A look ahead: 2008-09 Men's Basketball

The 2008-09 Men’s Basketball team will return all of its starters and all but two players from last year’s PSAC contending squad. Here is a look at this year’s team, which should be a serious threat in the conference and could be a regional contender.

Returners:

Andre Woodlin (Senior Guard) – When considering the Golden Bears top scorers, Woodlin [Pictured to the right] might not be the first name that comes to mind. That, of course, is only because he playing on a team with the likes of David Ben and Stephen Dennis. Those two led KU in scoring one year ago, but Woodlin was the most consistent of the three throughout the season and was third on the team in scoring, notching 13.7 points per game. Compared to Ben and Dennis, he had less fouls, less turnovers, a higher shooting percentage, and a better three point shooting percentage. Furthermore, he had a better free throw percentage than Ben and more rebounds than Ben and one less than Dennis. So, while Ben and Dennis are the flashiest of the three, don’t forget about Mr. Woodlin, who will return to the starting lineup for his senior season.

Stephen Dennis (Junior Guard) – A Street & Smith’s pre-season All-American, Dennis [Pictured to the left] will return as KU’s starting point guard in 2008-09. The junior is the team’s leading scorer from one year ago and also paced the team in blocks (yes, blocks) and steals. If you’ve seen him play, you know Dennis is anything but your typical point man. He really can do it all and, when he is in the zone, can basically take over the game and score at will from anywhere on the court. His only weakness seems to be from beyond the arc, where he was just 10-of-54 (18.5%) last season. Dennis should only be better in his third year at KU. Just like a year ago, expect him and Ben to lead the way in scoring.

Steve Coffey (Sophomore Guard) – Coffey was a serviceable backup point guard in his rookie season a year ago and will likely serve the same role this year. He averaged just under nine minutes a game, did a nice job taking care of the ball, and was a very high percentage shooter. With Edwards now officially a redshirt for the 2008-09 season, Coffey will likely play a larger role in the backcourt.

Mike Connolly (Sophomore Guard) – Connolly quickly earned himself a reputation as sharpshooter last season when he entered games unafraid to fire up shots from beyond the arc. The backup shooting guard hit 15 three pointers, fourth best on the team, despite averaging just over 8 minutes a game. Another solid reserve guard, Connolly’s is unlikely to change with the entire backcourt back from last season.

Ryan Nemetz (Sophomore Guard) – Nemetz saw just 27 minutes of work in 2007-08 as a reserve guard and will likely not see significant time again this season with the entire backcourt back.

Dave Ben (Senior Guard/Forward) – One of the best players in the PSAC since his arrival in 2005, Ben [Pictured to the right] will head into his senior season attempting to lead his talented squad of veterans to a PSAC championship. Ben isn’t the best example of consistency, but, when he is hot, there is nobody better in the PSAC (just ask East Stroudsburg what happened on February 6). Ben averaged 17 points per game last season and played more minutes than anyone on the roster. The senior shot over 40 percent from the field, over 30 percent from long range, and 70 percent from the charity stripe. Furthermore, Ben snagged 5.3 rebounds per game, led the team with 88 assists, had 12 blocks, and was third best on the team with 46 steals. His team-high 73 personal fouls and 86 turnovers are partially a product of a ton more playing time than everyone else, but also an indicator of his sometimes erratic play. That said, sometimes erratic can be explosive—and explosive is a great word for Ben’s game. Ben will start, of course, and will once again be one of the most feared players in the PSAC.

Mark Bower (Senior Forward) – A candidate to start at center, Bower will have to unseat the incumbent Jeremy Coombs, who saw a majority of the starts at center one year ago. Regardless of if he starts or not, Bower will see significant minutes off the bench with fellow backup forward Kevin Hafera off to the real world. Bower averaged just under 11 minutes a game last year, so pencil him in for 11 a game this year plus a portion of Hafera’s 14 minutes a game as well.

Ryan Washington (Sophomore Forward) – Washington was a pleasant surprise for head coach Bernie Driscoll last season following the premature departure of center Sean McKeon. A redshirt freshman at the time, Washington stepped into the power forward position and made an impact throughout the entire season. He shot over 51 percent from the floor and averaged just over nine points per game, fifth best on the team. Washington was the team’s leading rebounder, hauling in 7.7 a game. He was second on the team with 38 blocks. Now in his second year of eligibility, Washington will be expected to continue his strong play on the block as the team’s starting power forward.

Jeremy Coombs (Junior Center) – As mentioned, Coombs is the incumbent starting center, but will need a strong preseason to hold off senior center Mark Bower. Coombs had nice chemistry with fellow big man Ryan Washington a season ago, but often gave way to Hafera and Bower after only a few minutes of action. With Hafera gone, Coombs will likely see an increase from the 15 minutes a game he worked a year ago…even if he loses the starting job to Bower.

Newcomers:
Julius Gray (Sophomore Guard) - Junior College transfer
Omar Ford-Bey (Freshman Guard) – Reserve guard. Check him out on Youtube.
Jordan Wenner (Freshman Center) – Reserve center
Ryan White (Freshman Forward) – Reserve forward

Subtractions:

Nate Edwards (Junior Guard) – UPDATE: Edwards was hurt during the summer and will redshirt for the 2008-09 campaign. He will return for his junior season next year. If this were the NBA, Edwards would’ve been a candidate for the “Sixth Man of the Year” award for his contributions off the bench for KU one year ago. Edwards appeared in 25 games, averaging just over 24 minutes a game, and scored just under 11 points per game. A playmaker, Edwards was second on the team in steals and led the team with a three point shooting percentage just above 37 percent. With all five starters back, Edwards would've returned to his role as the team’s sixth man…although he could easily start for just about any other team in the PSAC. He will likely get the opportunity to start next season when Ben and Woodlin graduate.

Forward Kevin Hafera - Graduation