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February 05, 2010
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Crusaders enter season with high expectations
"We have a lot of work ahead of us this season, but I believe that the ability and the talent are there," Marcinek said. Marcinek will be joined by veteran assistant coach Chad Bailey, who is in his ninth year at Susquehanna and is someone who Marcinek described as his right-hand man. "He knows my expectations and is always there to help me on the floor and with recruiting," Marcinek said. Newcomer T.J. Jordan, a recent graduate from St. Mary's College of Maryland, will join the staff as an assistant. Jordan is replacing Matt Blue, who received a position at Lafyette. Returning to familiar stomping grounds is assistant coach Mark Prusch, who also served as an assistant from 2005 to 2007. "Prusch played and graduated here," Marcinek said. "He is very excited to be back and has helped tremendously with recruitment and strength and conditioning." Prusch played for Susquehanna from 2001 to 2005 and helped lead the Crusaders to their first outright regular season championship in the Middle Atlantic Commonwealth Conf- erence. Marcinek and Bailey earned the Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year award last season, and the team finished second in the Landmark, falling to Scranton in the championship game, 80-75 in overtime. The Crusaders will be without three starters from last year, including leading scorer and rebounder, Landmark Player of the Year and NCAA Division III Player of the Year finalist guard/forward Joel Patch '09. Also gone from the team are its third-leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, guard Matt McDevitt '09, and its fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder, center Rob Cosgrove '11. Reserve guard Brian Kerwin '12 is also gone. Todd DeNapoli '09, Chad Cohle '09 and Zac Smith '09 are three more players lost to graduation. Cohle served alongside Patch as the team's co-captains. Marcinek described this season's leadership as something that will be adapted in time. Each day the team is making progress, but there is time before definite leadership is revealed. Returning for the 2009-10 season includes the Landmark Defensive Player of the Year, senior captain guard Bryan Majors. "B. Maj is a great leader and is now our only captain," Marcinek said. There are three big men returning this season to help offset the loss of Cosgrove. Junior forward Hunter McKain, junior forward Fran Brzyski and junior center Barry Haines. Junior guard Jason Dawson is another returner, as well as a very physical senior in forward Marcus Burke. McKain said that the team was organized on its own from day one on campus this year, even before the official start date of Nov. 15. They had regular unofficial practices set up by themselves. "We're getting better every day. I'm confident that we will be good once everyone's on the same page; there will be a learning process as far as getting the new guys used to our season," McKain said. Sophomore guard Spenser Spencer returns this season after being the team's second leading scorer and Landmark Rookie of the Year. Marcinek said that the strength of the team this season, so far, is in the back court with his guards. "B. Maj, Spencer and Rob Estep; they have the most starting experience on the team," Marcinek said. Estep, a junior guard who transferred from Hobart, scored in bunches last season, averaging more than 15 points per game. Junior guard Frank Marcinek Jr. and junior forward Kenneth Anyanwu are both returners who are expected to compete for more playing time this season. On top of the returning veterans, a number of talented freshman have also joined Susquehanna's team this season, including another Marcinek. Scott Marcinek is a guard from Shamokin Area High School. Joining him are Harvey Pannell, a guard/forward from St. Thomas More School in Connecticut, Nomar Sanchez, a guard from Colegio San Antonio in Isabela, Puerto Rico and Daryl Augustus, a forward from Calvert Hall College in Baltimore. Marcinek said that the freshmen who were recruited all played in very good high school settings. Sophomore center Trevor Williamson from Warrior Run High School joins the team after transferring from the University of Pittsburg at Bradford last year. Williamson has three seasons of eligibility left. When describing the team's unity, Marcinek said, "They have not come together as a team yet, the parts are not together, and it may take time to understand people's roles." The team's schedule is very challenging this season, which may help force some sort of team unity. They play Franklin & Marshall, and have a possible mid-season tournament matchup with Richard Stockton, both of which advanced far into the Division III playoffs a year ago. They will also battle St. Mary's, No. 19 in the preseason, as well as No. 10 Brooklyn College. Marcinek said that from Dec. 11 to Jan. 3 the team will see four of the top 20 teams, and that this weekend's game against Bridgewater, who Susquehanna lost to last year at home, will be a really good challenge for a team who is, "trying to establish its identity". |
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