1. Towson's Gilchrist tops the area's newcomers. A two-year starter at Texas A&M;, junior transfer Jamaal Gilchrist will step right into the lineup at point guard. His presence will enable coach Michael Hunt to apply more pressure defense and move Brian Allen to his more natural two-guard position. Gilchrist, a Washington native who prepped at Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, Va., is a good shooter.
2. Scholarship teams take over the Patriot League. Navy, a conference power a year after coach Don DeVoe stepped onto the campus until last season, is finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the basketball grants offered by Holy Cross and the league's latest addition, American. Those two teams played for the title in 2002 while Navy sank to seventh place in the regular season. That trend should continue.
3. DeVoe approaches a milestone. Navy won only one game after Jan. 26 last season, leaving coach Don DeVoe one shy of a milestone, 500 career victories. He won 88 at Virginia Tech, 29 at Wyoming, 204 at Tennessee, seven at Florida and has 171 triumphs in 10 years at the academy. With the Midshipmen playing their first four games at home, he should have the historic win before December.
4. Local teams try to earn some respect. Eight schools play Division I ball in the area, but none is considered a legitimate threat to capture its respective league title in preseason polls. UMES, Coppin State and Morgan State are seen as the bottom three in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; Mount St. Mary's is picked last and UMBC ninth in the 12-team Northeast Conference; Towson is last or next to last in the Colonial Athletic Association; Loyola is last in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference; and Navy is fourth in the Patriot League. There is plenty of motivation to go around.
5. The Mount bench will be more crowded. At times last season, Mount St. Mary's played with six scholarship players because of injuries and academic troubles. Coach Jim Phelan has brought in the NCAA limit of five freshmen to buttress the roster. That means the team will be better equipped to prevent the late-game fades that saddled him with his worst season in 48 years. Expect improvement as the season wears on.
6. UMBC has a tough act to follow. The Retrievers enjoyed their first 20-win season since joining Division I before flopping in the conference tournament. Their fortes were depth, talent and defense. But with the transfers of underclassmen Peter Mulligan (Manhattan), Ron Yates (St. Peter's) and Will McClurkin (Marist), the bench will be inexperienced and scoring could be a problem. However, team chemistry is expected to improve, with selfish demands diminishing.
7. The faces change quickly at Coppin State. Under Fang Mitchell's regime, disciplinary breaches are not tolerated. Coppin lost only three seniors from last year's team, but since January, six other players have been dismissed by the coach for various reasons. It leaves the Eagles facing a crushing pre-MEAC schedule with just three returning players of note. "I don't want people to feel sorry for us," Mitchell said. "It was time to move forward in the proper direction."
8. Where's the beef? At UMES. Having been outshot and out-rebounded significantly last season, UMES coach Thomas Trotter went the junior college route to beef up the Hawks. The frontcourt will be loaded with well-muscled transfers to help take the heat off guard Tee Trotter, the MEAC's third-leading returning scorer. Also back is 7-foot, 320-pound center Jason Scott, who played in two games before being injured. Look for UMES' shooting and rebounding deficits to decrease.
9. Morgan State looks to replace Winkfield. Unknown to anyone, Morgan State forward Reggie Winkfield played all last season with a fractured pelvis. "No one knew. It had been misdiagnosed as a pulled groin," coach Butch Beard said. "And I pushed these kids pretty hard last year." Winkfield, now a senior, averaged 6.6 points despite the medical problem, but he will be redshirted this season to recover fully. He will be missed, particularly his ability to hit the three-pointer (he made a team-high 46).
10. MAAC to reward its regular-season winner. In Loyola's conference, the regular-season champion will receive a double bye in the postseason tournament. That means that team will not have to play until the semifinals, when it meets the survivor among the fourth, fifth and 10th seeds. "It's a little generous, but the feeling was to protect the top seed and give more meaning to the regular season," Greyhounds coach Scott Hicks said.
Coppin State
Coach: Fang Mitchell, 17th season at Coppin (275-197)
Affiliation: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
2001-02 record: 6-25 (3-15 MEAC)
Radio: None
Arena: Coppin Center (1,720)
Consensus MEAC favorite: Hampton
Consensus Coppin prediction: 10th
Starters lost: 2
Outlook: The Eagles face a sledgehammer of a schedule with 15 of their first 21 games on the road, four of them against teams among the top 26 receiving votes in the Associated Press poll. Three starters are back, but the rest of the team will be almost entirely new.
Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Jimmy Boykin Jr. 6-7 200 F-G
Henry Colter So. 7-0 200 C
Orwin Shortt So. 5-11 160 G
Larry Tucker Sr. 6-4 210 G-F
Newcomers
DeWayne Ballard So. 6-2 185 G
Darron Bradley Fr. 6-5 190 F
Kelvin Green Fr. 6-5 210 F
Darryl Jones So. 6-2 180 G
Taji Mott So. 6-1 185 G
Labeeb Muhammad Fr. 5-9 150 G
Raheem Scott Fr. 6-2 220 G
Deke Thompson Fr. 6-0 180 G
Loyola
Coach: Scott Hicks, 3rd season at Loyola (11-46), 11th overall (142-141)
Affiliation: Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
2001-02 record: 5-23 (4-14 MAAC)
Radio: WJFK (1300 AM)
Arena: Reitz Arena (3,000)
Consensus MAAC favorite: Manhattan
Consensus Loyola prediction: 10th
Starters lost: 2
Outlook: Replacing point guard Damien Jenifer is the top priority for the Greyhounds, who are attempting to recover from a trying year in which three freshmen started. With a softer schedule, more size and talented guard Lucious Jordan, Loyola could be much better.
Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Bernard Allen So. 6-5 215 F
Lindbergh Chatman Jr. 6-5 215 F
Jim Chivers So. 6-8 220 F
*Sean Corrigan So. 6-11 250 F-C
Ryan Dickey Jr. 6-1 165 G
Lucious Jordan So. 6-2 200 G
Peter Koch So. 5-11 185 G
Irakli Nijaradze So. 6-10 250 C
Delonnie Southall So. 6-7 250 F
Donovan Thomas Jr. 6-7 220 F
Newcomers
Charlie Bell Fr. 6-4 200 G
Linton Hinds Fr. 6-2 180 G
Bobby Bossman Fr. 6-5 215 G-F
Josko Alujevic Fr. 6-6 220 F
*likely to be redshirted
UMBC
Coach: Tom Sullivan, 8th season at UMBC (92-105), 18th overall (246-230)
Affiliation: Northeast Conference
2001-02 record: 20-9 (15-5 NEC)
Radio: WJFK (1300 AM)
Arena: Retriever Activities Center Arena (4,000)
Consensus NEC favorite: Central Connecticut
Consensus UMBC prediction: 9th
Starters lost: 3
Outlook: Defections cost the Retrievers four players who combined to average 34 points last season and their two leading rebounders. But the team has plenty of motivation - a ninth-place pick in the 12-school league - and Sullivan is content with the influx of replacements, particularly John Zito, P.J. Hatcher and Jerrell Dinkins. Six key veterans return from a team that won a Division I school-record 20 times.
Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Andrew Feeley So. 6-9 255 F-C
Rob Gogerty So. 6-1 165 G
Mike Snyder So. 6-2 195 G
Kareem Washington Jr. 6-3 200 G
Andre Williams Sr. 6-5 250 F
Justin Wilson Sr. 6-1 175 G
Eugene Young Jr. 6-8 235 F
Newcomers
Jerrell Dinkins Fr. 6-5 200 F
Bobby Fisk Fr. 6-2 180 G
P.J. Hatcher Fr. 6-4 235 F
John Zito Fr. 6-6 215 F
UMES
Coach: Thomas Trotter, 3rd season at UMES (23-34)
Affiliation: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
2001-02 record: 11-18 (7-11 MEAC)
Radio: WESM (91.3 FM)
Arena: Hytche Athletic Center (3,500)
Consensus MEAC favorite: Hampton
Consensus UMES prediction: 9th
Starters lost: 4
Outlook: Leading scorer Tee Trotter, the coach's son, returns to play with a host of big junior college transfers. Among them is Javes Wiggins, who averaged 21 points and 17 rebounds at CCBC-Essex. Two keys are Ka'Reem Horton and 7-footer Jason Scott, both of whom were hurt early last season. The Hawks started 8-8 overall and 5-2 in the league before fading. Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Brent Campbell So. 6-1 165 G
Antoine Joiner Jr. 6-5 180 G
Lawrence Smith So. 5-10 150 G
Ali Trotman Sr. 6-6 210 F
Tee Trotter Jr. 5-11 180 G
Kirk Wesley Jr. 6-3 205 F
Newcomers
Jermaul Akanbi So. 6-2 165 G
Gregory Brown Fr. 6-0 180 G
Larry Byrd So. 6-2 180 G
Ka'Reem Horton Sr. 6-4 156 G
Kenyatta Rowel Jr. 6-6 200 F
Jason Scott Sr. 7-0 320 C
Didier Socka Jr. 6-7 220 F
Terrence Stafford Jr. 6-5 225 F
Aaron Wellington Fr. 5-11 160 G
Javes Wiggins Jr. 6-7 220 F
Morgan State
Coach: Butch Beard, 2nd season at Morgan (3-25), fifth overall (48-94)
Affiliation: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
2001-02 record: 3-25 (2-16 MEAC)
Radio: WEAA (88.9 FM)
Arena: Hill Field House (5,000)
Consensus MEAC favorite: Hampton
Consensus Morgan prediction: 11th
Starters lost: 2
Outlook: The backcourt play of holdovers Cedrick Barrow and Randy Dukes will be vital for a smallish team. Center Nile Patrick hasn't played in three years because of injuries. The schedule is softer. Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Aaron Andrews Jr. 6-5 215 F
Cedrick Barrow Jr. 6-0 160 G
Randy Dukes Sr. 6-3 180 G
Stan Grandy So. 6-0 185 G
Nile Patrick Jr. 6-8 240 C
Steve Snipes So. 6-6 210 F
Cedric Ward Sr. 6-6 205 F
*Reggie Winkfield Sr. 6-5 220 F
Newcomers
Samuel Brand So. 6-3 195 G
Clinton Kilpatrick Fr. 6-10 215 C
Evan Perellin So. 6-6 225 F
Ronald Timus Fr. 6-4 200 G
Anthony Williams So. 6-2 195 G
*redshirted because of injury.
