2002-03 Men's Basketball Outlook

08/15/02

- Entering his third year at the helm of the Tribe basketball program, head coach Rick Boyages is pleased with the progress of the team during his tenure. Nearing the end of his rebuilding stage, this season he is looking forward to leading a younger, more confident group of players with the knowledge that they can compete with every other team in the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association. From top to bottom, W&M has beaten every team in both the “new” and the “old” CAA save one (Drexel) over the last two years, proving that nobody in the league is out of reach.

“The teams that have been at the top—for instance UNC Wilmington and George Mason—we’ve had a win over both of them in the last two seasons,” Boyages reflected. “I feel that in the midst of rebuilding the program we’ve held our own, we’ve played everybody tough. Now I think we have more talent, depth and enthusiasm than we’ve had in my tenure here. I’m very optimistic about the future.”

More immediately apparent than the improvement on the mental side is the Tribe’s tremendous physical development since last season. Having already earned a reputation as one of the conference’s more physically powerful teams, strength coach John Sauer has produced remarkable gains in the condition of virtually every player on the roster.

Another obvious attribute of the 2002-03 Tribe is its youth. Although four of the top five scorers from last season return, the fact remains that the College graduated more players (four) than any other CAA school, and there are 10 players on the roster in their first or second season at W&M, including six freshmen.

These numbers may be misleading, however, as many of the newcomers are more mature basketball players than would normally be expected. Two of the freshmen (Nate Loehrke and Steve Sorenson) redshirted last year, while newcomer Brett Howell sat out last season after deciding late that he wanted to attend W&M. Sophomore Nick D’Antoni gained invaluable experience in Boyages’ system as a rookie point guard, joining Thomas Viglianco as second-year players who have already started double-digit games.

“We’ve got a lot of competition for playing time,” commented Boyages. Each of the members of this year’s team has the potential to make significant contributions and with a wide variety of diverse skills on the roster, undoubtedly each will have his opportunity to stand out.

Guards
A team leader in every sense of the word, senior co-captain Sherman Rivers has the ability to play both guard positions and is a threat to attack the rim at any opportunity. An outstanding defender, he also is one of the top defensive-rebounding guards in the league.

“Sherman is in great physical condition again—stronger and faster than he’s ever been,” praised Boyages. “He’s arguably our best athlete and best defender. He’ll take over the role as ‘defensive stopper,’ having the assignment of guarding the other team’s best offensive player.”

The team’s third-leading scorer with 7.8 points per game last year, Rivers has a knack for stepping up his play when it really matters. The most dramatic example was a home contest against Hofstra (2/16) when he scored six of his game-high 14 points in the last 54 seconds to seal a four-point Tribe win after the team trailed in the last minute.

Junior Reid Markham is another guard with the ability to take the ball into the lane. He also has a nice shooting touch which enabled him to lead the team in all shooting percentage categories through much of the season. Possessing an outstanding work ethic, Markham made eye-popping improvements last year and emerged as one of the club’s top offensive threats.

“Reid was arguably our best player through the first dozen games last season,” said Boyages. “From his freshman year to his sophomore year, he made as great an improvement on his game and his body as anybody I’ve ever worked with. He’s a workaholic, he loves to train and play, and I think that’s probably the main reason he made such strides. I think he’s primed to have a couple of terrific seasons.”

Markham paced the Tribe in scoring seven times last season, led by a career-high 23 points on 7-11 shooting from the floor in the win at Charleston Southern. After scoring just 25 points in only 57 minutes his rookie year, last season he poured in 195 points while playing in every game, including 15 starts. He was third on the team and tops among all backcourt players with a .416 (67-161) field goal percentage.

Expected to run the offense at the point guard position again this season is sophomore Nick D’Antoni. With a year of experience in the Tribe’s offense, D’Antoni’s increased confidence should assure him of improving on last season’s achievements, when he was named to the league’s all-rookie team.

“Considering Nick had a lot of responsibilities as a point guard, he had a solid season,” commented Boyages. “He was an all-rookie player and I think he learned a lot about the college level.”

Leading the squad with 79 assists last season, D’Antoni also proved that he can score when needed, putting up 30 points at The Citadel in just his fifth collegiate game, the most scored by a Tribe player since current senior Adam Duggins scored 31 his rookie year.

A pair of freshmen will be pressuring the three returning players for playing time this season at the guard position. Brett Howell, a 6-1 rookie from Madison, Alabama, sat out last season following his decision to attend William and Mary after initially signing to attend Eastern Kentucky. He is joined by newcomer Taylor Mokris, a 6-5 product of Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to Boyages, the two should complement an already solid backcourt: “Brett is kind of a combo guard, a hybrid between a point and an off guard, and is an exceptional shooter. Taylor’s a talented offensive player with a nice variety of guard skills. He can handle the ball well, is comfortable posting up inside and can shoot with range. I’d call Brett a pure shooter, while Taylor’s more of guy that can put points on the board in numerous ways.”

Another addition to the Tribe roster who won’t be eligible to play until the 2003-04 season is sophomore Tom McLaughlin. A 6-4 guard from Andover, Massachusetts, McLaughlin transferred to the College over the summer from Princeton. Seeing limited action as he recovered from knee and ankle injuries suffered during his past two season, he should bounce back fully this season and be completely healthy by the time he is again eligible to compete.

"Tom is a physical guard with excellent size,” said Boyages of the transfer. “I’m thrilled to have him on board.”

