Speedy Swat Returns to Hardwood
The 2008-2009 edition of the Swarthmore men's basketball team enters a rebuilding phase, shifting gears to a different attack. Gone are five graduating seniors, responsible for over 66% of the Garnet scoring and over 55% of the team’s rebounds, a quintet led by first-team all-Centennial center Ian McCormick, the first player in Conference history to average 20 points and 10 rebounds in a single season. The Garnet players and coaches find themselves amongst the smallest and least experienced teams in a Centennial Conference that may very well have the most talent, and the most depth, in conference history.
This year’s Garnet backcourt finds its anchor in the form of 5-10 junior Matt Allen (Seattle, Wash.). Allen has played in all 50 games since he arrived on the East Coast, making 16 starts in ’07-’08 while finishing among the top-ten in the Centennial for three-point percentage (44.0%), three-pointers made (44), assists (75) and assist-to-turnover ration (1.2). He is a versatile performer, able to play at either of the guard spots. Also returning in the backcourt for the Garnet is 6-2 junior Danny Walker (Westbury, N.Y.), an outstanding athlete who averaged 1.4 points per game last year in limited action. A pair of first-years, 6-3 Michael Giannangeli (Potomac, Mary.) and six-foot Andrew Greenblatt (Woodbury, N.Y.) are also expected to battle for playing time at the guard spots.
Senior captain Raul Ordonez (Miami, Fla.), a 6-6 senior, is the likely starter at center for the Garnet. Undersized for his position, Ordonez played well off the bench in ’07-‘08, averaging 4.8 ppg. and 4.3 rebounds per game in just 13 minutes per game. He is a tenacious and physical player on both ends of the floor, taking advantage of slow footwork exhibited by most pivot men.
If there is one position with solid depth, it is at the forward spot. Matt Turner, a 6-5 junior (Audubon, Pa.), has started 21 of the 33 games in which he played (a broken wrist and an ACL tear caused him to miss most of last season), averaging 8.6 ppg. and 4.6 rpg. in limited action. His athleticism, jumping ability, willingness to sacrifice his body (set the single-season charge record with 22 as a freshman) and the capability to shut-down any opponent, was sorely missed for most of last year and will be a welcome sight in ‘08-‘09. Six-foot, three-inch sophomore sharpshooter Ryan Carmichael (Portland, Maine) started 12 games as a freshman at forward and shooting guard, averaging 5.3 ppg. and 2.4 rpg., while shooting 33% from three-point land and recording 15 blocked shots. Sophomore wingman Sam Lacy (Jericho, Vt.) stands at 6-6, and is a serious candidate for a starting spot. An unselfish player who will do whatever is needed to help the team win, Lacy started six games as a freshman, averaging 2.9 ppg. and 2.3 rpg. Expect 6-5 freshman Marc Rogalski (Franklin Lakes, N.J.) and 6-3 freshman John Stevick (Berkeley, CA) to also compete for playing time in the front court.
Swarthmore head coach Lee Wimberly (Stanford ’68, 22nd season) has pinpointed several areas in which the Garnet must show improvement from last year, if the team is to compete for a spot in the Centennial Conference playoffs. The team had the dubious distinction of posting the lowest free-throw percentage in the league last year (.614) and major progress needs to be made in ‘08-‘09. The Garnet (0-6 in overtime games last season) must also do a better job of taking care of the ball and improve upon a league-leading 17.4 turnovers per game from last year.
The Garnet schedule is a treacherous road again in ’08-’09, highlighted by the annual Equinox Classic (co-hosted by Swarthmore and Haverford) and a New Year’s trip to southern California for the Poet Classic, hosted by Whittier College. Swarthmore is slated to face two teams (national semifinalist Ursinus and Gettysburg) that advanced deep into the NCAA Division III Tournament last season. Five home games at the onset of the season give the Garnet an opportunity to build vital chemistry. It will be a tall order for the Garnet to finish in the top half of that conference and thereby qualify for the league playoffs, but it is the number one goal each day, beginning with the start of practice on October 22nd.
Centennial Conference Pre-Season Poll (TBA)