A Look at the 2008-09 Men's Basketball Team

12/4/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: Dartmouth

The Big Green basketball squad has been trending upward over the past couple of years, as evidenced by their won-loss records. To make that leap into the upper echelon of Ivy League teams this year, the players must understand and embrace their role on the team, for that is when the sum of the parts can become greater than the whole.

Perhaps the biggest part of the Big Green machine this year is senior wing Alex Barnett, one of the top contenders for the Ivy League Player of the Year. It will be the supporting cast, however, that will have the largest role in determining the overall success. Whether one is required to tighten up his defense, be more aggressive with the ball or crash the boards, every player will have a job to do. Some will be asked to multi-task. With a collective effort, Dartmouth can achieve its goals.

Knowing all this, head coach Terry Dunn has never been more optimistic about his team. He has been building his machine for five years now, and while there have been setbacks and trips back to the drawing board, he sees the pieces falling into place that will allow his engine to purr. Last year no less than 12 players averaged at least 10 minutes a game as Dunn mixed and matched to find the best combinations on the floor. With all those players getting significant playing time in 2007-08, they will be better prepared to face what is thrown at them this year.

“We have some veteran players that can be relied upon to fill their roles,” Coach Dunn commented. “But they will need to step up their game and help bring along the young talent coming into the program as well. The freshmen really complement the returning roster, giving us a well balanced team.”

Two of those leaders are the co-captains, junior point guard Robby Pride and senior power forward Jarrett Mathis. Both have earned the respect of their teammates through grit and determination, particularly Mathis. Knee injuries have limited him to just 10 games in his career, but he has continued to put in long hours rehabbing to get back on the court.

But any discussion of this Big Green team must begin with Barnett.

A 6-6, 210-pound wing, Barnett is arguably the most explosive athlete in the conference. He is equally capable of slashing to the basket, shooting from outside the arc, posting up on the blocks or exploiting defenses with his mid-range game. Last year he was fourth in the Ivy League in scoring at 15.6 points, led the conference with 7.3 rebounds a game, blocked a total of 33 shots in 27 games and dished out 59 assists, all figures which led the Big Green. Barnett also ranked among the top 10 in the league in field goal and free throw percentage, steals and the aforementioned blocked shots. Now that's multi-tasking.

“Alex has continually improved and added to his game since arriving on campus,” said Coach Dunn. “He has become a threat from long range, developed his mid-range game and increased his court awareness. That court awareness will be important as opposing teams will key on him.”

A pair of freshmen will play the role of apprentice to Barnett in Josh Riddle out of Aurora, Colo, and David Rufful from Providence, R.I. Riddle played a prep year at Northfield Mount Herman and has the athleticism to play the wing with height at 6-8 that would give opponents match-up problems. He is also strong enough to defend in the post, giving Coach Dunn valuable flexibility for his lineup.

Rufful at 6-4, on the other hand, is a swing man with great range on his jumper who can play the two or the three. The native of Warwick, R.I., is a two-time Rhode Island Player of the Year, averaging 20 points and eight rebounds as a senior at Bishop Hendricken. He was teammates with Riddle at Northfield Mount Herman last year and contributed 17 points a game.

After small forward, every position will have players competing for game action. At the point, Pride is a savvy veteran whose strength comes from consistent play and valuing the ball. As a key reserve last year, he had one of the lowest turnover rates per minute of action on the team.

Junior Brandon Ware saw time as the point guard last year as well, dishing out more assists per minute than anyone on the squad. A solid on-ball defender, Ware has put extra time in to make himself more of a threat from the perimeter.

Hopes are high for 6-1 freshman point guard Jabari Trotter as he comes to Dartmouth with impressive credentials from Northridge, Calif. Last year he spent a post-grad year at Philips Exeter where he led the team in scoring at 17 points per game while helping the squad to a school-record 17 victories in the top division of the NEPSAC.

One position at which the veterans will need to step up production is shooting guard. Gone is DeVon Mosley along with his 11.6 points per game and 51 three-pointers. The duo Dunn is counting on combined to average just six points a game last year. But basketball is a full-court game, with an offensive and defensive end, and senior Marlon Sanders and sophomore Ronnie Dixon just happen to be the Big Green's two best perimeter defenders. Besides, with more opportunities to contribute offensively, Dunn is confident an increase in production will come.

Sanders is another guard with experience at the point, having started half of last year's games there. With Sanders in the fold, the Big Green sport a plethora of excellent ball handlers. An outstanding leaper at 6-1, Sanders is moving back to his more natural position at the two where the hope is that his outside shot will blossom. He has not been asked to be a shooter for this team previously, but he was a scorer in high school and has gained a calm confidence in his game at the college level over the years.

