|
Men's Teams
Women's Teams
|
 |
|
|
News
Cougars Set to Tip off 2011-2012 Hoops
Campaign
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (10-31-2011) - The Mount
Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball
team will tip off what promises to be an
entertaining season on November 1 with a
non-conference game against the University
of Northwestern Ohio at 7:30 p.m. in the
Physical Education Center.
The Cougars will be entering their third
season under head coach Matt Moore, who has
recorded more wins (29) in his first two
seasons than another other coach in the
program's 43-year history. MVNU is coming
off a 16-15 campaign last year, and the
Cougars return 56 percent of the scoring
from that team.
"This year we will
have a great blend of young players who
gained valuable minutes last year with a few
veterans who have been through the wars,"
said Moore, who has posted a 29-31 record in
his first two years at the helm. "I really
like our basketball IQ and we have one of
the better shooting teams that we have had
the past couple of years. Our ability to
maximize our efforts at the defensive end of
the floor will be the determining factor in
both our non-conference and conference
schedules. We have to establish an identity
early with how we guard and rebound the
basketball to allow ourselves to score."
MVNU will be led by senior guard Robbie
Taylor and senior forward Danil Zakhlebnyy.
Taylor was second on the squad in scoring a
year ago at 13.5 points per game and in
assists (90), and he led the team in
three-pointers made (67) and steals (65).
Meanwhile, Zakhlebnyy averaged 10.5 points
and 4.6 rebounds with his inside-outside
style of play.
"Robbie and Danil are
both tested and know what it takes to go
through the grind of a season," said Moore.
"They are both outstanding leaders and have
shown their dedication to making their final
season here matter."
Junior shooting
guard Ben Severns and sophomores Austin
Semple and Caleb Williams will also be
counted upon heavily to contribute to the
team's success. Severns averaged 7.3 points
coming off the bench last season and nailed
41.7 percent of his three-point attempts
(53-for-127). Semple started 20 of the
team's 31 games and averaged 7.7 points and
2.9 rebounds while shooting 53.8 percent
from the field, and Williams averaged 3.0
points and 1.7 rebounds in limited minutes.
"I am looking for big things out of
Ben," said Moore. "He has really blossomed
as a leader and voice for our team this
year. He is a great complement to Robbie at
the guard position. Austin and Caleb will
anchor our energy and attitude. They are
passionate players who compete each time
they take the court. I expect big things
from both of these guys."
Juniors
Bryce Barnes and Zach Zeltman are two more
players who will be looked upon to step up
their games after playing reserve roles a
year ago. Barnes averaged 1.8 points in 10
games off the bench, while Zeltman
contributed 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in
11 games.
"Bryce and Zach are two
guys who could very easily find themselves
in the starting rotation at one point or
another," said Moore. "Bryce missed a
majority of last year with an injury and he
has bounced back this preseason in a big
way. He plays with an intensity that is
contagious. Zach is one of the most
versatile players we have, and he has
developed himself into an important piece
for us. He can guard three positions and
play nearly four positions offensively."
Sophomore wing Matt Anglea, a wing, and
freshman Landon Israel, a guard, are two
more players who expect to see considerable
playing time as the season unfolds. Anglea
played primarily on the MVNU junior varsity
team last season with three brief varsity
appearances, while Israel was busy wrapping
up his high school career at Maysville High
School.
"Matt is a lanky kid who will
give us good minutes both on our reserve
team and in a backup role," said Moore.
"Landon will be playing what I believe is
the most difficult position to play as a
freshman - point guard. He has a great deal
of poise which is critical when you make the
jump from high school to college.
Senior Josh Weikart, sophomores Nate Dodds
and Garrison Hinkle, and freshmen Travis
Beckett, Jeremiah Townes, and Grant Harder
round out the roster for the Cougars.
MVNU has a rather daunting schedule when
comparing their slate to the NAIA Division
II preseason rankings. The Cougars will have
eight games against teams ranked in the NAIA
Division II Top 25 including five against
Top 10 teams and four other games against
teams receiving votes. In addition, Hope
(Mich.) College also received votes in the
D3Hoops.com preseason poll.
Following
the game against Northwestern Ohio, MVNU
will host Siena Heights (Mich.) University,
Ohio Christian University, and Ohio
University-Zanesville in the A+ Autobrokers
Holiday Invitational on November 4-5. The
Cougars will then travel to NAIA Division II
No. 23 Indiana University-East before
playing games against the University of
Michigan-Dearborn and Cedarville University.
The team will also host non-conference games
against Madonna (Mich.) University and
Lourdes College as well as traveling to the
Hope Tournament for games against the host
team and Purdue University-North Central
(Ind.). Finally, MVNU will play at Edward
Waters (Fla.) College and at NAIA Division
II No. 8 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (Fla.)
University.
The Cougars will begin a
new era of conference play as they have left
the American Mideast Conference and will
compete in the 10-team Mid-Central College
Conference starting this year. NAIA Division
II No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University, No. 9
Grace (Ind.) College, and No. 13 University
of Saint Francis (Ind.) are the preseason
favorites in the race for the conference
crown with Taylor (Ind.) University and
Marian (Ind.) University also receiving
votes in the poll. Spring Arbor (Mich.)
University, Bethel (Ind.) College,
Huntington (Ind.) University, and Goshen
(Ind.) College round out this challenging
conference slate that will feature home and
away dates against each team.
"The
MCC is one of the most respected leagues in
the country and that is evident with the
preseason poll," said Moore, who spent his
college career playing in the conference
while attending Grace. "We will be tested
early and often as we face ranked teams in
the first half of our schedule and six
opponents who played in the NAIA Division II
National Tournament last year. The most
important thing for our guys will be the
ability to improve as a team amidst the
games. Practices are critical and how we
approach our daily routines will set us up
for the stretch run in mid-January and
February."
| |
|
|
Site Map
