Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball Season Preview
11/10/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2006
Last May a press release was distributed announcing that rising seniors Abe Badmus, Donald Brown and Chris McNaughton had been named Bucknell basketball team captains for the 2006-07 season. Unofficially, however, the leadership torch was passed to this trio later in the offseason by head coach Pat Flannery. Prior to a routine team meeting, Flannery called them into his office and told them the messages he needed to get across to the team, and then he informed them that the coaches would not be attending. It was the captains' meeting.
The message came through loud and clear. For the last two seasons, Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee were much more than co-captains and all-star players. They were the public face of a program that reached unprecedented heights -- back-to-back Patriot League titles, two straight trips to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a first-ever top-25 national ranking, to name a few of the accomplishments.
But Bettencourt and Lee have graduated, and Flannery's actions spoke louder than words. Badmus, Brown and McNaughton, the team's only three seniors (and arguably Bucknell's three most important players), now have the reins of this skyrocketing program.
"It really starts with these three guys," says Flannery, who is entering his 13th season as Bucknell's head coach. "They really seem to be in line with each other, and they are so well respected by their teammates. All of them have been leaders on the team, in terms of speaking up in huddles and in practice, but mostly it went unnoticed because Charles and Kevin were out front publicly. All three are so important to this team in different ways, and I am really looking forward to watching them take charge."
For the third year in a row, Bucknell enters a season as the preseason favorite in the Patriot League. The Bison handled those expectations flawlessly in each of the last two seasons. Particularly a year ago, coming off the 2005 NCAA Tournament upset of Kansas, followed by impressive early season road wins over Syracuse and DePaul, Bucknell's national stature was no longer a secret. And even with that giant bulls-eye on their backs, the Bison still managed to become the first team to go unbeaten in Patriot League play at 14-0, then they repeated as league champs and as the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeated Arkansas in the first round before falling to No. 1 Memphis.
While the 2005-06 team returned nearly intact from the previous season, this year's edition of the Bison will have some holes to fill. Most notable is the loss of Bettencourt, a 1,500-point scorer who played in more games than anyone in program history, and Lee, the smooth wing man who was the 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year. Also gone are frontcourt men Tarik Viaer-McClymont and Holland Mack, two role players who, like the captains, were tremendous character guys in the locker room.
The good news for Bison fans is that there is still plenty of talent returning, not to mention a handful of promising newcomers who may soon be household names in Lewisburg.
A dominant big man and an experienced point guard are two commodities that any team would love to have, and Bucknell can claim both in the 6'11 McNaughton up front and Badmus at the point for the fourth straight year. The third returning starter is junior power forward Darren Mastropaolo, who lends a physical presence in the frontcourt.
Brown is almost like a returning starter. Arguably the Patriot League's best sixth man last season, Brown platooned with Mastropaolo at the "4" spot and actually averaged a few more minutes per game. This season, he will likely shift roles a bit and play more at the small forward position vacated by Lee.
The competition for the starting shooting guard position should be a heated one this preseason. The leading contenders are a pair of sharpshooters in junior John Griffin and sophomore Jason Vegotsky, and regardless of who ends up starting games, both will be counted on to be significant contributors in 2006-07. Junior Rob Thomas is another name to keep an eye on. Thomas has been caught in a numbers game for the last two seasons and has not seen a lot of minutes, but with his speed and athleticism, he could play an expanded role this winter.
Center Josh Linthicum and point guard Justin Castleberry are two sophomores who could also see increased roles. Both returned to campus in excellent shape following productive offseasons, and both benefited tremendously from a year apprenticing under McNaughton and Badmus, respectively.
Throw into the mix three promising recruits in Patrick Behan, Zach Evans and Stephen Tyree, and the competition for minutes should be intense all year long.
Flannery notes the importance of chemistry in basketball, the ability of the five men on the floor to mesh with one another. That chemistry is particularly important at Bucknell, where Flannery's tricky matchup zone defense and motion offense both require a keen ability to perceive the position and movements of teammates.
"That chemistry will be big for us, particularly early in the season," says Flannery. "Everyone needs to have the ability to read their teammates and have a feel for the strengths of the guys they're playing with."
This is where veterans like Badmus, Brown and McNaughton come in. "Fortunately we have some go-to guys," says Flannery. "We have guys who have been through all different kinds of battles and understand what it takes to be successful. We will be ready for it, even knowing that everyone is going to be gunning for us."