Forwards
Leading the Tribe at the forward position is junior co-captain Adam Hess. Despite sitting out the first semester due to a midseason transfer to W&M, and missing two full games and most of a third due to injury, Hess finished second on the team with 11.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. An outstanding student as well, he was the only sophomore selected to the CAA All-Academic team.

“Hess can do a little bit of everything,” commented Boyages. “He’s a very good three-point shooter, he’s a scorer, he has the ability to post up inside and is a very good offensive rebounder. We’re looking at him to be the leading scorer this year.”

Hess began his Green and Gold career in fine fashion, scoring a game-high 21 points to go with five rebounds on the road against the future NCAA Champion Maryland Terrapins. He closed out his season as strongly as he began it, scoring a career-high 23 points in each of his last two games, pulling down 15 rebounds (also a career-high) at Virginia Commonwealth (2/25) for his first career double-double.

Another returning forward with game experience is junior Zeb Cope. A powerful and relentless player in the paint, Cope was third on the team with 3.7 rebounds a game despite averaging just 14.0 minutes an outing. There is little doubt this season that both of those numbers will increase.

“Zeb’s a real worker,” offered Boyages. “His body looks better than ever and he’s probably our best rebounder now that Mike [Johnson] has graduated. He’s had a lot of experience in the last two years and we look for him to be a physical presence in and around the basket.”

Also returning for W&M is sophomore Thomas Viglianco. Starting 11 times last season, including once in the conference tournament, Viglianco, like D’Antoni, will benefit from substantial collegiate experience. Perhaps gaining the most from the Tribe’s offseason conditioning program, he should see substantial improvement in his game this year.

“Viglianco worked tirelessly during the off-season and has gained over 25 pounds since last year,” explains Boyages. “He’s a very intriguing player that a year ago, at 195 pounds, was just physically unable to exhibit the skills he possesses. He will be the most versatile 6-10 player in the conference over the next three seasons. He can step outside and shoot the three and he has the ability to put the ball on the floor. As he becomes physically stronger he’ll become a real matchup problem for people.”

Three freshmen on the Tribe roster will be competing for playing time at the forward position. One who already has seen some action, albeit very limited, is redshirt-freshman Steve Sorenson. Before a nagging foot injury caused him to request a medical redshirt, Sorenson played in four games, seeing action at both Purdue and Maryland. Another big man with the ability to spread the defense by stepping out and hitting a jump shot, Boyages feels that Sorenson’s 25 to 30-pound gain in the weight room will pay dividends this year.

Jack Jenkins, a 6-7 rookie from Boston, Massachusetts, may be the Tribe’s most promising recruit, with the potential to earn all-rookie or even rookie of the year honors in the league.

“Jack’s a real talented swingman,” says Boyages. “He has the ability to post up inside, can handle the ball on the perimeter and shoot from the three-point arc. He’s physically powerful for such a young guy and he’s got a nice repertoire of offensive skills.”

Also new to the College this year is 6-9 Brian Hutt from Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Hutt has worked very hard on conditioning his body since signing to play at W&M last spring.

“Brian is a very hard-working power forward,” according to Boyages. “He’s lively, he’s got good bounce and a lot of athleticism for a power player.”

Centers
Leading the way at the center position for W&M is seven-foot senior Adam Duggins. One of the tallest players in the conference, he is the only Tribe player to lose weight over the summer, as he looks to complete his eligibility in the best physical shape of his career. An outstanding shot-blocker, his 87 career blocks place him sixth in school history and he is second at the College with 1.21 blocks per game. He also possesses an intelligent sense for the game, with a reliable jump hook and a good touch on his passes.

“Duggins is probably more physically fit than he’s ever been,” remarks Boyages. “I’ve been impressed with his work ethic and his attitude towards having a more productive senior year. He may benefit from a little more freedom offensively and we’re going to try and make some adjustments in our offense to try and take advantage of his skills.”

This season Duggins will look to regain the success he had as a freshman, when he was named to the league’s all-rookie team and set the W&M rookie record with 53 blocked shots. With three double-doubles and a CAA Player of the Week award that year, he scored in double figures seven times and led the team in rebounding in eight games.

Also competing for time at the center position is 6-10 redshirt freshman Nate Loehrke. As was the case with Sorenson last year, Loehrke benefited by being able to learn the Tribe offense while focusing on physically improving his body in the weight room. With a 108-inch reach he will provide another imposing presence in the lane.

According to Boyages, Loehrke also possesses a multitude of talents: “Nate has a very nice touch. He has the ability to step out and hit a three-pointer, has a soft jump hook and is also a very good free throw shooter.”

Schedule
After a grueling non-conference slate last year that included road trips to Texas Tech, Purdue and national champion Maryland, Boyages and his team will have more games at home this season. While the team played just 11 games in Williamsburg last year, this season W&M fans will have 14 opportunities to watch the Tribe. Four of the College’s nine non-conference matchups are against in-state teams and W&M will play home games against the Big East (Virginia Tech) and the Atlantic 10 (Fordham), while traveling to face Conference USA member East Carolina.

“This is the most advantageous schedule we’ve had in my short tenure,” remarked Boyages. “We’ve got 14 home games, about as many as a mid-major team can ever get, including five of our first eight at home. You can’t ask for a better situation, especially with a young team.”

The Tribe begins its Colonial Athletic Association schedule in January, with a pair of home games against Towson and Delaware. Quite possibly the nation’s most competitive conference, the wide-open CAA was one of just three Division I leagues to have every team record at least five league wins. The league is expected to be even tougher this year, as last season there were no seniors named to the conference’s first team or among the CAA’s top 13 scorers.