2004-2005 LYCOMING COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – The Lycoming College men’s basketball team will enter the 2004-2005 season looking to defend their title as Freedom Conference Champions after going 21-8 a year ago and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Led by second-year head coach Don Friday, the Warriors return three starters and a total of 11 players from the 2003-2004 squad while welcoming six freshmen to the team.

“Last year was a special year that just added to the already rich history of Lycoming College basketball,” said Friday. “We’re optimistic we can continue to build on that legacy and we look forward the challenges that lie ahead of in the upcoming season.”

Leading the way for Lycoming will be a trio of returning starters. Junior Jonathan Pribble (Woolrich, Pa.; Central Mountain) and senior Shaun Morris (Camp Hill, Pa.; Trinity) have each been starters the past two seasons, and junior Brad Musser (Mifflinburg, Pa.; Mifflinburg) returns after taking over the starting point guard duties last season.

Pribble was the Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year in 2003 and earned first-team all-conference honors last year, leading the league in scoring. The 6’5” forward came into his own last season averaging 20 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. His performance in the post-season was even more impressive, posting 31 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during two conference playoff contests and two NCAA Tournament games.

Morris, a 6’3” guard, led the Warriors and the Freedom Conference in assists last season with a school record 154 dishes. He also led Lycoming in steals with 28, while chipping in 8.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Morris is known for his ability to see the floor on offense and his tight coverage in man-to-man defense, but he is also a dangerous scoring threat as evidenced by three 20-point games during the 2003-2004 season.

Musser earned the starting point guard responsibilities as a sophomore last season and directed an offense that averaged 74.5 points per game. Playing more than 30 minutes per game, Musser was second on the squad with 114 assists, while contributing 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest. His ball-handling abilities were also the team’s greatest weapon against opponents’ pressure defense.

“Jonathan, Shaun, and Brad give us a great nucleus to build around,” said Friday. “Their experience and leadership are skills that cannot be taught in practice and will be valuable assets as we defend our championship.”

Senior Jeremiah Edison (Mifflinburg, Pa.; Mifflinburg) returns after playing in every game last season, including eight starts. The 6’9” center, was blocked from the starting lineup by a pair of all-conference players in Matt Stackhouse and L.J. Huggler, but provided valuable minutes off the bench. For the season, he averaged 7.1 points and 4.4 rebounds playing 17 minutes a game.

Senior Nick Myers (Shamokin, Pa.; Shamokin), junior Patrick Baylor (Broomall, Pa.; Cardinal O’Hara), and sophomores Derrick Dull (Ephrata, Pa.; Ephrata), Scott Corrigan (Lake Ariel, Pa.; Western Wayne), and Jeff Warner (Jackson, N.J.; Jackson Memorial) also return after making significant contributions to the Warriors’ playoff run. Myers, a 6’2” guard, came off the bench in 23 games and contributed 1.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. Baylor, a 6’3” guard, played in 27 games, highlighted by an NCAA playoff game in which he hit a pair of first-half three pointers to spark Lycoming’s offense. Dull, a 6’3” forward, came off the bench in 23 games, scoring 21 points and grabbing 31 rebounds. Corrigan, a 6’3” point guard, provided valuable minutes backing up Musser and was deadly from behind the arc hitting 7-of-13 three-point attempts. Warner, a 6’3” forward, appeared in 17 games, bringing additional athleticism to the frontcourt. Sophomore Greg Arrow (Ivyland, Pa.; Archbishop Wood) saw limited action appearing in 11 games.

“One of the keys to our success last season was our depth,” said Friday. “Whether it was someone coming off the bench and hitting a key shot or just allowing our starters to catch an extra breather, the fact that we could go 11 or 12 players deep was often a huge advantage.”

The Warriors will hope to add to that depth with six freshmen joining the team for the upcoming season. Kevin Arvai (Monassas, Va.; Osbourn), a 6’ guard, averaged 8.5 points and 3.0 assists per game his senior year of high school. Matt McGair (Mt. Laurel, N.J.; Moorestown), a 6’5” forward, posted 12 points and 12 rebounds per game as captain of his team a year ago. Kevin Morris (Camp Hill, Pa.; Trinity), a 6’6” forward, averaged 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists as a senior and won a pair of Pennsylvania state titles during his scholastic career. Dave Pearson (Strasburg, Pa.; Lampeter-Strasburg), a 6’8” forward, is an athletic big-man who recorded 16 points, nine rebounds, and six blocks per game last season. Dave Wilson (Pottsville, Pa.; Pottsville), a 6’3” guard, averaged 18 points and five rebounds as a senior in high school. Greg Wonderly (Wilcox, Pa.; Johnsonburg), a 6’7” forward, posted eight points and nine rebounds per game a year ago.

“I’m excited about the group of players who are joining our basketball family,” said Friday. “I’m confident they are going to provide the versatility and depth we need to repeat as conference champs.”

Repeating will not be easy, however, as Lycoming must again survive another regular season in the highly competitive Freedom Conference while also navigating a beefed up non-conference schedule. The Warriors will play at least two teams that competed in the 2004 NCAA Tournament in New Jersey City College and Elizabethtown College. Lycoming is also traveling to a holiday tournament hosted by Randolph Macon College where the Warriors could face the always strong Yellow Jackets.

“If we want to take the next step of becoming a consistent player on the national level, we need to play that level of competition,” said Friday. “I believe playing teams such as Etown, New Jersey City, and Randolph Macon can only better prepare us for our conference schedule and any post-season games we’re fortunate enough to earn.”

Lycoming opens up the 2004-2005 season on Friday, November 19, at 6 p.m. when they host Alfred University in the opening game of the Lycoming College Tip-Off Tournament. The second game at 8 p.m. will feature Geneseo State University versus John Jay University.