Chargers look to surpass expectations
By Terry Hersom Journal sports editor | Posted: Thursday, October 19, 2006
Maybe those first four seasons in the Great Plains Athletic Conference haven't exactly seen Briar Cliff men's basketball turn the league upside down.
Maybe the Chargers are still looking to finish an 18-game GPAC schedule with a record above .500.
Still, in two seasons since veteran coach Todd Barry took over, Briar Cliff has had no trouble surpassing the expectations of the pre-season GPAC coaches polls.
And, as Barry starts his third winter at the Cliff, he's unfazed by a new poll picking his team ninth in a 13-team race.
"I'm not surprised,'' said Barry. "We graduated four guys that played a lot and all averaged double figures. But the great thing about sport is you've still got to play the games.''
Sticks and stones are one thing. Predictions are quite another.
Two years ago, coming off a last-place 3-15 GPAC showing under Mike Beard, the Chargers entered Barry's first season as the 11th-place choice in the pre-season balloting.
They responded to that with a 16-14 overall record and a 9-9 conference finish that was good for a sixth-place tie.
Last year, after being picked eighth, BC again tied for sixth at 9-9 while charting a solid 19-12 overall ledger.
Ninth?
"We understand where it's coming from, we lost a lot of good players,'' said junior guard Kurt Webb, one of three holdover starters. "But we have no intentions of finishing ninth.''
The four double-digit scorers lost to graduation were among no less than six players who averaged 10 points or more a year ago. And, that didn't count Neil Rohe, another of the holdovers, who chipped in 8.5 points a game.
"We know we're much better than No. 9,'' said Rohe, a 6-3 junior forward. "We don't even think about that. In this league, every night, it's who shows up to play.''
Joe Nelson, a 6-7 post man, led last year's team with 12.9 points a game while point guard Martez Van Buren ranked second, averaging 12.1. Both were seniors, as were guard Jeremy Moses (11.2) and forward Bryce Meyers (10.4).
Still, there's adequate scoring punch returning with Webb, a former Utah prep all-stater who averaged 10.5 points, along with Rohe and 6-5 junior forward Adi Cizmic, the former Heelan standout who chipped in an even 10 per contest.
"I think we have pretty good players coming up,'' said Cizmic. "The new people just have to fill their roles. They don't have to do everything all those guys (seniors) did. If everybody does a little bit, we'll be fine.''
Webb, who hit a team-high 80 three-pointers in 189 attempts last winter for a nifty .423 percentage, certainly has the potential to put up some bigger numbers. However, he thinks the Chargers will once again be balanced.
"Our goal is to be the best transition team in the nation,'' he said. "It's a process, but we're looking to run. It's Coach Barry's vision and we're all on board. We run a lot in practice, we've got to be in good shape. But it all starts with rebounding, being able to just get out and go.''
That's where Dehonis Williams and Derek Mechaelsen, a pair of 6-7 sophomores, could play pivotal roles, both literally and figuratively.
Williams is an athletic 243-pounder from Miami, Fla., who practiced with the Chargers all of last season but was ineligible.
"Dehonis is going to be a very big help with his size and athleticism and unselfish play,'' said Rohe. "It's not like he's a newcomer. He practiced with us about every day, so we're used to playing with him. If he can play in the games like he does in practice, we're going to have a pretty good season.''
Danny Tighe, a 6-3 forward, is the lone senior on the 12-man varsity roster and he'll be another contributor to the inside game.
On the perimeter, former East point guard Ian Banks hopes to step up as the starting point guard. Curtis Galvin, a 5-10 sophomore from Houston, is also in that picture along with 6-3 sophomore Brett Ratcliff and 6-5 Kelvin Adams, a redshirt freshman who missed last season with a knee injury.
Junior guards Brock Cooper and Jeremy Axlund, both members of East's 2002 state championship team, are also in the backcourt equation. Cooper appeared in 24 games last season and was ninth on the team in minutes.
The Chargers will have their annual alumni game Saturday at 1 p.m. with Ray Nacke, BC's former longtime coach, serving as the honorary coach. A women's alumni game is slated for 10 a.m. and the men's junior varsity will play at noon.
