- November 5th, 2007, 9:53 pm
#125171
High Point Panthers
(Last Season: 22-10; 11-3, 2nd in Big South; Lost in semifinals of Big South Tournament; RPI - 185)
Head Coach: Bart Lundy (fifth season at HPU)
[b]Players that are Returning: [/b]
F Arizona Reid, Sr. (6’5”, 205 lbs) – 21.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 50.9 FG%, 34.5 3PT%
G Mike Jefferson, Sr. (5’10”, 190 lbs) – 13.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.3 spg, 31.3 3PT%, 82.3 FT%
G Eugene Harris, So. (6’2”, 175 lbs) - 8.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 spg, 39.6 3PT%
G Tim Burns, So. (6’0”, 165 lbs) - 3.2 ppg, .9 rpg, 33.3 3PT%, 72.7 FT%
C Cruz Daniels, So. (6’11”, 215 lbs) – 3.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 60.3 FG%
G/F Melvin Crowder, Jr. (6’4”, 215 lbs) – 2.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg
F Josh Lamons, Jr. (6’8”, 220 lbs) – Played in 4 games, 1.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
F Matt Boswell, So. (6’7”, 200 lbs) – Played in 14 games, 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg
G Joel Flowers, Jr. (6'1", 200 lbs) - Played in 9 games, .4 ppg, .3 rpg
F Joey Taylor, So. (6’8”, 240 lbs) - Played in 13 games, .2 ppg, .3 rpg
G Kyle Witek, Sr. (6’1”, 175 lbs) – Played in 10 games, .1 ppg, .2 rpg
F Jerald Minnis, Sr. (6’7”, 235 lbs) – Expected to miss entire '07-'08 season due to injury - 8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 62.0 FG%
Players that are Gone:
G Landon Quick (6’1”, 175 lbs) – 8.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 46.4 FG%, 72.0 FT%
G Troy Bowen (6’4”, 205 lbs) – 6.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 40.6 3PT%
G Mike Davidson (6’2”, 170 lbs) – Played in 14 games, .6 ppg, .2 rpg
New Players:
G Mike Smigielski, Fr. (6'3", 200 lbs) - LaVergne HS, Smyrna, TN
G Sam Vickery, Fr. (6'1", 180 lbs) - North Broward Prep, Boca Raton, FL
G David Campbell, Fr. (6'4", 200 lbs) - Good Counsel HS, Wheaton, MD
G Alquan Mendenhall, Fr. (5'11", 170 lbs) - Wilcox Central HS, Camden, AL
G Ibrahim Appiah, Fr. (6'5", 195 lbs) - Champlain St. Lambert HS, Montreal, CN
F Earnest Bridges, Fr. (6'5", 215 lbs) - Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, Raleigh, NC
Under Bart Lundy, the High Point Panthers have been around the middle of the Big South standings or better in every season he has been there. Last year, they saw the best season in his tenure with a 2nd place finish in the league and a 22-win season overall. The good news for the Panthers is that they only lost two regular players from their team from last year, and they do return the conference's reigning Player of the Year in AZ Reid, along with a pair of productive guards in Mike Jefferson and Eugene Harris. The only bad news for High Point is that right before training camp started, they found out they would be without the services of senior power forward Jerald Minnis due to an injury.
Reid is the anchor of the team, and he'll probably have a good chance at averaging a double-double this year. He plays much bigger than his 6'5" listed height, and is very good at finishing around the basket, along with having a solid mid-range jumper and occasional three-point range. His workload got heavier, though, with the loss of Minnis, who did a good job of complimenting Reid in the paint and gave the Panthers another strong rebounder. Minnis' absence is going to force others in the frontcourt to step up, namely Cruz Daniels and Joey Taylor. There's no denying Daniels' athleticism and shot-blocking ability, but he has yet to assert himself in the half-court offense. Taylor barely saw any action last year as a freshman, but he will be forced to see alot more action at the power forward and center spots this year. Melvin Crowder is a possible starter at the small forward spot and Matt Boswell can play either forward spot off the bench. Freshman Earnest Bridges is the only newcomer in the frontcourt for High Point, and he will help add some depth.
The backcourt is led by the explosive tandem of Jefferson and Harris. Jefferson led the Big South in assists last year, but is also not afraid to take shots either, as he was the second leading scorer for the Panthers last year. He did not shoot great from outside last year, but he has shown in the past that he can get hot from three-range. Harris had a very strong freshman season last year on both ends of the court. He's known around the league as one of the best perimeter defenders, and he is a strong outside shooter on the offensive end. Those two will see most of the playing time on the perimeter, though Tim Burns had a solid freshman season last year, and can fill in at either guard spot off the bench. Ibrahim Appiah is a tall, athletic freshman guard and is the most likely of the newcomers to make an impact in the backcourt. Alquan Mendenhall and Mike Smigielski are also options for Lundy at the guard position, though both are possible redshirt candidates as well.
With the trio of Reid, Jefferson, and Harris, the Panthers are going to be a dangerous team that is definitely capable of ending Winthrop's run of championships. With several returning players from a good team last year, the learning curve will not be too high for High Point. However, the injury to Minnis definitely hurts the overall size and frontcourt depth of the team, so his loss will definitely be felt by Lundy throughout the year. I feel there is a sizable gap between the top two teams in the league this year and the rest of the pack. It should be a dogfight for the top spot, but I think High Point will just come up short of getting the #1 seed.
