LA GRANDE, Ore. -- The Eastern Oregon University men's basketball program went from 4-22 to 9.1 seconds away from the national final four in five years.
The Mountaineers return to the court in 2009 after an unbelievable ride in the national tournament in Point Lookout, Mo., last season. EOU was the final team to out of the tournament from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, and took the eventual national champion to the final seconds before falling by one point in the quarterfinals.
Last year's senior class posted an astonishing 91-33 record, and watched a program rise from worst to first. Eastern has won 25 or more games the past three seasons. But gone from last season's national quarterfinal run are seven players that were 62 percent of the scoring, 53 points per game.
The returning five players average 503 minutes played in 2008-09. The Mountaineers not only lost seven players, but the coach who has led them from the bottom of the past five years, Ryan Looney. The former head coach accepted the same position at NCAA Div. 2's Seattle Pacific University in the offseason. His replacement is EOU alum, Isaac Williams. Williams was Looney's assistant for the past five years and welcomes his new position.
Back Court
Eastern Oregon may have lost the most in its guards over the offseason. Graduated seniors Kris Groce (15.42 ppg) and Jeremy Templeton (1.73 spg) were keys of scoring and leadership. Williams made hunting for guards while recruiting a must.
He succeeded in his quest for guards by finding two college transfers that will play very well off of each other. The first is Josh Cottle, a 5-10 transfer from NCAA Div. 1 Weber State University. Williams is not alone in expecting big things from Cottle, he was listed on the coaches' preseason All-CCC team. Cottle was part of two Utah Class 3A state championship teams at Wasatch High School. He was the Class 3A Most Valuable Player both as a junior and as a senior, and was the Most Valuable Player of both state tournaments as well. In his senior year he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Utah and was a McDonald's All-America nominee.
The second transfer guard is Jacques Wilson from NAIA Div. 1 William Jewell University. Wilson ended up at William Jewell in California by way of NCAA Div. 1, Southern Utah University. At William Jewell last season, Wilson averaged 10.4 points per game, 2.5 rebounds and two assists per game. The Cardinal advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA Div. 1 National Tournament in 2008-09.
Thomas McCarthy returns for his junior season after a breakout sophomore year. Last season McCarthy came in as a solid threat from beyond the perimeter. He made 26 of his 54 three-point attempts, a 48 percent average. McCarthy shot 47 percent from the field. He hit his career high 14 points against rival, The College of Idaho, last year after hitting four three-pointers.
Fans should expect immediate impacts from other Eastern guards. Freshman Cody Thurmond, a six foot, 160 pound guard, was a First Team All-Narrows League selection during his senior year for Central Kitsap High School. He averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game. He played in the inaugural Clash of the Classes All-Star Game and was a 2009 McDonalds All-America nominee. Jordan Lupfer-Graham will make his freshman debut this season.
Front Court
The losses of big men, Paul Carollo and Neil Fryer that were both All-CCC, will hurt the Mountaineers in 2009-10. But the most conference experience returning for EOU comes from the posts and the wings.
Dan Stafford returns in his all-around role for Eastern Oregon. The 6-4 senior, averaged just under 10 points per game last year, and added three rebounds a game. Stafford averaged 21 minutes per game in 2008-09 and was a leader for the Mountaineers off of the bench.
Jordan Gregg saw increasing minutes as the season progressed last year and will be a leader on this year's team. The senior averaged 22 minutes a game in 2008-09 and should expect major playing time in 2009-10. He was selected by the conference coaches as a preseason player of the year after averaging 10.33 points per game last season. He chipped in 6.7 rebounds a game, and a team-high 19 blocks.
Josh Landsverk will play his senior year this season for the Mountaineers. The 6-8 post averaged 24 minutes a game last year, and scored 7.94 points per game. Landsverk shot 55 percent from the field.
Steve Sawyers returns to the court after redshirting last season. The senior from Chicago averaged 3.16 points per game and grabbed 82 rebounds off of the bench in 2007-08. Freshman Peter Gregg could make an impact for the Mountaineers this year. The 200-pound post from Lewiston, Idaho is the tallest player on the roster at 6 feet, nine inches.
Cody Mortensen joins the Mountaineers after two seasons at Mt. Hood Community College. The junior transfer averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game for the Saints last season. Mortensen, a six foot, four inch and 210-pound forward played in the NWAACC All-Star Game as a sophomore at Mt. Hood. He led Middleton High School to the Idaho Class 4A state quarterfinals his senior season.
Schedule
Eastern Oregon will be challenged in its non-conference schedule this year. Walla Walla University returns two double digit scorers from 2008-09 along with several new key additions. Montana Western returns four starters from last year's winning season, including Jaron Brown and Terry Hauser's combined 26 points per game. Montana State-Northern returns after a 22-10 season and a trip to the NAIA Div. 1 National Tournament. Lewis-Clark State was picked fourth in the Frontier Conference preseason poll and returns two starters from last year's 11-14 season.
The Cascade Collegiate Conference appears to be loaded with talent once again. The top seven teams could beat each other up during the season, with the top team finishing with four or five losses. The College of Idaho was selected as the preseason favorite by the coaches within the league. The 'Yotes return three starters and welcome in a talented list of newcomers this year. Perennial power Oregon Tech follows COI close behind in the poll. Jordan Foster joins Tech after a phenomenal career at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
Warner Pacific returns three starters from last year's 21-9 team and welcomes NCAA Div. 1 transfer Reggie Guyton from Oral Roberts University. The Evergreen State College received two first place votes in the preseason poll and features the top player in the conference, Nate Menefee. Northwest Christian picked up guard Ben Voogd from the University of Oregon for his senior season. Northwest University returns four starters from a promising team last season.
Coach's Outlook
"The 2009-10 Mountaineers are the hardest working collection of players we have had at EOU in the last six seasons," head coach Isaac Williams said. "If our mix of eight returners and eight newcomers can mesh we should have a chance to compete well in one of the best conferences in the NAIA."