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By
Jon Teitel
jonteitel@hotmail.com
October, 2004
2004-05
Brown Basketball Preview
The Veterans: The bad
news is that the Bears have only one senior and one junior on their very
young team. The good news is that the senior is Jason Forte (the
returning Ivy Player of the Year), and the junior is co-captain Luke Ruscoe (who started all 27 games last year).
The Youngsters: Of
the seven incoming freshmen, two to keep an eye on are Damon Huffman
(the brother of former Kent State star Trevor Huffman) and Mark
MacDonald (whose father played college basketball at Providence
College).
The Departed: This
might be a rebuilding year in Providence, as Brown lost a great amount
of talent due to graduation. In addition to losing two 2nd-team
All-Ivy players in Jamie Kilburn (who led the team in rebounds and
blocks) and Patrick Powers (who led the team in three-point field goals
made), the Bears also lost Mike Martin (who led the team in free throw
percentage).
The Strengths and
weaknesses: Brown will probably get beat up on the boards this year, as
there is nobody on the roster over 6’9” and only one guy over 6’8” (P.J.
Flaherty). However, scoring will not be a problem, as Brown has led the
conference in scoring for three straight years.
The Star: Forte
became the first player to ever lead the Ivy League in scoring and
assists in the same season, and might very well do it again this year.
In case you doubt his ability to rebound, he recorded Brown’s first-ever
triple-double against Harvard on February 27. You also cannot
neutralize him by fouling him, as he made a conference-high 12-12 free
throws against Columbia on February 7.
The Schedule: Brown
has arguably the easiest schedule of any Ivy League team, as Princeton
is their only opponent this year who played in the NCAA Tournament last
March. The Bears will be tested with nine straight road games between
December 28 and February 5, but hope to finish with a bang as seven of
its final nine conference games are at home. Additionally, the Bears
are no longer scared of the two legendary opponents they face twice each
year: Brown swept Penn for the first time since 1991, and beat
Princeton at home.
The Imports: Four of
the Bears hail from foreign countries: Adolphe Coulibaly (Ivory Coast),
Keenan Jeppesen (Ontario), Luke Ruscoe (New Zealand), and Sam Manhanga
(Mozambique).
The Coach: Glen
Miller is the returning Ivy Coach of the Year, after becoming the first
Brown coach ever to record four straight winning seasons. Miller
guided last year’s team
to its first-ever NIT appearance as they won 12 of their last 15 regular
season games.
The Prediction: Forte
is talented enough to carry his team far, but probably does not have
enough talent around him to reach the top of the mountain. However, if
the Bears can continue their winning ways against Penn and Princeton,
anything is possible.
Learn
more about the author Jon Teitel and how to contact him here
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