Division II men
Bowie State
Affiliation: Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Coach: Taft Hickman (38-116, seventh season).
1997-98 record: 5-19, 2-14.
Top players: Che Evans, 6-5, Sr., F (12.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Jason Johnson, 6-7, Sr., F (5.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg); William Brown, 6-6, Sr., C (5.3 ppg); Joe Allen, 6-8, Soph., C (transfer from Coppin State).
Outlook: The Bulldogs lost 13 of their last 15 games last season with 10 veterans on the roster. Now Bowie, which has won just nine of its past 42 games, must adjust to the graduation of its top two scorers, Damion Keyes and Shae Johnson. Bowie returns its starting frontcourt, including Evans, a Southern-Baltimore product, but must exhibit better ball control (397 turnovers, 280 assists last season).
Division III men
Affiliation: Allegheny Mountain Conference.
Coach: Bob Ronai (12-14, second).
1997-98 record: 12-14, 3-7.
Top players: Alan Moore, 6-0, Jr., G (13.5 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.0 spg); Keon Chavez, 5-10, Sr., G (5.5 ppg, 4.5 apg, 2.0 spg); Stephen Re, 6-5, Jr., F (12.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg); David Manigault, 6-0, Fr., G.
Outlook: Ronai promised a "major overhaul with recruiting." As a result, seven freshmen and two transfers have been added to the roster. The Bobcats will build around returning leading scorer Moore as well as point guard Chavez, a St. Frances graduate. Frostburg, which has only one player above 6-6, has to do a better job on the boards.
Goucher
Affiliation: Capital Athletic Conference.
Coach: Leonard Trevino (114-94, ninth).
1997-98 record: 20-7, 12-2.
Top players: Bakari Ward, 5-11, Sr., G (21.5 ppg, 1.8 apg, 2.4 spg); Mike Doyle, 6-5, Sr., G (10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg); Bernard Threatt, 6-6, Jr., C (8.1 ppg); Darrian Lee, 6-2, Soph., G (4.3 ppg); Vince Williams, 6-2, Sr., G (4.2 ppg).
Outlook: Goucher returns four starters and seven letter winners from a team that went 20-7 but was then denied an at-large NCAA bid. Trevino, who has directed the Gophers to a .691 winning percentage over the past five seasons, said: "I think we realize we can't leave things in the hands of other people, but need to take care of them ourselves." Goucher is again expected to contend for the CAC title with Ward, an Arundel product, headlining the team. Last season's CAC Player of the Year, Ward led the league in scoring, ranked sixth in steals and shot 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range.
Johns Hopkins
Affiliation: Centennial Conference/University Athletic Association.
Coach: Bill Nelson (191-125, 12th).
1997-98 record: 21-7, 11-2 CC, 5-2 UAA.
Top players: Matt Geschke, 6-3, Sr., G (7.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.5 spg); Jake Stroman, 6-3, Jr., G (2.6 rpg, 2.2 apg); Joel Wertman, 6-6, Jr., F (6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg); Jon Olson, 6-6, Jr., C; Ryan Satalin, 6-6, Jr., F (21 three-pointers).
Outlook: The Blue Jays look to build off last season's NCAA tournament bid -- their first in four years -- as they return six players who saw at least 200 minutes of action. Hopkins set a school record for wins in 1997-98 with strong defense, and this season shouldn't be any different. But scoring is a major question mark, because Hopkins does not return a player who averaged more than eight points. "Points must come from many different people," Nelson said.
St. Mary's
Affiliation: Capital Athletic Conference.
Coach: Bob Flynn (38-64, fifth).
1997-98 record: 15-11, 7-7.
Top players: Derrick Heard, 6-7, Soph., F/C (14.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.8 spg); Prince Inniss, 6-4, Sr., F (14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg); Harvey Davis, 6-3, Soph., G/F (9.9 ppg, 2.1 apg); Sheldon Taylor, 6-2, Jr., G/F (9.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Kevin Robinson, 6-5, Sr., G/F (4.6 ppg, 23 three-pointers).
