A brand new season gets underway for the University of La Verne men's basketball team this weekend as it plays a pair of in Oregon, first against Willamette on Friday in Portland before heading to Forest Grove to battle Pacific on Saturday.
Several changes are in store for this season as the Leos have a revamped roster and will compete in a slightly new-look SCIAC with the addition of Chapman. Additionally, several challenges lay ahead in the non-conference portion of the schedule as La Verne faces the Division III preseason No. 1 along with a pair of Division I opponents.
The one change that the Leopards will work to shift is the overall record from a year ago. La Verne ended 2011-12 with a 6-19 mark along with a 3-11 record in the SCIAC.
Overall, sixth-year head coach Rich Reed said he's been pleased with the early season practices. "They are a coachable group and have taken what our staff has emphasized. This years team will be more athletic and fluid verses years past. Our length, quickness and toughness on the perimeter will be more evident this season."
Reed says the focus for this year's team will be on the defensive side of the basketball, which he feels will be the key to a successul season. "We are and will strive to be the best defensive and rebounding team we can be," he said. "What has been different for us this year is we have players who can defend 3 , 4 or 5 positions. That will make us a tough to play against as long as our players are committed to the our system."
The lingering question for the Leopards is how to compensate for the loss of a six-player senior class which included the likes of All-Conference performers Trevor Woodland and Austin Napolitano. Both players also handled much of the scoring load during their careers, as each achieved over 1,000 points during their Leopard tenure. Additionally, the Leopards lost John Leggett, Tyler Hoyt, Jonathan Bastos and Jeremy Lay. "Our program lost six great players and you never replace your seniors. Our identity will be a team who defends, rebounds and takes care of the ball. Our theme and mantra this year is 'Bounce Back', because this season is a bounce back year."
In the backcourt, the Leopards will rely on returnees Jake Vieth, Jourdan Simmonds and Ronn See. Vieth was a starter last season and will continue to lead from the point guard. Simmonds earned valuable playing as a freshman and is ready to make a stronger impact this season as a sophomore. See could see an increase in playing time and will aid the Leopards on the perimeter.
Among the frontcourt returnees, the Leos welcome back center Alex Wolpe, who missed the 2011-12 campaign due to injury. Wolpe was an integral part of the Leopards' 2010-11 squad that reached the SCIAC Postseason as he led the conference in field goal percentage. The senior should be a consistent force on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. In addition, the Leopards return Vince Bauer who should see a boost in production in the interior.
La Verne is also awaiting the eagerly-antcipated debut of wing Alonzo Young, who along with Wolpe missed last season due to injury. Young brings a different dimension to the squad and is likely to make a significant impact on both ends of the floor.
Reed is excited about the group of newcomers, which includes the trio of Weston Newell, Eric Becker and Paul Titchener. According to Reed, both Newell and Titchener are freshman who have adjusted nicely to collegiate level, and feels that they will continue to work to become consistent performers. A transfer from Santa Barbara City College, Becker provides additional athleticism and can play multiple spots on the floor. The coaching staff also hopes that freshman guard Theo Deberry can make an impact. DeBerry is a player that Reed describes as multi-skilled who can play a variety of positions.
Among the games outside the SCIAC, the Leopards will entertain 2012 Final Four entrant and Preseason No. 1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at Frantz Athletic Court on New Year's Eve. Other notable non-conference foes include Anderson University and Wisconsin Platteville along with games against Division I opponents in UNLV and Cal State Bakersfield.
With the addition of Chapman to the SCIAC, the Leopards add two games to the conference portion of the schedule to create a 16-game league schedule. As a result, La Verne opens SCIAC action on November 28 as it travels to Whittier. The following week, the Leopards play their first home games of the season, as they welcome defending league champion Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (Dec. 5) and Pomona-Pitzer (Dec. 8) to Frantz Athletic Court. "It will be very important we take it one game at a time and get off to a great start in conference. We need to be ready to compete from the start, " Reed said.
The always treacherous SCIAC will be more challenging with the addition of the Panthers, who have consistently won 20+ games in recent years. Reed believes that CMS, Pomona-Pitzer, Redlands and Occidental return the most experience, but other teams will be lurking. "Cal Lutheran is really consistent, Whittier is always talented and athletic and Caltech returns the bulk of their team," he said. "I expect us to be a factor in the race but it will come down to whether or not we can defend, rebound and play consistent. Our league is grind and we need to get off to great start and play well each night to have an opportunity to be there in the end. I am exicted to see where we are in the end."
