Eagles another dependable offensive weapon.

4 PREVIEW Settling in at small forward, senior Tyler Troupe s 6-7 frame will help on defense and rebounding while giving the Eagles another dependable offensive weapon. team s perennial strength -- perimeter shooting -- with more involvement from the post players., who averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds down the stretch last year, will be counted on to lead a talented corps. Troupe is the top returning rebounder (6.4 rpg) and averaged 9.9 points per contest. Tyler can be the X factor for us this year, he gives us the big small forward and that will help us from a defensive and rebounding standpoint, Young said. He can attack the basket, make the mid-range jumpers and he s got a better gameplan for this year., who will rejoin competition in December, and sophomore Colby Wohlleb, who underwent minor ankle surgery in the preseason, have the most experience from a year ago. Perry, the highest scoring forward last season, started 15 games and averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. After an offseason weight program and individual instruction, Perry s natural quickness and rebounding abilities are complemented with additional strength. Championship people win championships. Bottom line, every day of the week. It s consistent behavior. My goal is to focus on building championship people every day Charlton C.Y. Young Wohlleb s versatility provides the eorgia Southern with more offensive options. With the ability to attack or step out to make the jumpshot, Wohlleb played in 24 games last season and earned four starts. Over the final four games of the year, Wohlleb averaged 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game EALE PERSONNEL ANALYSIS 34 STARTERS ROM Name Pos Ht. Wt. Year Willie Powers III Antonio Hanson P-S PP RP AP % 3% T% Junior Sophomore RETURNIN PLAYERS Name Pos Ht. Wt. Year P-S PP RP AP % 3% T% Antoine Johnson Colby Wohlleb Sophomore Junior Krzysztof Janiszewski C Blake Thompson Jeb Brannen Sophomore NEWCOMERS Name Pos Ht. Wt. Year Hometown (High School/JUCO) Rory Spencer Jr. Atlanta, a. (rederick Douglass / Johnson Community) Cameron Baskerville r. Marietta, a. (Whitefield Academy) Alex Coxworth r. Alpharetta, a. (Centennial) EORIA SOUTHERN MEN S BASKETBALL (stats from )

2009-2010 EALES CENTER To use the plural of center would give the indication that the Eagles had more than one on this year s roster.

Janiszewski played in 28 games in 2008-2009, averaging nearly seven minutes a contest and breaking almost every single one of his career marks. His role this season will be better defined.

He has brought a lot of leadership to this program he s a phenomenal team and family guy, and he s going to be our enforcer. 2009-2010 SCHEDULE hopes to reprise his role from last season.

5 EALES CENTER To use the plural of center would give the indication that the Eagles had more than one on this year s roster. Krzysztof Big Chris Janiszewski is the only true center in the program and offseason conditioning and individual workouts have improved his mobility and endurance. Janiszewski played in 28 games in , averaging nearly seven minutes a contest and breaking almost every single one of his career marks. His role this season will be better defined. Many people have only see Big Chris play for a few minutes here and there, but he has a lot to contribute, said Young. He has brought a lot of leadership to this program he s a phenomenal team and family guy, and he s going to be our enforcer SCHEDULE hopes to reprise his role from last season. Perry was the highest scoring forward and ranked second on the team in blocked shots. Newcomers Rory Spencer and Cameron Baskerville will have an immediate impact, if not push for starting time. Spencer, a junior transfer from Johnson County Community College, helped lead his team to the NJCAA national title last spring. Spencer had 24 double-figure scoring games and was an All-East Jayhawk Conference selection. Both Rory and Cameron come from outstanding programs, Young said. Both are champions and that was a big factor in recruiting them to our program. Rory is excellent as a rebounder and shot blocker, and he can run the floor, said Young. The word warrior really describes Cameron. He reminds me a lot of former Eagle great Michael Curry. He is very tough, smart, focused and disciplined. Baskerville averaged 14.1 points and 8.3 rebounds and added 5.8 blocks per contest as Whitefield Academy captured the state title in his senior season. After the season home opener against Reinhardt, the Eagles hit the road for first-week matchups against SEC teams South Carolina and lorida, then Jacksonville State. A three-game tournament A versatile post player who can also hit the three, sophomore Colby Wohlleb gives the another dimension on offense. Krzysztof Big Chris Janiszewski will be a factor in the center this year, defining his identity as the Eagles enforcer. in Hanner ieldhouse at the end of November features Valparaiso, Troy and Arkansas-ort Smith. eorgia Southern is at home only once more before the beginning of 2010, playing host to Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, December 15th. Other non-conference games at Evansville and Coastal Carolina in December bookend a rivalry game with eorgia State in Atlanta. The Eagles travel to Charleston for their first two SoCon games at the beginning of December, and play Auburn before the full conference season gets into swing in January. Our schedule will really prepare us for every possible look we could expect to see in the Southern Conference, said Young. It will stretch us and test us. We have only five home games between the beginning of the season and the full start of conference play, so, we ll have to adapt and play well on the road. Plus, with our three-day tournament at home, we ll be able to simulate and prepare for the physical grind of the conference tournament EORIA SOUTHERN MEN S BASKETBALL 35

