A Look at Men's Basketball 2007-08

8/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

Dartmouth Men's Basketball 2007-08
It's an old tune and unfortunately Terry Dunn had to sing it again during the 2007-08 preseason.
    “If we can just get healthy and stay healthy I think you'll see a group of young but experienced guys who are hungry to prove that they belong,” the fourth-year Dartmouth basketball coach said. “Good times are ahead.”
    The need to get healthy and stay healthy is important because much to Dunn's chagrin, the injury bug that bit so hard last year refused to release its teeth during the fall. Both promising junior forward Jarrett Mathis and center Kurt Graeber were unable to practice early in the camp, a situation to which Dunn is no stranger. His leading scorer last year was only 75 or so percent on the season and able to start just 17 of the 19 games in which he played. Mathis, potentially his best rebounder and clearly the most improved player through the first two weeks of the season, tore up his knee and didn't play after November. Beyond that:
    ? The glue in his lineup missed the first two games of the season and was hobbled most of the rest.
    ? His workhorse up front missed seven contests with a wrist injury.
    ? The starting point guard in the first two games missed the next four when he was dinged up.
    ? The former starting point was sidelined for the final dozen games by injury.
    But Dunn refuses to traffic in excuses. And so while he is candid about the difficulty Dartmouth had fielding a consistent lineup while going 9-18 overall and 4-10 in the Ivy League last year, he won't take the easy way out.
    “It was disappointing because we didn't reach our goals,” he said of his third season at the helm. “It was challenging because of the injuries, but you have to overcome that. Our guys played extremely hard and competed every night. I was proud of that. We had a chance in just about every (Ivy League) game except at Cornell. We'll build from that.
    “We realize we didn't reach our potential last year. I think all of our players are excited because we feel like we have some unfinished business.”
    Dartmouth returns three of last year's starters and eight players with starting experience. While leading scorer Leon Pattman has graduated, the next three scorers all return, as do the top two rebounders.
    And he's excited about his five-player freshman class.
    “I like the fact that our freshmen are going to push our upperclassmen,” he said. ?That's a good thing.”

A Position-by-Position Look at the 2007-08 Big Green:

Point Guard
Marlon Sanders will come into the season as the starter at the point. The 6-foot-1 junior started the first two games last season, registering 14 points in the opener at Massachusetts and six assists the next time out at George Washington. After missing the next four games due to an upper leg injury, he came off the bench the rest of the season. Dunn is confident that Sanders, a quick and consummate point guard who played his first full season last winter, is now ready for primetime. “I think with a year of experience Marlon has matured,” the coach said. “He basically played like a freshman last year because it really was his first year. Now he has the experience he needed and a better understanding of what we are asking of him.”
    Sophomore Robby Pride, who saw time in the final 10 games last year, will back up Sanders. Junior DeVon Mosley and senior Michael Giovacchini -- who both shifted to the shooting guard -- are able to slide back to the point when needed. Soph Brandon Ware can also help here.
    “We kind of rethought (point guard) a little bit but I think it's going to be pretty solid,” Dunn said. “Giving the nod to Marlon allows us to move DeVon to the two, which I think is his natural spot.”
    Freshman Ronnie Dixon has proven to be even better than expected and could help out early, bringing speed and athleticism to the back court.

Shooting Guard
Mosley, who started 24 games at the point a year ago, is slated for the shooting guard slot, a role that fits him well according to Dunn. Mosley led Dartmouth with 35 3-pointers last year. He had 12 games in double figures, including a season-high 21 points at Vermont. He was 4-for-5 from outside the arc against the Catamounts and 5-for-6 from long range in a win over Stony Brook.
    “There was a stretch when he couldn't miss a shot,” said Dunn. “He showed he's capable of doing it. Having him at the two kind of frees up his mind to be a scorer and a shooter rather than have to run the offense and think about where everyone else has to be. We are trying not to tax him so much with responsibility and allow him to shoot more.”
    Although Giovacchini struggled with his accuracy last year, the Big Green's senior co-captain is a proven shooter who drained 5-of-7 attempts from long range in one game as a freshman. With bone chips in his ankle resolved, he can be a streaky sniper when left open.
    “I think Mosley and Giovacchini need to shoot the ball well at the two spot for us this year to give us some added scoring with the (graduation) of Leon Pattman,” said Dunn. “(Junior) Alex Barnett could also see time at the two.”
    Freshman Blake Williams, a 6-4 wing with a scorer's mentality, will try to find time here as well.

