The H-SC Tiger » basketball

Basketball Squad Starts Season 2-1

admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:12:01 +0000

Senior guard Turner King helped the Tigers compete with Division I High Point University.

Hampden-Sydney fans certainly got a glimpse into the promising future of Tiger basketball in the squad’s return to the hard court. Crucial minutes and play from a group of solid freshman along with strong performances from familiar faces helped the Tigers start the 2009-2010 campaign on a solid note. The Tigers dropped their first contest of the year on the road at Division I High Point University by a score of 100-74, but they responded very well at home by sweeping the Main Street Lanes South Region Hoops Challenge, downing both North Carolina Wesleyan and Shenandoah.

The Tigers went into their clash with the Panthers of High Point University—a member of the Big South conference—as huge underdogs; however, the Tigers held their own before the Panthers pulled away in the 2nd half. Great defense and phenomenal rebounding kept the Tigers in the game for the first 23 minutes of the contest. Hampden-Sydney went into halftime down by only eight points at the break. The Tigers came out ready to play in the second half scoring the first 4 points of the half, making the score 45-41. However, over the course of the next 7 1⁄2 minutes, the Panthers went on a 33-9 run. The Panthers’ aggressive and very athletic defense forced 25 Tiger turnovers, which led to a lot of fast break opportunities for the Panthers. On a positive note, the Tigers forced 18 turnovers of their own—proving how pesky and disruptive their aggressive presses can be–and stayed with a much bigger squad in the rebounding department, only being outrebounded by two boards. In the game, Turner King posted a team high 21 points and 9 rebounds, while Ben Jessee chipped in with 12 points of his own. Freshman Harrison George showed great poise and confidence by scoring 10 points and bringing down 7 boards.

The Tigers got their first win of the year in the first game of the South Region Hoops Challenge against North Carolina Wesleyan 90-79. With 8:30 remaining in the 1st half, the Bishops of North Carolina Wesleyan led 28-15, but over the course of the next six minutes, the Tigers clamped down on defense and went on a 21-8 run, knotting the game up at 36. The Tigers eventually led 44-42 at the half and fed off that momentum in the beginning of the second half, scoring the first 9 points of the second half. However, the Bishops would not go away, cutting the Tiger lead to 2 with 10 minutes left. Whenever the Bishops would make a run, the Tigers stayed resilient and answered strongly, capitalizing on many second chance opportunities. Junior big man Colin O’Neill was clutch in the final minutes of the game, knocking down 5 straight free throws and scoring 7 of his 15 points in the final 1:11 of the game. Ben Jessee led all scorers by dropping 20 on the Bishops, hitting 4 threes along the way. The Tigers had four other players—Turner King, Harrison George, Jonathan Mudd, and freshman Randall Ward–reach the double figure scoring mark, scoring 15, 13, 12, and 10 respectively.

The very next day, the Tigers continued their winning streak by holding off the Hornets of Shenandoah University 79-71. This game was much different than the night before considering that the Tigers started out red hot, jumping out to a 21-8 lead just 10 minutes into the contest. In that run, lock-down defense caused 7 Hornet turnovers, while on the offensive side of the ball, the players dazzled the crowd with spectacular offensive plays, including a sensational behind the back pass from freshman Patrick Corrigan to Colin O’Neill who finished the play with a crafty reverse lay-up. In the first half, the Tigers shot 60% from the field and had a 45-35 lead at halftime. The Hornets, however, did not want to leave the South Region Hoops Challenge without a victory—they lost to Mary Washington the day before–and after solid play in the second half, the Hornets found themselves only down by 2, 61-59 with five minutes remaining. However, the Tigers answered every Hornet bucket with a bucket of their own. Down the stretch, the Tigers had to make their free throws to secure a victory, and they did exactly that, going 7/8 from the charity stripe in the last 1:30 of the game–Ben Jessee went 4/4 and remains a perfect 14/14 on the season thus far. Jessee ended up with 16 points, while Jonathan Mudd hit double digits for the second straight game with 10. Turner King ended up with a game-high 20 points.

The Tigers have certainly proved their athleticism and resiliency in the first three games of the season, both of which will help them in ODAC play which they opened up this past Wednesday, December 2nd against Roanoke College (keep in mind this article was written before this game took place). The Tigers take the road on December 5th and 6th to take part in the Salisbury University Optimist Classic in Maryland. They will face Ramapo College of NJ on the 5th and take on either Methodist or Salisbury on the 6th. One of the biggest home games of the year will take place on December 9th, when the Tigers host ODAC foe and the #3 ranked team in the nation, Guilford. That night will also be Fraternity Night at Fleet Gymnasium, so be sure to mark your calendars and get to the game early ready to make some noise. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