At that de facto players-only meeting during the offseason, the captains spoke to their teammates about "standing up to the challenge," meaning that the challenge of once again being a very good basketball team is right in front of them, but must be attained by working hard and re-earning that designation, rather than taking it for granted.
"Before last season we talked about not having a sense of entitlement, about earning everything that comes to you, and the same thing applies this year," Flannery offers. "Yes, we accomplished a lot last year, but this team is not defending anything. All that the 2006 team accomplished was earned with hard work. That can never be taken away, and now we have to move on."
The moving on officially begins on Saturday, Nov. 11, when the Bison open the 2006-07 season on the road against defending America East champion Albany, a team that came within a few minutes of shocking No. 1-seeded Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament last March.
Three days later, the Sojka Psychos will surely be back out in full force for the home opener, which comes against no less a foe than Wake Forest, which becomes the first Atlantic Coast Conference team ever to play basketball in Lewisburg.
The first two contests of the season are indicative of yet another challenging non-conference schedule authored by Flannery and his staff. In just the last two years, the Bison have played national powers such as Duke, Villanova, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and DePaul, as well as highly regarded Eastern programs such as Saint Joseph's, Penn, Princeton, Rider, Niagara and Boston University.
This season Penn State rejoins the docket after a two-year break in the series, and games against reigning Final Four participant George Mason, Saint Joe's, Northern Iowa, Xavier and Texas Tech highlight a busy and treacherous opening two months of play.
Flannery is again hoping the tough road prepares his team well for Patriot League play, which is always a challenging grind. Expect Bucknell's rivalry with highly respected foe Holy Cross to blossom even further, as the Crusaders also return a bevy of talented experienced players from last year's 20-win team. Lehigh and American are also annual title contenders, and most prognosticators predict Colgate, Lafayette, Army and Navy to be significantly improved. The eight teams in the Patriot League are all exceedingly well-coached, and everyone is so familiar with each other's personnel that are no easy nights in conference play.
"We have another great opportunity in front of us," says Flannery. "We know we're going to get everyone's best shot every time out, so we have to take the mentality of being the hunter, rather than the hunted."
THE BACKCOURT
While replacing Kevin Bettencourt and Charles Lee on the wing will be no small task, Pat Flannery still has plenty of weapons at the guard positions. The conversation begins with senior Abe Badmus, who is not only one of the elite point guards in the Patriot League, but he is a fourth-year starter who has piloted the team on the grandest of stages, going toe-to-toe against a number of terrific athletes, many of whom now play for pay.
Badmus is the team's catalyst, and even though he does so much to control the pace of the game at both ends of the floor, he remains widely underrated because he has not yet scored points at a particularly high rate. Even though that may change this year, his value lies in his ability to get the Bison into their flow offensively, and to disrupt the opponent's ability to do the same at the other end.
The 2004-05 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, Badmus enjoys making life miserable for opposing point guards with his quickness, instincts and persistence on defense. While he already ranks third on Bucknell's career steals chart, his defensive value can barely be measured statistically.
Same goes on offense, where he averaged 6.6 points last season while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor. He had a career-high 125 assists, second-most in the league, and while he has always been a "pass-first" player, Badmus did flash some scoring potential at times. He scored a career-high 17 points against Lehigh in the Patriot League regular-season title-clinching game at Sojka Pavilion and reached double figures seven other times. Badmus has also hit a series of monumentally important shots late in games for Bucknell, none bigger than the two game-clinching free throws he nailed with seven seconds left in the 59-55 victory over Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament last March.
This season, Flannery feels that Badmus can and will increase his scoring.
"The great thing about Abe is that every year he has taken a piece of his game and improved it significantly," says Flannery. "He has really spent a lot of time shooting the basketball, and he shoots with so much confidence now. When he has looked to score he has been able to do so effectively, and now we are encouraging him to do that."
Next to Badmus are pair of exceptional long-range shooters that force teams to defend the perimeter when they are on the floor. The more experienced of the two is junior John Griffin, one of the team's emotional leaders on and off the floor.
Griffin has played in every game over the last two seasons and has been a key part of Bucknell's outstanding backcourt depth. He is naturally suited to the "2" guard spot but can also fill in for Badmus at the point if needed. A lightning-quick release makes him an especially dangerous outside threat, and he has made 76 3-pointers in the last two years.