My Prediction:
21-8 overall, 11-3 in the Big South; Second place finish; Will be eliminated in finals of Big South Tournament
(Last Season: 22-10; 11-3, 2nd in Big South; Lost in semifinals of Big South Tournament; RPI - 185)
Head Coach: Bart Lundy (fifth season at HPU)
[b]Players that are Returning: [/b]
F Arizona Reid, Sr. (6’5”, 205 lbs) – 21.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.2 spg, 50.9 FG%, 34.5 3PT%
G Mike Jefferson, Sr. (5’10”, 190 lbs) – 13.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.3 spg, 31.3 3PT%, 82.3 FT%
G Eugene Harris, So. (6’2”, 175 lbs) - 8.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 spg, 39.6 3PT%
G Tim Burns, So. (6’0”, 165 lbs) - 3.2 ppg, .9 rpg, 33.3 3PT%, 72.7 FT%
C Cruz Daniels, So. (6’11”, 215 lbs) – 3.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 60.3 FG%
G/F Melvin Crowder, Jr. (6’4”, 215 lbs) – 2.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg
F Josh Lamons, Jr. (6’8”, 220 lbs) – Played in 4 games, 1.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg
F Matt Boswell, So. (6’7”, 200 lbs) – Played in 14 games, 1.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg
G Joel Flowers, Jr. (6'1", 200 lbs) - Played in 9 games, .4 ppg, .3 rpg
F Joey Taylor, So. (6’8”, 240 lbs) - Played in 13 games, .2 ppg, .3 rpg
G Kyle Witek, Sr. (6’1”, 175 lbs) – Played in 10 games, .1 ppg, .2 rpg
F Jerald Minnis, Sr. (6’7”, 235 lbs) – Expected to miss entire '07-'08 season due to injury - 8.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 62.0 FG%
Players that are Gone:
G Landon Quick (6’1”, 175 lbs) – 8.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 46.4 FG%, 72.0 FT%
G Troy Bowen (6’4”, 205 lbs) – 6.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 40.6 3PT%
G Mike Davidson (6’2”, 170 lbs) – Played in 14 games, .6 ppg, .2 rpg
New Players:
G Mike Smigielski, Fr. (6'3", 200 lbs) - LaVergne HS, Smyrna, TN
G Sam Vickery, Fr. (6'1", 180 lbs) - North Broward Prep, Boca Raton, FL
G David Campbell, Fr. (6'4", 200 lbs) - Good Counsel HS, Wheaton, MD
G Alquan Mendenhall, Fr. (5'11", 170 lbs) - Wilcox Central HS, Camden, AL
G Ibrahim Appiah, Fr. (6'5", 195 lbs) - Champlain St. Lambert HS, Montreal, CN
F Earnest Bridges, Fr. (6'5", 215 lbs) - Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, Raleigh, NC
Under Bart Lundy, the High Point Panthers have been around the middle of the Big South standings or better in every season he has been there. Last year, they saw the best season in his tenure with a 2nd place finish in the league and a 22-win season overall. The good news for the Panthers is that they only lost two regular players from their team from last year, and they do return the conference's reigning Player of the Year in AZ Reid, along with a pair of productive guards in Mike Jefferson and Eugene Harris. The only bad news for High Point is that right before training camp started, they found out they would be without the services of senior power forward Jerald Minnis due to an injury.
Reid is the anchor of the team, and he'll probably have a good chance at averaging a double-double this year. He plays much bigger than his 6'5" listed height, and is very good at finishing around the basket, along with having a solid mid-range jumper and occasional three-point range. His workload got heavier, though, with the loss of Minnis, who did a good job of complimenting Reid in the paint and gave the Panthers another strong rebounder. Minnis' absence is going to force others in the frontcourt to step up, namely Cruz Daniels and Joey Taylor. There's no denying Daniels' athleticism and shot-blocking ability, but he has yet to assert himself in the half-court offense. Taylor barely saw any action last year as a freshman, but he will be forced to see alot more action at the power forward and center spots this year. Melvin Crowder is a possible starter at the small forward spot and Matt Boswell can play either forward spot off the bench. Freshman Earnest Bridges is the only newcomer in the frontcourt for High Point, and he will help add some depth.
The backcourt is led by the explosive tandem of Jefferson and Harris. Jefferson led the Big South in assists last year, but is also not afraid to take shots either, as he was the second leading scorer for the Panthers last year. He did not shoot great from outside last year, but he has shown in the past that he can get hot from three-range. Harris had a very strong freshman season last year on both ends of the court. He's known around the league as one of the best perimeter defenders, and he is a strong outside shooter on the offensive end. Those two will see most of the playing time on the perimeter, though Tim Burns had a solid freshman season last year, and can fill in at either guard spot off the bench. Ibrahim Appiah is a tall, athletic freshman guard and is the most likely of the newcomers to make an impact in the backcourt. Alquan Mendenhall and Mike Smigielski are also options for Lundy at the guard position, though both are possible redshirt candidates as well.
With the trio of Reid, Jefferson, and Harris, the Panthers are going to be a dangerous team that is definitely capable of ending Winthrop's run of championships. With several returning players from a good team last year, the learning curve will not be too high for High Point. However, the injury to Minnis definitely hurts the overall size and frontcourt depth of the team, so his loss will definitely be felt by Lundy throughout the year. I feel there is a sizable gap between the top two teams in the league this year and the rest of the pack. It should be a dogfight for the top spot, but I think High Point will just come up short of getting the #1 seed.
My Prediction:
21-8 overall, 11-3 in the Big South; Second place finish; Will be eliminated in finals of Big South Tournament
- By LU Armchair coach