The season gets under way Nov. 3-4 in Omaha with games against William Penn and Iowa Wesleyan in a two-day tournament hosted by Grace College.
Maybe the Chargers are still looking to finish an 18-game GPAC schedule with a record above .500.
Still, in two seasons since veteran coach Todd Barry took over, Briar Cliff has had no trouble surpassing the expectations of the pre-season GPAC coaches polls.
And, as Barry starts his third winter at the Cliff, he's unfazed by a new poll picking his team ninth in a 13-team race.
"I'm not surprised,'' said Barry. "We graduated four guys that played a lot and all averaged double figures. But the great thing about sport is you've still got to play the games.''
Sticks and stones are one thing. Predictions are quite another.
Two years ago, coming off a last-place 3-15 GPAC showing under Mike Beard, the Chargers entered Barry's first season as the 11th-place choice in the pre-season balloting.
They responded to that with a 16-14 overall record and a 9-9 conference finish that was good for a sixth-place tie.
Last year, after being picked eighth, BC again tied for sixth at 9-9 while charting a solid 19-12 overall ledger.
Ninth?
"We understand where it's coming from, we lost a lot of good players,'' said junior guard Kurt Webb, one of three holdover starters. "But we have no intentions of finishing ninth.''
The four double-digit scorers lost to graduation were among no less than six players who averaged 10 points or more a year ago. And, that didn't count Neil Rohe, another of the holdovers, who chipped in 8.5 points a game.
"We know we're much better than No. 9,'' said Rohe, a 6-3 junior forward. "We don't even think about that. In this league, every night, it's who shows up to play.''
Joe Nelson, a 6-7 post man, led last year's team with 12.9 points a game while point guard Martez Van Buren ranked second, averaging 12.1. Both were seniors, as were guard Jeremy Moses (11.2) and forward Bryce Meyers (10.4).
Still, there's adequate scoring punch returning with Webb, a former Utah prep all-stater who averaged 10.5 points, along with Rohe and 6-5 junior forward Adi Cizmic, the former Heelan standout who chipped in an even 10 per contest.
"I think we have pretty good players coming up,'' said Cizmic. "The new people just have to fill their roles. They don't have to do everything all those guys (seniors) did. If everybody does a little bit, we'll be fine.''
Webb, who hit a team-high 80 three-pointers in 189 attempts last winter for a nifty .423 percentage, certainly has the potential to put up some bigger numbers. However, he thinks the Chargers will once again be balanced.
"Our goal is to be the best transition team in the nation,'' he said. "It's a process, but we're looking to run. It's Coach Barry's vision and we're all on board. We run a lot in practice, we've got to be in good shape. But it all starts with rebounding, being able to just get out and go.''
That's where Dehonis Williams and Derek Mechaelsen, a pair of 6-7 sophomores, could play pivotal roles, both literally and figuratively.
Williams is an athletic 243-pounder from Miami, Fla., who practiced with the Chargers all of last season but was ineligible.
"Dehonis is going to be a very big help with his size and athleticism and unselfish play,'' said Rohe. "It's not like he's a newcomer. He practiced with us about every day, so we're used to playing with him. If he can play in the games like he does in practice, we're going to have a pretty good season.''
Danny Tighe, a 6-3 forward, is the lone senior on the 12-man varsity roster and he'll be another contributor to the inside game.
On the perimeter, former East point guard Ian Banks hopes to step up as the starting point guard. Curtis Galvin, a 5-10 sophomore from Houston, is also in that picture along with 6-3 sophomore Brett Ratcliff and 6-5 Kelvin Adams, a redshirt freshman who missed last season with a knee injury.
Junior guards Brock Cooper and Jeremy Axlund, both members of East's 2002 state championship team, are also in the backcourt equation. Cooper appeared in 24 games last season and was ninth on the team in minutes.
The Chargers will have their annual alumni game Saturday at 1 p.m. with Ray Nacke, BC's former longtime coach, serving as the honorary coach. A women's alumni game is slated for 10 a.m. and the men's junior varsity will play at noon.
The season gets under way Nov. 3-4 in Omaha with games against William Penn and Iowa Wesleyan in a two-day tournament hosted by Grace College.
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