Pacific won’t go undefeated in the Big
West again, but, despite losing five of their top six scorers
from a year ago, the Tigers will reload and remain competitive
in the weakened conference. The programs success over the last
couple seasons has helped the recruiting and there are talented
returning players down the bench that haven’t yet had their time
to shine.
Who’s Out:
Guillaume Yango, David Doubley, Jasko Korajkic, Tyler Newton and
Marko Mihailovic sounds like a first team all-conference group,
but it was just the core of the Bob Thomason’s squad that
reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
Yango led the squad with 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. Doubley
had a team high 3.9 assists and tacked on 12.3 points per
contest. Korajkic, Newton and Mihailovic added on 8.0, 7.3 and
5.8 points, respectively. Big man Matt Kemper earned a few
minutes off the bench, averaging 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per
game. Allan Purnell didn’t receive too many minutes during his
senior campaign.
Who’s In:
Junior college transfers Anthony Esparza, Ben Pemberton, Reggie
Vezia and Wolfgang Rafferty will be expected to use their
experience to make an immediate impact in Stockton. Esparza
averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds last year at Fresno City
College. The 6-5 forward is a passionate, tough player who will
compete for the starting small forward job. Pemberton is a
decent wing player with a solid shooting range. If he can find
his shot, he’ll see some minutes off the bench. Vezia could see
minutes at both guard spots after a stint at Solano (CA) Junior
College. Rafferty, a 6-8 center, is a hard worker under the
basket and can step outside to take the three. The incoming
freshmen might have a tougher time seeing minutes but there is
plenty of talent here with Joe Ford, Steffan Johnson and Casey
Neimeyer. Ford, a 6-6 wing, will compete for the starting small
forward gig as well after leading Campbell Hall High School to
an undefeated season. Johnson is the future point guard of the
Tigers and will most likely spend this season learning the
system off the bench. Neimeyer is a tough 6-7 forward, but would
be best suited spending this year on the bench adjusting to life
in the Big West. The list doesn’t end yet. Kevin Hurley and
Anthony Brown redshirted last year and will see their first
minutes for the Tigers in 2005-2006. Hurley, a 6-3 guard, isn’t
expected to see much action but Brown could crack the starting
five. Brown, a 6-8 225 pound power forward averaged 30.1 points
and 14.2 rebounds two years ago at prep school, including a 51
point and 21 rebound explosion at Proctor Academy in Andover,
New Hampshire. Even if he doesn’t start, Brown will play a big
role off the bench.
Who to Watch:
The only main component of last year’s team
that returns is Christian Maraker. The 6-9, 235 pound Swede
averaged 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds last year. As a senior
this year, he’ll be asked to be the team leader and pick up the
scoring slack early in the year while the newcomers are
adjusting.
Projected Conference Rank:
Bob Thomason’s 18th year at the
helm of Pacific won’t be as miraculous as his 17th.
Seniors Mike Webb and Johnny Gray have waited patiently on the
bench and will be big names in the Big West by the time the
season is over. The newcomers are talented enough to pick up the
slack and be dangerous by the time the conference schedule rolls
around. A 1st place finish and a return trip to the
NCAAs won’t be easy with Fullerton, Northridge and Santa Barbara
on their heels, but with Maraker and the senior ball handlers,
the Tigers have the edge to prevail.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Johnny Gray, Senior, Guard, 3.9 points per game
Mike Webb, Senior, Guard, 5.0 points per game
Joe Ford, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Christian Maraker, Senior, Forward, 13.1 points per game
Michael White, Junior, Center, 0.8 points per game