Athletic Basketball Tigers Seek 11th ODAC Crown

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:04:36 +0000

Out of all the sports at Hampden-Sydney, the Tiger basketball teams have historically been the best. Ten ODAC championships and two NCAA Division III Final Four appearances in the last 20 years prove that claim. This year, the Tigers look to continue that legacy and add to the already impressive tradition of Tiger basketball. To do so will be tough considering the extreme depth and talent of other ODAC teams, but because of the Tigers’ own depth, athleticism, and talented group of freshmen, the Tigers will look to contend for their 11th ODAC crown.
This preseason, the Tigers were picked to finish 5th in the ODAC. Guilford’s Final Four run last season helped them garner the #1 preseason ODAC ranking and a #3 national preseason ranking. Randolph-Macon is ranked #19 in the same national pole, and after already beating Division I opponent and last year’s Patriot League Champs, American University, the Yellow Jackets looked poised to hold up that ranking. Virginia Wesleyan will once again be tough as they try to win their 4th ODAC title in 6 years. Obviously the Tigers have plenty of competition in the 2009-2010 season, but they want more respect than they are getting. When asked how much of a motivation factor that preseason #5 ranking is, Head Coach Dee Vick responded, “It definitely motivates us all. One of our goals is to get better every day, and if we stay healthy and accomplish that goal, then we will have a shot in the end.”
Seniors Turner King and Jonathan Mudd have been dubbed to lead the Tigers on their pursuit for the ODAC crown this year. Turner King is an obvious selection as captain for his play on the court: two-time First Team All-ODAC Selection, and he is already tenth on Hampden-Sydney’s all-time scoring list with 1,363 points. Coach Vick attributes King’s honors received on the court to his resiliency off the court: “Turner King stands for perseverance.” Despite King’s terrific play on the court the previous three seasons, Coach Vick expects even more from King this year. The more vocal leader of the two is definitely Jonathan Mudd, and he has earned his spot as captain because of his maximum effort on the court and his ability to mesh well with all of his teammates. Remember that Mudd came in as a transfer last season. Coach Vick pointed out that blending in as well as Mudd did “is rare, and it says a lot for his character and his love for the team.”

Many feel that Ben Jesse was robbed of the ODAC Rookie of the Year Award last season. His confidence and ability to shoot from the perimeter – 40% from three point land – contributed to his 11 points per game average last season. Coach Vick expects even more from him this year considering he said Jesse is “one of the most improved players from last season.” The other “most improved player” that Coach Vick “expects to have a breakout season” is big man Colin O’Neill. O’Neill worked extremely hard on his strength in the offseason, so that should help his already great abilities to defend and rebound. His ability to finish more shots and knock down his free throws has also really impressed the coaches in the preseason.

The Tigers have two other more versatile big men in senior Lane Medlin and freshman Alex Potapov. Medlin is versatile because of his ability to shoot the three; he does it better than any other big man in the conference and even better than a lot of guards – 35% from behind the arc last season. Medlin is also “more fit this year, and it has helped his explosiveness,” states Coach Vick. Potapov has great fundamentals, especially in his post moves and his ability to finish around the basket. Coach Vick also added that Potapov has “great upside, and he runs the floor as well as our guards.”

That ability to run the floor will be needed for everyone this year. Coach Vick has decided to return to the defense he played while at Hampden-Sydney in the early 1990s: an aggressive full court man defense. The move is a result from the sheer athleticism the Tigers have this year: “We have depth, and pressing full court will allow us to try and wear opponents down.” Sometimes the greatest offense is a great defense considering steals typically lead to easy baskets at the other end, and that is exactly what the Tigers will try to do. Coach Vick has preached to his players that “it takes an extreme commitment to defense which is where championships are won.”

A lot of that athleticism stems from a new class of freshman. Assistant Coaches Larry Blunt and Austin Shaver did what Coach Vick called “an incredible job” recruiting last year. Four players that Tiger fans need to look out for are the aforementioned Alex Potapov, Patrick Corrigan, Harrison George, and Randall Ward. Corrigan’s vision and ability to see plays develop is outstanding, especially for a freshman, and Coach Vick said that Corrigan “might be our most well rounded freshman.” Coach Vick added that Harrison George’s “imagination on the court is special.” George is known as a dynamic scorer, but he also has the ability to create plays and is an underrated passer. Randall Ward is simply one of the best athletes on the team; his ability to speed up the pace of the game and find other players is promising.

The Tigers will have a tough road to their 11th ODAC championship, but they have the leadership, athleticism, and resiliency to complete that goal. Their first test will be on November 21st when they travel to take on Division I opponent, High Point University. The Tigers will then open their home schedule when they host North Carolina Wesleyan as part of the South Region Hoops Challenge on Thanksgiving Weekend. Mark your calendars for December 2nd when the Tigers open up ODAC play, hosting the Maroons of Roanoke College.