"John uses his experience, his knowledge of the game and his exceptional desire to his advantage," says Flannery. "He's not the type of player who is going to out-jump anyone, but he proves that basketball does not have to be about that. John can score from anywhere on the floor and he brings that toughness that's hard to coach. As coaches, we know we have to get him minutes."
Vegotsky was a welcome addition to the squad last season. With such a veteran backcourt, Flannery had the luxury of easing Vegotsky into the rotation, and he flashed his tremendous potential on more than one occasion and ultimately landed on the Patriot League All-Rookie Team. He made 54.7 percent (29-53) of his 3-point attempts, the second-best mark in school history, and had a number of big scoring nights. Most notable was his 12-point showing on national television against No. 1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium when he made 4 of 5 3-point tries. He then scored a career-high 19 points with five treys one game later against Navy.
"Jason has played in some big spots already, and we feel he really got some good seasoning last year," Flannery notes. "He is a terrific scorer with great range, and he has really started to adapt to the speed of the college game. He has learned to use screens and move without the ball. When he got here we used to kid him about his defense, but he has come back bigger and stronger, knowing that defense is his ticket to playing time."
Junior Rob Thomas worked extremely hard in the offseason, knowing that his time to contribute may soon be coming with more minutes available on the wing. Thomas has played sparingly throughout his first two seasons, but he has shown that he can be a very strong offensive player.
"Rob stretches the floor because he shoots the ball so well and matches up athletically with anyone," says Flannery. "The big thing for Rob is continuing to improve defensively. He has the ability to keep people in front of him, he just needs to do it consistently."
Also back this season is sophomore Justin Castleberry, a sound fundamental point guard who will serve as the backup to Badmus. Like Thomas and Vegotsky, Castleberry's minutes were limited last season with a number of more seasoned players ahead of them in the backcourt, but Castleberry came back to school in outstanding shape and could see some added floor time this winter.
"This is Justin's time to make an impression," Flannery offers. "He has a nice feel for the game and is really one of our best passers. He seems to be playing with an added confidence. Justin needs to shoot a bit more consistently so that guys don't just back off of him. Last year he went through his initiation, and this is a big year for him." Freshmen Stephen Tyree, Zach Evans and George Medrano will also join the backcourt mix in 2006-07.
Also a standout football player from the Houston area, Tyree is a terrific athlete who played all over the court in high school. At Bucknell, he initially appears best-suited for the shooting guard spot, although he will get some looks both at small forward and even at the point. On top of his terrific athleticism, Flannery lauds Tyree's instincts and intelligence on the floor.
"Stephen is a real sharp player," Flannery says. "He loves to defend and is very unselfish, he might even be one of our best passers. He is an energy kid with a world of talent, and his versatility will give him a good opportunity to play for us."
Evans came into preseason workouts just getting over a lingering injury, but at 6'5" he is another long defender who Flannery feels will fit it to his defensive system very well.
"Zach has played against some very good competition and could match up well as a bigger wing player," says Flannery. "He also shoots the ball very well and can score."
Medrano was a later addition to the Bison rookie class, and the coaching staff is happy to have the quick, lefty point guard. Medrano brings an additional element of speed to the backcourt, which means at least initially he should be a good look for Badmus every day in practice.
"George is a very smart young man who just loves Bucknell," says Flannery. "He is not big, but he is not afraid of anyone and he makes really good decisions."
THE FRONTCOURT
The Bison enter 2006-07 with a deep arsenal of frontcourt players, led by returning starters Chris McNaughton and Darren Mastropaolo along with super sixth man Donald Brown.
McNaughton, the Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection, has already solidified his status as one of the top centers in the East, and this season he will be pushing for All-America honors.
Quick and nimble for a 6'11" player, McNaughton has a vast array of low-post moves that have helped him shoot a stellar 60.8 percent from the floor in his career. Last year he significantly added shooting range, consistently knocking down jumpers in the 10-to-18 foot range, and he even made his first two career 3-pointers. He also became a much-improved free-throw shooter. A 64.3 percent shooter from the line entering last season, he upped that mark to 75.3 percent in 2005-06.