6 EALES ROSTER NUMERICAL # Name Pos. Height Weight Year-Exp. Hometown (High School/JC) Jr.-1L Decatur, a. (Columbia) 2 Rory Spencer Jr.-TR Atlanta, a. (rederick Douglass/Johnson County) 5 Antoine Johnson Sr.-3L Atlanta, a. (Westlake) 10 Antonio Hanson Sr.-1L ort Worth, Texas (Liberal (Kan.)/Independence CC) 11 Alex Coxworth r.-hs Alpharetta, a. (Centennial) 12 Blake Thompson Sr.-3L Cartersville, a. (Woodland) 13 Krzysztof Janiszewski C Sr.-3L Dzierzoniow, Poland (Community Christian) 14 Jeb Brannen So.-1L Register, a. (Pinewood Christian Academy) Sr.-1L allatin, Tenn. (allatin/iowa Western CC) So.-1L St. Marys, a. (Camden County) Sr.-1L Perth Amboy, N.J. (Matawan Regional/Barton County CC) 35 Cameron Baskerville r.-hs Marietta, a. (Whitefield Academy) 50 Willie Powers III Jr.-2L ainesville, la. (P.K. Yonge) 53 Colby Wohlleb So.-1L Boca Raton, la. (Boca Raton) ALPHABETICAL # Name Pos. Height Weight Year-Exp. Hometown (High School/JC) 35 Cameron Baskerville r.-hs Marietta, a. (Whitefield Academy) 14 Jeb Brannen So.-1L Register, a. (Pinewood Christian Academy) 11 Alex Coxworth r.-hs Alpharetta, a. (Centennial) So.-1L St. Marys, a. (Camden County) 10 Antonio Hanson Sr.-1L ort Worth, Texas (Liberal (Kan.)/Independence CC) 13 Krzysztof Janiszewski C Sr.-3L Dzierzoniow, Poland (Community Christian) 5 Antoine Johnson Sr.-3L Atlanta, a. (Westlake) Sr.-1L Perth Amboy, N.J. (Matawan Regional/Barton County CC) 50 Willie Powers III Jr.-2L ainesville, la. (P.K. Yonge) Jr.-1L Decatur, a. (Columbia) 2 Rory Spencer Jr.-TR Atlanta, a. (rederick Douglass/Johnson County) 12 Blake Thompson Sr.-3L Cartersville, a. (Woodland) Sr.-1L allatin, Tenn. (allatin/iowa Western CC) 53 Colby Wohlleb So.-1L Boca Raton, la. (Boca Raton) Head Coach: Charlton C.Y. Young (eorgia Southern University, 1994, irst year) Assistant Coaches: Steve Smith (Trinity, 2002, irst year) Chris Kreider (Lebanon Valley, 2003, irst year) Pershin Williams (North lorida, 2005, irst year) Director of Basketball Operations: Erik Podell (Northwood, 2008, Second year) Athletic Trainer: John Erwin (Texas at Arlington, 2007) Managers: Aaron McLeod (Head Manager), Timothy Dardy, Brandon unk, Sheldon West PRONUNCIATIONS Charlton... CHARL-ton Kreider... CRY-der Pershin...similar to Persian, PER-shin Whitefield...WHIT-field Krzysztof... CHRIS-toff Janiszewski...YAN-eh-chef-ski Dzierzoniow...JER-john-ofv P.K. Yonge...young Troupe...troup Wohlleb...WHOA-lub HEIHT Blake Thompson Antoine Johnson Jeb Brannen Alex Coxworth Antonio Hanson Willie Powers III Colby Wohlleb Cameron Baskerville Rory Spencer Krzysztof Janiszewski POSITION uard...jeb Brannen Alex Coxworth Antonio Hanson Antoine Johnson Willie Powers III Blake Thompson Center...Krzysztof Janiszewski orward...cameron Baskerville Rory Spencer Colby Wohlleb CLASS YEAR...Antonio Hanson Krzysztof Janiszewski Antoine Johnson Blake Thompson Junior...Willie Powers III Rory Spencer Sophomore...Jeb Brannen Colby Wohlleb reshman...cameron Baskerville Alex Coxworth EORIA SOUTHERN MEN S BASKETBALL

AUBURN UP NEXT FOR COUGARS IN CHARLESTON CLASSIC

AUBURN UP NEXT FOR COUGARS IN CHARLESTON CLASSIC COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (1-1, 0-0 SoCon) vs. AUBURN (1-1, 0-0 SEC) Game #3 ESPN Charleston Classic presented by Foster Grant November 16, 2012 7:30 p.m. (ET)