Small Forward
The long-armed Barnett came into his own last year as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points and pulling down a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game, fourth-best in the conference. The 6-6 junior had four double-doubles in a nine-game span and flashed his all-around skills with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and blocked two shots in the second Harvard contest last January. The athletic junior was the recipient of the Rudy LaRusso ?59 Award as Dartmouth's most improved player.
    “Alex Barnett showed last year he can be an All-Ivy League performer on an annual basis,” said Dunn. “He's very capable of scoring in double figures each and every night and can grab double-figure rebounds each night. He's getting better defensively and was the second-best shot blocker in the conference. He can guard the two, the three or the four.
    “Without question he's someone people around the league respect. He has the kind of talent that can carry a team.”
    Senior power forward Johnathan Ball could see some time at the small forward as could 6-7 freshman Matt Chisick as he adjusts to the college game.

Power Forward
Ball, a two-time co-captain, may be a little undersized as a power forward at 6-4, but he's anything but underappreciated by Dunn. He started all 25 games in which he played last year, averaging 7.6 points and 5.6 rebounds. He was at his best when it mattered most, registering a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double to complete a rare sweep of Princeton after pulling down 14 rebounds in the first contest with the Tigers. He also had an 11-point, 10-rebounding outing against Yale.
    “This is really John's team,” Dunn said. “He does so much that doesn't show up on the scoreboard or in the stats. Leadership-wise, toughness-wise, intensity-wise, he's the guy that sets the tone for this team with his work ethic. When you need something, John finds a way.
    “We need John to score more for us this year, and we expect him to score more this year. Defensively we may put him on a three and flip-flop he and Alex, because Alex is long enough to guard a four. That can help John stay out of foul trouble.”
    When Ball plays down a position or needs a breather, Mathis, at 6-8, will bring more height to the four slot. Mathis was a pleasant surprise last winter, leading Dartmouth in rebounding before being lost for the season to a knee injury after five games.
    “If he's healthy he'll see a lot of playing time,” said Dunn. “He's someone who has improved by leaps and bounds.”
    Junior Adam Powers, who missed all of last year with a foot injury, is an eager wildcard who will vie for time if he's healthy. Also in the picture is 6-9 freshman Clive Weeden, a solid athlete who hits the glass extremely hard.
    “I think the front line will have more depth than there has been,” said Dunn. “In the past if one guy was hurt or maybe two guys were hurt, we'd been thin or small. This year is different and I like that.”

Center
Sophomore Elgin Fitzgerald and Graeber will battle for the starting post position. The 6-9 Fitzgerald started eight games last winter, averaging 2.2 points and 1.5 rebounds. Graeber, also 6-9, scored 1.3 points and grabbed 1.4 rebounds with three starts. Both played a little over nine minutes a game.
    “Right now it's probably a tossup who will start,” said Dunn. “I'd like to see one of them step up. They can both do some things and help us.”
    John Marciano, a 7-foot freshman who had 38 points and 20 rebounds in one high school game last winter, could also be a factor as the year wears on. “I just think it depends on his progress. Skillwise he's ready, but physically he's got to make adjustments to be ready to play,” Dunn said.
    One of those physical adjustments is getting in shape to run the floor at the college level. “He's been doing a good job with it,” said Dunn.
    Mathis could also see some time at the post and Weeden could possibly fill in as well.

A Few Final Thoughts From Terry Dunn:
“This is a big year for us. Our first recruiting class will be juniors, so they've been in the program for a couple of years. Experience should be a strength. We have a lot of young guys who played a lot of minutes and were in a lot of close games. We've got more depth than we've had. For the first time this year we are not going to have to rely on freshmen. Our sophomores and juniors have been together for a year or two and that's a big plus for us.
    “I think we've got more guys who can shoot off the bounce. More guys who can get into the lane. So hopefully we'll be able to score a little bit more in the paint and use our quickness to score a little more. I don't think we'll be a great 3-point shooting team but I'd like to say we'll make up those points in transition.
    “We made big strides defensively last year and should be better there this year. I think we should be a pretty good rebounding team. Jarrett Mathis, Alex Barnett and John Ball all bring pretty good rebounding to the front line.
    “We need to have confidence that we can close the game out. There were times when we had a chance to do that last year. The Penn game we had three good looks and they just didn't go down. We had a great look at the end of Columbia. We had a lot of close games and they can do one of two things to you; they can give you confidence or they can hurt your confidence.
    “We're hungry. We realize we didn't reach our potential and goals last year. It's very exciting because the Ivy League might be as wide open as it has ever been. I wouldn't be surprised if the winner had four or five losses.”