SEASON PREVIEW
The 2007-2008 Lancers are coming off a difficult 9 – 21 year in which they were plagued by injuries and never seemed to be able to gain any momentum. This is a new season and with the return of 10 lettermen including 5 senior players with starting experience and a group of underclassmen with high potential the Lancers are looking forward to the upcoming season.
Losses from last year are 3 year starter J.J. Heyden, backup point guard Ryan Hajek, and reserve forward Doug Bates. J.J. missed the first five weeks with a broken finger and the last five weeks with a broken foot but was still selected All-GPAC Honorable Mention for the 3rd time. With him in the lineup the team won 7 of their 9 games and his inside play and leadership will be missed. He averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds per game as a senior. Both Ryan and Doug saw extensive action in key situations and had their best years in a Lancer uniform.
The 5 returning seniors fill each of the positions and hopefully the experience they gained last year will pay off with more wins. Chris Filsinger returns for the 3rd year as the starting point and is a hard-nosed competitor who can get to the basket. He was voted the team’s best defender and averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game. Pat Anderson was a consistent scorer at 15 points a game and gave the Lancers a much needed outside threat. Nathan Fischer earned a starting spot after recovering from an early season injury and showed steady improvement ending up with 8 points and 4 rebounds a game. He provides us a bigger forward who can score from the perimeter. Alan Hough was moved to a forward position last year and responded with a 5 point, 4 rebound season and led the team in assists. Stan Johnson finished strong after a midyear surgery sat him out for 6 weeks. He ended up with a 6 point and 3 rebound average for the season. The seniors have a great work ethic and will provide the needed leadership for a good year.
The overall success of this year’s team will depend a great deal on developing depth in the underclass ranks. Several players saw varsity action but will have to respond in a larger role for the Lancers to be successful. The only junior returning is Quincey Oliver, a guard who saw limited varsity action. He has shown steady improvement both on offensive and defense and could break into the lineup.
The sophomore class has several players capable of stepping in at each of the positions. Trey Krier is a smart player known for his outside shooting and should figure into the guard depth charts. Justin Peters, a forward, came on strong at the end of the season and his athleticism and knack for scoring is a plus. Skyler Bolks has gotten stronger and shown improvement giving a big man presence at center. Bo Bruckner showed improvement on the JV team as did Dan Harmon and both could provide much needed depth at the forward position.
Eight freshmen join the team led by all-state guards Weston Kusser and Ethan Friesz and guard Rudy Harper. All three led their teams to state tournament berths and are capable of helping out at any of the perimeter positions. They are joined by Clay Robinson, an all-state player who graduated in 2005, Zach Dicus, Jordan Foos, and Mitch Seitzinger, all guards. The lone big man recruited is Jared Wall who continues to grow and shows great potential as a forward/center. All will vie for varsity playing time and gain valuable experience on the JV team.
The 2007-2008 team will have an experienced nucleus of seniors and what looks like a balanced scoring attack, but how far they can go will depend on three factors. The first step to success will be to develop depth from the underclass ranks and provide scoring and rebounding off the bench. The other factors will be to improve team play defensively by rebounding and limiting second shots and then cut down on turnovers on the offensive end to improve their chances of putting more points on the board. The challenges presented by the schedule are as great as ever but the coaching staff and team are optimistic for a good season and strong finish in the GPAC. |