Vying for time at the shooting guard will be Dixon. His challenge, at 6-1, will be to make enough space for his shot while going up against taller opponents. One thing Dixon has going for him, however, is tremendous speed and quickness which will go a long way in creating that space. In limited minutes in 23 games as a freshman, he shot 35 percent on his three-point attempts, a figure that has a great chance to improve with more reps in competition.

Not to be overlooked is freshman Kirk Crecco, a local talent from Gilford, N.H. Crecco was the New Hampshire Class M Player of the Year the last two years and scored 1,300 points in his career.

Size is in abundance this year with no less than six players on the roster listed at 6-8 or taller. Dunn knows this is a luxury most teams won't have that Dartmouth goes up against this year.

“Depth is always a challenge, especially in the post,” Coach Dunn commented. “But this year we are as deep as we have ever been on the front line. That size will help take the pressure off Barnett, who will be a focal point of defenses no matter who we play.”

At power forward, several players will get the chance to win the starting role. But those who don't will still get important minutes on the court. Dunn hopes the injury woes of co-captain Mathis are behind him so he can finally show his skills on the court. The 6-8, 220-pounder is a terrific rebounder as he showed against the likes of Kansas and UMass as a sophomore. But between his injuries, Mathis has managed to play in just 10 games during his three years at Dartmouth thus far.

“Jarrett is someone you can't help but root for,” said Dunn. “He has worked so hard to get back on the floor, and he has been a great teammate to everyone on the squad. If anyone out there deserves some good fortune, it is Jarrett.”

Returning to the fold after a one-year hiatus is 6-8, 230-pound Dan Biber. Coach Dunn has raved about his basketball IQ, and Biber showed a deft shooting touch (career 81.6 percent from the foul line) and slashing ability two years ago. If he can shake off the rust, he could very well be the wild card for this Dartmouth squad.
Another option is 6-9, 215-pound sophomore Clive Weeden. A player who isn't afraid to do the dirty work, Weeden is a strong defender who runs the floor well. What Coach Dunn wants to see out of him is more aggressiveness and strength to become a better rebounder.

The last of five freshmen joining the squad this year is Herve Kouna Metsam, a 6-6 native of Cameroon. He attended the Cantebury School in New Milford, Conn., the past two years, and Dunn notes that Kouna Metsam already has a “college body.” His physical stature could help him earn a spot in the rotation.

“All of our freshmen will get a chance to establish themselves this year,” stated Dunn. “We as coaches have to evaluate all of our players and put the best talent on the floor, regardless of experience. The veterans have the advantage of working in our system previously, but depending on how the freshmen assimilate to the college game, they could certainly see significant minutes.”

A center duo of senior Kurt Graeber and junior Elgin Fitzgerald will combine to be a two-headed monster in the middle. All three showed promise at times last year, and they will likely split the time pretty evenly this season.

The 6-9, 245-pound Fitzgerald ? Dartmouth's second-leading returning scorer ? really established himself during the Ivy League portion of the schedule. Prior to conference play, he averaged 3.4 points a game; against Ivy opponents, Fitzgerald more than doubled his production at 7.1 points per contest, the third-best figure on the team. Those 7.1 points came in just 16.1 minutes, a higher scoring rate than even Barnett. He also blocked 13 shots in the 14 Ivy games to lead the Big Green. Fitzgerald has good range on his jumper to 15 feet, and is a plus passer to boot.

“Elgin really played his best basketball of the year the last half of the Ivy season,” Dunn beamed. “If he can continue to build upon his success at the end of last year, he could be a real force for us.”

Graeber is an energetic and athletic post player. Originally a walk-on at Arizona State, the 6-9, 245-pounder can lift the team not only with his hustle, but his soft shot, too. A year ago he shot 54 percent from the floor while averaging nearly five points a game. Dunn notes that if Graeber can avoid some nagging injuries and stay focused on the court, he can be a real boon for Dartmouth.

This is a year in which Dartmouth can make a move in the standings. Cornell will be the team to beat after its perfect 14-0 season in the Ivy League last season with nearly everyone returning. But after the Big Red, the teams will be very evenly matched. It all boils down to which coach in the league has found the parts that fit best together, and how well that machine is oiled. And a little luck in regards to health and staying out of the repair shop goes a long way toward the success of the team.

Coach Dunn has plenty of parts, now he must simply find the optimal way for those parts to mesh. It's no small feat, but if accomplished, a winning season could very well be in the works for the Big Green machine.