McNaughton, who is also the two-time defending Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, averaged a career-high 12.8 ppg last season, including a career-high 29 points against No. 4 Villanova. The Villanova game was a continuation of his outstanding play against top opponents, as some of his best career offensive games have come against the likes of Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Memphis, Kansas, Syracuse, Niagara and Holy Cross.
"Chris has done things to get better and better every year," Flannery lauds. "We need to find ways to get him the ball in a variety of places and get him more shots because he is so skilled shooting the basketball. Sometimes he's almost too unselfish. He knows he's going to see double teams, and he's better prepared for it now."
Mastropaolo is another of the team's unsung heroes. He is not recognized publicly as a star mainly because his career scoring average is 3.3 ppg. But ask any of the Bison coaches and they will tell you that the program would not be where it is without him. Mastropaolo is sort of like an offensive lineman in football. Few people notice the things he does on every possession, but the little things he does makes his teammates better.
For one, Flannery calls him one of the best screeners he has ever coached. Those screens are essential in Bucknell's motion offense, and many of the 3-pointers that the guards get the credit for are set up by a Mastropaolo pick. Defensively, he is strong enough to guard big centers and power forwards -- he bodied eventual NBA draft pick Wayne Simien for much of the night in Bucknell's 2005 NCAA Tournament win over Kansas -- but also agile enough to step out and defend on the perimeter. Mastropaolo is typically the first player on the floor for a loose ball, and he led the team in charges taken last year.
"Darren is now very experienced and very confident," says Flannery. "He's a guy that as a coach you really need to have. He keeps getting better every year, and we have seen at times that he's capable of being aggressive offensively. He has a great feel for the game and plays the game the way it is supposed to be played."
For the last two seasons Brown has shared time with Mastropaolo, helping Flannery gain matchup edges by taking advantage of Brown's speed and athleticism at the "4" spot. This year Brown will likely see more time at the small forward position, where he has played some in the past, replacing 2006 Patriot League Player of the Year Charles Lee. He clearly has the quickness, ball-handling ability and mid-range game to flourish there, and his length makes him one of the team's most valuable defenders. Brown did not attempt a single 3-point shot last season, however, and he spent the off-season working hard on that aspect of his game.
"Donald has a very quick first step and can score in a lot of different ways," says Flannery. "He is an excellent finisher, can score on the offensive glass and with pull-up jumpers and he can get to the line. He is really working hard from 17 feet and beyond. Donald has become so confident, and the better he does the more that confidence breeds. As a senior, he has taken his leadership role very seriously."
Junior Andrew Morrison, sophomore Josh Linthicum and freshman Patrick Behan also figure to play roles up front. Morrison is similar to Rob Thomas in that he has not garnered a lot of game action yet, but with two full years in the program he knows the system well and has improved appreciably going head-to-head against all-league caliber players every day. Morrison has the physical capability to play the "4" spot and can also step out and knock down jump shots.
"Andrew certainly has the capability to play a role for us," Flannery says. "He can get in there and bang with bigger guys and can also stretch the floor with his range."
The 6'11" Linthicum will serve as McNaughton's backup at center this season, but he harbors the potential to someday be much more than a second-stringer. Linthicum has improved tremendously in every area since joining the Bison prior to last season, and at the very least this season he should pick up the minutes made available by the graduation of widebody Tarik Viaer-McClymont.
"There is nobody on the team more intriguing to me than Josh Linthicum," states Flannery. "His ceiling is so high. The period between your freshman and sophomore year is the time when a lot of guys really make a big jump, and now that Josh is comfortable here both academically and in terms of what we expect in our basketball program, he could really take off. Offensively he plays well with his back to the basket and has a nice little jump-hook, and he can also square up and shoot the jumper. He's a tough guy to defend. Most importantly, he really seems to be enjoying the game."
Behan is a freshman who figures to contribute right from day one. At 6'8" he is a natural "4" who can also play the "3" if needed, and he brings a much-needed element of shooting range to the forward spot. A terrific outside shooter with range well beyond the 3-point arc, Behan is potentially a nice complement to Mastropaolo up front.
"We've seen Patrick shoot the ball lights out on the perimeter, but he can also put the ball on the floor and get to the basket," Flannery says. "His ability to stretch defenses and open things up inside is something that we really wanted, and it didn't take long to realize that Patrick was a guy who could come in and play that role for us. He needs to get a bit stronger physically, as do most kids coming in out of high school, but he comes from a winning program, and we are looking forward to big things from him."
