Men's Basketball Preview
Quakers open sophomore season in ODAC
Squad hopes to be on winning end of close ones this year
Klley Holder
Staff Writer
This year will mark the second
year of play in the Old Dominion
Athletic Conference for the Guil
ford Quaker basketball team
coached by Jack Jensen and assis
tant coach John Thompson.
Last year's team suffered
through a season of close losses
finishing 12-13 overall, settling for
an 8-10 sixth-place record in the
ODAC. Guilford lost in the first
round of the conference tourna
ment to Bridgewater College.
Eight of Guilford's 13 losses
were decided by seven or fewer
points. Although this was not good
for last season, it renders some
optimism for the 1992-93 season.
The year of experience may be just
what Jensen's young team needed
to pull out a victory in the close
games.
Jensen sees a different team than
last year.
"We're better than last year, I
can already tell, regardless of what
our record shows at the end of the
year."
"We're also taller than we were
last year Our starting forwards—
freshman Adrien Pritchard (6'6")
and sophomore Davey
McCullough(6'B")—are three and
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Sophomore Davey McCul loughs
height will help the Quakers, as
will his outside shooting touch.
five inches taller than our starting
forwards last season."
"If we can rebound and play
good defense we're going to be
pretty good this year."
Others on the starting lineup in
clude 6'6" sophomore Brian Jack
son at center and junior guards
Andre Ricketts and Paul Ferrell.
Ferrell was a second team All-
ODAC pick last year and widely
known as one of the premiere
guards in the conference. He led
the league in assists (5.4/ game)
and free throw percentage (87.0%)
and finished in the top 15 in
scoring (15.4/ game).
"He's a talented guard, es
pecially offensively. He tries
to help his teammates score.
But I think he needs to work
some more defensively,"
says Jensen.
At the other guard,
Ricketts averaged 10.1 points
per game last year, and he
was Guilford's best three
point threat, sinking 30 of
82.
"He's a scorer. He and
Ferrell complement each
other well."
Jackson will assume the
center spot. He started three
games last year as a fresh
man.
"Brian's strong suits are
rebounding, playing good
physical defense inside, and
he is a good scorer near the
basket."
Junior Chad Brown started 14
games last season (39 of 50 since
he's been at Guilford).
"He's a good shooter and has
excellent offensive moves with his
back to the basket."
But he sprained his knee on the
second day of practice and is un
dergoing rehabilitation. He might
see limited playing time this week
end. "He practiced [Mon
day], but all he could do was
drills."
McCullough is the tallest
man on the team, but he is
mainly positioned at the wing
because of his good shooting
skills.
"His main weakness in
the past was his lack of ag
gressiveness, ... but he has
really improved on that in
our two scrimmages."
He averaged only 2.8
points per game last year but
the team will rely on him for
more scoring this season.
In his first year, Pritchard
will get the call at forward.
He had an excellent career at
D.H. Conley High School.
His athletic skills could be a
tremendous asset for the Quakers
on the boards.
"He possesses an array of offen
sive moves near the basket and is
very athletic."
Other key players are freshman
Marc Felder, sophomore Mike
Roach, and sophomore Randy
Scott. Felder should give the Quak
ers some depth inside at forward
along wi th Scott who can play cen
ter and forward.
"Marc has a lot of speed. He's
very quick. This helps him a lot on
defense. His shot is improving
Sports
Junior Paul Ferrell (above), one
of the premier guards in the
ODAC, brings the ball up the
court. Sophomore guard Mike
Roach (right), drives the lane
over a defender.
daily."
"Scott's good in close to the
basket. He's been doing a pretty
good job rebounding."
Roach isa"hard-working"guard
who "makes the guys around him
better."
Freshmen Reggie Hicks, Sandi
El Habir, and Wesley Elam round
out the roster. David Winn will
join the team after the first semes
ter.
Jensen is unsure about the out
look for the season. The confer
ence coaches predicted that Guil
ford would finish seventh in the
ten-team conference.
"[Two weeks ago] we weren't
very impressive. If you had asked
me then about the outlook for the
season, I would've said we would
finish."
After a couple of prac lice games,
he changed his tune somewhat:
"We played pretty well against
some good teams. If we play that
well in the season we'll finish bet
ter than seventh. Our goal is to
finish in the top four."
That will be tough to do. Emory
& Henry is picked to finish first,
Virginia Wesleyan second,
Bridgewater third, and Roanoke
fourth. Hampden-Sydney, which
advanced to the national Division
111 quarterfinals last year and has
ten lettermen returning, is picked
to finish only fifth. That should say
something about the conference
teams with whom Guilford will be
contending.
All the other teams have several
players returning, including most
of their starters.
"We could finish anywhere.
There's no telling right now. A lot
depends on how well we do up to
Jgp
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Photos courtesy sports information
Christmas."
The Quakers open their season
at the Methodist Invitational in
Fayetteville, North Carolina on
November 20-21. Three other
teams will attend the tourney: the
host Monarchs, Francis Marion
992 Guilford College Men's Basketball Schedule
(Through winter break)
Hate £ai Oppwimt. Time
Nov. 20Fri. at Methodist Invitational I BA
Nov. 21 Sat ai Methodist Invitational TBA
Nov. 24 Tucs. at N.C. Wesleyan 7 p.m.
Dec. 1 Tues. EASTERN MENNONITE* 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 3 Thurs. LYNCHBURG* 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 5 Sat at Washington & Lee* 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 8 Tues. GREENSBORO 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 12 Sat. at Emory & Henry* 7:30 p.m.
HOME GAMES IN CAPS
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference game
No. Name Pos .Ht. Wt. Year Hometown
11 Reggie Hicks G 6-2 170 FR Louisburg, NC
12 PaulFerrell G 6-2 170 JR Chapel Hill, NC
35 Sandi El Hibir F 6-4 180 FR Amman, Jordan
21 Mike Roach G 5-10 170 SO Greensboro, NC
24 Andre Ricketts G 6-1 165 JR Brooklyn, NY
31 Chad Brown C 6-6 215 JR Petcrstown, WV
33 Adrien Pritchard F 6-6 200 FR Grimesland, NC
34 Davcy McCullough F 6-8 190 SO Tampa, FL
15 MarcFelder F 6-5 180 FR Brooklyn, NY
40 Randy Scott F 6-4 195 SO Bronx. NY
50 Wesley Elam G 6-2 200 FR Durham
55 Brian Jackson C 6-6 215 SO Bim.k'w,, NY
Head Coach: Jack Jensen
Assistant: John Thompson
&uiltorttan
College, and Salisbury State Uni
versity.
The Quakers' first home game
will be Tuesday, December 1,
against Eastern Mennonite. See you
at the field hous-* ?
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