Holes to fill, No. 9 Wooster still has experience, lofty goals

  • brian questel
  • November 22, 2011
  • 253
                        
112811 scotspreview Promo: National runner-up season behind them, Scots work to stay among nation’s elite Holes to fill, No. 9 Wooster still has experience, lofty goals By Brian Questel It was a season to remember. One can be sure, The College of Wooster’s men’s basketball team certainly won’t forget the 2010-11 campaign. The only way it could have been better was to win one more game – just one more. The Scots set a school record with 31 wins a year ago as they reached their third Final Four in eight years (going previously in 2003 and 2008), culminating in an appearance in the national championship game against St. Thomas. In a season where so much went right for Wooster, the Scots ran up against a Tommies’ team that surged to a 78-54 victory to win the national title. There was plenty else that did go right for Wooster. It won the North Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships, which extended its streak of conference titles to seven in a row. The 31 wins also improved Wooster’s record to 311-54 since the 2000 campaign, making the Scots the winningest program across all NCAA divisions. They will have to replace three key links as they move into the 2011-12 campaign, but Wooster coach Steve Moore returns eight lettermen and a promising freshman class. Filling those shoes will be critical because the trio of Ian Franks, Nathan Balch and Bryan Wickliffe were key to Wooster’s success during their tenure. Franks was a two-time All-America and the NCAC Player of the Year last year, who scored 1,696 career points during his four year career. Balch was also a 1,000-point scorer, netting 1,136 in just three seasons at Wooster, while Wickliffe was undersized in the middle but huge at crunch time, leaving Wooster as the No. 15 scorer (1,193) and No. 10 rebounder (754) in Wooster history. That kind of talent loss will be tough to overcome, but the Scots have eight returning lettermen and a talented freshman class that could ease the transition and keep the Scots performing at a high level. The early results have been positive. The Scots, ranked No. 9 in Division III, were competitive in an early season exhibition loss against Division I Bradley and then opened 2-0 by winning the Al Van Wie/Rotary Classic. Wooster beat a Defiance College team that returned five starters and has averaged 18 wins over the past five seasons, and then topped Anderson (Ind.) College, which was 18-9 a year ago. “I think some of our questions were answered, but we are still evaluating things,” said Wooster coach Steve Moore, who entered his 25th season at Wooster with a 569-129 record and a career mark of 656-194. “We are playing some new guys and the returning guys are in new roles because of the guys who graduated. Going in we thought it would take a while to develop the team chemistry and to jell and come together. It’s inevitable it’s not going to happen overnight, but I think the way we played our first two games, I’d have to say we’ve started to come together and overall it was a good start to the season.” That start can be linked to those who have returned, beginning with 6-foot-7 senior forward Justin Hallowell. A two-time all-NCAC second-team pick, he averaged nearly 14 points through Wooster’s six NCAC tournament games and finished the year averaging 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. His versatility is such that he can play inside, but he has made 42 percent of his 3-point shots and has 229 in his 3-year career. Classmates Matt Fegan and Justin Warnes, who will play in the guard spots, join him. Fegan started and averaged 6 points a game last season, while Warnes was the team’s defensive specialist a year ago and remains so this season. “The returning players have stepped into leadership positions and done a good job,” said Moore. “Justin Hallowell and Matt Fegan started last year and Justin Warnes, who didn’t start but played a lot, will move into a new role as a starter. Those three have done a good job with leadership and they are key to a good start. It seems the new guys are fitting in well and we’re starting to develop (that) chemistry. “All three have played in a lot of games for us, Hallowell and Fegan since they were freshmen and Warnes since his sophomore season. They have a good understanding of our system and they’ve learned from the guys that they played with. They’ve learned about what it takes to win. That’s a real key thing.” That example of pairing veterans with younger or more inexperienced players is continuing this year. “We inserted (freshman) Xavier Brown as our point guard and what has helped Xavier is having Matt on the floor to start the game,” said Moore. “Matt has helped call out the offenses and he is being very vocal, and I think that has helped Xavier settle in. Matt has done a good job with that.” Wooster’s returning experience can also be found in the form of junior posts Josh Claytor (6-7) and Jake Mays (6-8). They added eight points and a half-dozen rebounds combined to back up Wickliffe in the paint a year ago, but that leading role will now shift to them. “Heading into the season we said Josh and Jake would be two real key players for us,” said Moore. “Both got playing time as freshman and sophomore. Now that Wick has graduated, they need to step up. They need to improve as players and be more consistent. We knew we were going to be relying on them and so far they have done a good job. “Their experience is a positive thing. When you lose a Bryan Wickliffe, to have two guys at that position as juniors and who have played instead of relying on two freshmen is important.” With five players, who either started or saw gut-check minutes, it’s no wonder there is an air of expectation around Wooster. “We have experienced players,” said Moore. “We certainly have questions as to who will be the guy to come through when we need key buckets. Ian did that so often and Bryan was so good for four years, and Nathan came through as well. “Those experienced players will mix in with our young talent. (Sophomore) Ryan Snyder played a lot of minutes and played well in the national tournament. He will be a key. He had a big 3-pointer against Anderson late in the game when they were making a run. In the forward position, a freshman, Kenny DeBoer (6-5, 215 pounds) has done a good job. He has good physical strength and skills. He’ll play some key minutes and help fill that void. (Sophomore) Doug Thorpe, who didn’t play a lot last season, will be the back-up point guard to Xavier Brown, and (sophomore) Scott Purcell … has improved and will provide depth on the perimeter. Those were the 10 who got in over the weekend.” Brown may feel the most pressure as the lone freshman in the starting lineup, but he opened with 18 points against Defiance and added 22 against Anderson. “Xavier is a very talented guard,” said Moore of the 5-11 newcomer. “He is very quick, an excellent ball handler and has the ability as a point guard to score. He has a lot of talent and potential. He’s learning. Obviously it’s a big adjustment to come in as a freshman and play college basketball, but he’s an intelligent young man. “Kenny DeBoer is the other new guy who will get a lot of minutes. With those two, we have two fine additions. Coupled with the other incoming freshmen, it’s a good class.” With seven NCAC titles under their belt and a NCAA runner-up trophy in the corridors of Timken Gymnasium, Moore knows the Scots will be taking the best shot from every single one of its opponents again this season. “A lot of the teams in the conference are looking at Wooster without Franks, Balch and Wickliffe and thinking this is the year to overtake us,” Moore admitted. “There are a lot of good teams in the conference with Wittenberg, Wabash, Denison and Allegheny – teams that are playing well. DePauw is in the league now, so it will be a tremendous challenge to win the conference. “We have to keep on working to be as good as we can be and see what happens, see if we’re good enough. We will keep improving and the new guys will be better as time goes along. We have two of our toughest conference games early with Wittenberg and Wabash, so we’ll find things out quickly. Even if we don’t get off to a great start, it’s a long season and we have to keep plugging away.”


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