Mount St. Mary's
Coach: Jim Phelan, 49th season at the Mount (819-508)
Affiliation: Northeast Conference
2001-02 record: 3-24 (2-18 NEC)
Radio: WTHU (1450 AM)
Arena: Knott Arena (3,000)
Consensus NEC favorite: Central Connecticut
Consensus Mount prediction: 12th
Starters lost: 2
Outlook: Phelan is high on freshman guards Chris Sumner and Landy Thompson (Archbishop Spalding) and the shooting ability of freshman forward Charles Cook. He believes the squad is deeper - particularly in the backcourt - than last year, when injuries depleted the roster and left as few as seven able bodies ready to play. Recruiting efforts brought four Maryland players to Emmitsburg. Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Koki Adasi Jr. 6-3 190 G
Donte Alexander Jr. 6-2 185 G
Pat Atangana Jr. 6-6 210 F
Michael Bajornas Sr. 6-4 195 F-G
Jason Carbone So. 6-6 210 F
Jamion Christian Jr. 6-2 170 G
Jason Epps So. 6-8 230 F
Angel Rivera Sr. 6-8 205 C
Newcomers
Kiel Butler Fr. 6-7 200 F
Charles Cook Fr. 6-5 160 F
Josh Dittmar Fr. 6-2 180 G
Nick Dodson Jr. 6-10 200 C
Chris Sumner Fr. 6-1 165 G
Landy Thompson Fr. 6-1 178 G
Navy
Coach: Don DeVoe, 11th season at Navy (171-118), 30th overall (499-346)
Affiliation: Patriot League
2001-02 record: 10-20 (5-9 Patriot)
Radio: WNAV (1430 AM)
Arena: Alumni Hall (5,710)
Consensus Patriot favorite: Holy Cross
Consensus Navy prediction: 4th
Starters lost: 2
Outlook: A corps of five seniors gives the Midshipmen a solid base, and four other veterans should help DeVoe reverse last season's slide. Navy needs a strong defense and presence on the boards to compete in the tougher Patriot League. Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Paul Bania So. 6-5 197 G
Jeff Charles Jr. 6-5 190 G
Marcell Cummings So. 6-3 195 G
Francis Ebong Sr. 6-8 225 C-F
Jamie Fernandez Jr. 6-0 185 G
Jason Jeanpierre Sr. 6-3 195 G
Sonny Lewis Jr. 6-9 220 F
Scott Long Sr. 6-6 225 F
Taj Mathews So. 6-3 187 G
Quintrell McCreary Sr. 6-6 213 F
Laramie Mergerson So. 6-7 210 F-C
Mitch Moore Sr. 6-8 220 C-F
Kwame Ofori Jr. 5-11 186 G
Rob Paul So. 6-11 240 C
Newcomers
Matt Fannin Fr. 6-7 220 F
Adam Allegro So. 6-4 186 G
Leonard Green Fr. 6-5 210 G
George O'Garro So. 6-5 205 F
A.J. Walker So. 5-11 172 G
Towson
Coach: Michael Hunt, 2nd season at Towson (11-18)
Affiliation: : Colonial Athletic Association
2001-02 record: 11-18 (7-11 CAA)
Radio: WTMD (89.7 FM)
Arena: Towson Center (5,000)
Consensus CAA favorite: UNC-Wilmington
Consensus Towson prediction: 9th
Starters lost: 3
Outlook: Towson provided hope last winter by winning four of its final six regular-season CAA games and now has added transfer Jamaal Gilchrist, who sat out 2001-02 after starting at Texas A&M.; He and veterans Brian Allen and Gerald Weatherspoon give the Tigers a formidable backcourt. Returning players
Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Pos.
Brian Allen Sr. 5-11 176 G
*Keon Blanks Sr. 6-5 187 F
Tony Dixon So. 6-10 194 F
Calvin Dotson Jr. 6-3 190 G
Derrick Goode So. 7-0 300 C
Gerald Weatherspoon Sr. 6-2 201 G
Newcomers
Jamaal Gilchrist Jr. 6-0 185 G
Lawrence Hamm Fr. 6-7 205 F
Jacob McCartney Fr. 6-10 215 C-F
Cilk McSweeney Fr. 6-5 210 F
Andrius Petkunas Fr. 6-5 195 F
Stephen Warner Fr. 6-8 225 F
*ineligible until second semester