Outlook: The Seahawks could make its push to the upper tier of the CAC with depth and defense after winning as many games last season as the previous two years combined. "I think skill-wise and athletically, we can match up with everyone on our schedule, and we have the talent to compete with the top teams in our conference," said Flynn, formerly a longtime assistant at Mount St. Mary's. St. Mary's will be extremely strong up front with Heard and Inniss, who totaled 38 percent of the Seahawks' scoring and 37 percent of their rebounding.
Salisbury State
Affiliation: Capital Athletic Conference.
Coach: Ward Lambert (404-335, 29th).
1997-98 record: 11-14, 6-8.
Top players: George Robinson, 5-10, Sr., F (17.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg); Eric Prendeville, 5-10, Sr., G (5.8 ppg, 6.7 apg); C.J. Jarmon, 6-2, Soph., F (8.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg); Colin Exelby, 6-3, Jr., G/F (7.0 ppg, 39 three-pointers).
Outlook: The Sea Gulls could be the surprise team of the CAC and might press Goucher and Catholic for the league championship. Salisbury will again feature its run-and-gun offense and full-court pressure defense led by Prendeville, a four-year starter at point guard who was second in the conference in assists. He will be complemented by a sound rebounder in Robinson, who will be eligible in January, and a solid outside shooter in Exelby.
Villa Julie
Affiliation: Independent.
Coach: Brett Adams (18-80, fifth).
1997-98 record: 4-21.
Top players: Jason Karolkowski, 6-1, Sr., G (4.6 ppg, 1.1 apg); Mark Fruhling, 6-8, Soph., F/C (3.7 ppg); Brock Jourdan, 6-0, Soph., G (9.4 ppg, 2.6 apg); Dave Bortz, 5-9, Soph., G (2.1 ppg); Ayinde Edwards, 6-1, Soph., G (9.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg); Michael Palmere, 6-3, Soph., G (13.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.8 apg).
Outlook: The Mustangs, who lost by more than 30 points five times last year, are young again, with one senior and no juniors. With the graduation of Kelly Matthews, the leading scorer the past three seasons, the Mustangs must find consistent scoring from Karolkowski and a group of six sophomores and five freshmen. Four of those sophomores started as freshmen last season, and Villa Julie will be deeper with such talented recruits as Jason Eury (St. John's at Prospect Hall) and Wade Susini (Pallotti).
nTC Affiliation: Centennial Conference.
Coach: Tom Finnegan (348-302, 28th).
1997-98 record: 14-11, 7-6.
Top players: Corey Davis, 5-11, Sr., G (8.2 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.1 spg); Steve DeVore, 6-1, Jr., G (8.6 ppg); Greg Adams, 6-0, Soph., G (9.2 ppg); Earl Piner, 6-4, Soph., G/F (4.3 ppg); Antoine Bellin, 6-7, Soph., C (3.4 ppg); Shawn Peterson, 6-6, Soph., F.
Outlook: The Shoremen might suffer through a transition phase early. Washington lost its nucleus in three starters, which included their top two scorers and junior forward Chris Douma, their second-leading rebounder, who quit the team last week. So the Shoremen will rely heavily on their backcourt. Davis was Washington's leader in assists and steals, and DeVore and Adams are legitimate scorers.
Western Maryland
Affiliation: Centennial Conference.
Coach: Nick Zoulias (76-140, 10th).
1997-98 record: 11-12, 6-7.
Top players: Brian Billman, 6-4, Jr., F (15.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg); Brian Tombs, 6-2, Sr., G (9.3 ppg); Curtis Miller, 6-7, Jr., C (3.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg); Jeff Myers, 5-11, Jr., G (1.9 ppg); Karl Friedheim, 6-6, Jr., F/C (4.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg).
Outlook: Western Maryland probably took the biggest single-player loss among the state Division III teams with the graduation of Will Marshall, the school's all-time leading scorer. Billman is the inspirational leader as well as Western Maryland's most dependable scorer and rebounder. His supporting cast is uncertain, because four players are suffering from leg injuries. Ariel Cabiri, a 22-year-old freshman who spent the past four years in the Israeli army, could see time at point guard.
Pub Date: 11/13/98
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