Fresh Faces Looking to go to New Places for Cavaliers in 2008-09 Season
There is a great sense of uncertainty surrounding the Concordia men’s basketball team this season. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the departure of stalwarts Cody Aker, Jesse Alvarez and Ryan Johnson, a trio that started a combined 88 games last season, will be offset by a slew of instant-impact newcomers to the program.
The Cavaliers will welcome six new faces to the floor in 2008-09, headlined by the threesome of Gage Aker, Jourdan Sweeney and Alex Thiefenthaler. The new trio of players each took unique paths to CU as Aker will contribute at the point guard position as a true freshman, Sweeney will provide energy off the bench after taking a redshirt season in the program last season and the 6-foot-9 Thiefenthaler will provide an inside-outside match-up problem for the league after transferring from Portland State University.
That being said, apart from the newcomers to the Navy and White, the cupboards aren’t remotely dry with the return of seniors Desmond Meray and Steven Vaughan, juniors Connor Hambelton and Matt Ochs and a group of six sophomores that will add youthful, but tested versatility to the squad.
Looking to take the torch of the senior leadership roles will be Meray and Vaughan. Meray enters his fourth season in the program while Vaughan will make his second go-around after transferring in from Clackamas Community College. Dangerous with the drive and the jumper, Meray led the team last season with 15 points per game while the attacking Vaughan led the team by forcing his way to the free throw line on 104 occasions.
“Desmond has the potential to have a tremendous season. He is a dynamic player who we are expecting big things from this season,” Concordia head coach Brad Barbarick said. “Steven is extremely efficient. He plays hard on both sides of the ball. He can always find a way to get to the basket and make plays.”
As for the junior class, Ochs joins Meray as the team’s lone returning full-time players from the 2007-08 squad. Appearing in all 30 contests, the 6-foot-6 Ochs finished second on the team with six rebounds per game as well as chipping in with a resourceful 8.9 points per game after converting on a team-leading 59 percent of his shot attempts. A weapon from long range, Hambelton saw court time in 16 games a year ago.
“A former CCC Freshman of the Year, Ochs is among the top rebounders in the conference. He has the ability to be a consistent ‘double-double’ player for us,” Barbarick said. “Coming into his third year, Connor is one of the best shooters that we have. We will rely upon him to make some big shots to help stretch the defense.”
The Cavs will also have a rare opportunity to turn to a contingent of experienced sophomores this season. Returning to the court after missing all of last season due to surgery on his hand, Dustin Hiebert will be a welcomed addition to the team. As a freshman for the 2006-07 season, Hiebert played in all but game on the docket, tallying 158 points and firing at a 36.5 rate from beyond the three-point arc.
“We really missed Dustin last year. He brings a lot to the table in that he can stretch defenses with his range as well as apply pressure as a defender because of his length,” Barbarick said of the 6-foot-6 guard.
Joining Hiebert will be fellow sophomore Sergio Rosario, Daniel Scheetz, Trevor Schwanz, Richard Smith and Jason Yecny.
Yecny recorded the most minutes on the floor as a true freshman last season, providing the role as a defensive stopper for the club. Rosario posted the most points of the bunch with 54 points while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor and Scheetz grabbed the most rebounds (38) and rejected the most shot (12).
“Jason was one of our best surprises last season. He has a long frame and quick feet which gives him the ability to guard bigs and smalls,” Barbarick said. “Sergio can play inside and outside. He was banged up a good portion of last season and didn’t get into a flow until late in the year, but he has been working hard and has a chance to be one of our go-to guys.”
As for Scheetz and Smith, Barbarick said the duo will provide strong presence as interior defenders to the team, while Schwanz’ season will be in doubt after suffering an injury in the preseason
With the departure of four-year standout Cody Aker, his younger brother Gage, will become the third member of the family to don the Navy and White. A 6-foot-4 point guard, Gage will enter his freshman season with an already established familiarity of the program.
“Gage has a chance to really be a tremendous player. He is a strong physical point guard with a great basketball IQ. He has the intangibles that will allow him to be a contributor immediately,” Barbarick said.
Sharing point guard duties with Aker will be junior transfer Jeff Sego. After a pair of successful campaigns at Clackamas Community College, Sego possesses the quarterback mentality that is needed to run a team.
Barbarick said, “Once Jeff gets comfortable in the system, he can become a major contributor. He has a knack for getting his teammates involved with a pass-first, shoot-second approach.”
Adding to the guard depth will be the redshirt freshman Sweeney and true freshman Drew Preuninger. Sweeney combines an explosive get-to-the-basket force on offense in addition to lock-down abilities on the defensive side of the ball. A talented shooter and ball handler, Preuninger can play a variety of roles with his understanding of the game and hard-nosed style of play.
The biggest addition to the team on paper and on the court will be the arrival of Thiefenthaler. A legit inside-outside threat, Thiefenthaler not only brings size to the court, but has the shooting range to get outside the paint and knock down deep shots.
“Alex has the chance to be one of the top players in the CCC,” Barbarick said. “He will be a difficult match up for our opponents to contain.”
Overall, Barbarick will have 15 players to mix and match throughout the season and the key early-season component will be the task to sort out the combination of players that best suit the task at hand.
“In a lot of ways, we are unproven. But we are very talented physically and have a number of guys that can play multiple positions which will not only give us depth, but will give us the flexibility to do a number of things that we weren’t able to do in recent years,” Barbarick said. “We can go big or we can go small, but the key for us this season will be our ability to maintain our consistency.”