MBB Opens Season Friday - University of Colorado Athletics

BOULDER - The 2006-07 University of Colorado men’s basketball season will be like no other seen before on the Boulder campus. With a team of 10 seniors a year ago, which produced a NIT berth and a 20-win season, CU will rely on a new generation of Buffaloes with eight freshmen as the youngest team in the program’s 105-year history.

Factoring in only four scholarship student-athletes returning, head coach Ricardo Patton could be dealing his toughest season to date in his 11 years at CU, the longest current tenure of any Big 12 head coach.

“I don’t know if it will be my toughest year of coaching,” said Patton, who also has a pair of seniors, juniors and sophomores on his roster. “We have a good group of young men eager to learn and to get better, which always makes for a fun year.”

With the departure of 10 seniors, the loss of production on both ends of the floor takes a hit even with Patton’s star pupil, junior Richard Roby (6-6, 205, San Bernardino, Calif.) returning. The only categories with at least 50 percent of the stats returning are steals (55.5 percent) and assists (53.7 percent), while the big three of scoring (41%), rebounding (33%) and blocked shots (31%) falls well below 50 percent.

Over his 11 years of coaching, this season will be Patton’s third team comprised of five or more freshman at one time. In 2002-03, five freshmen and three seniors were on the last NCAA Tournament team that finished 20-12 (9-7 in the Big 12); in 1997-98, five freshmen and four seniors led to a 13-14 campaign and 7-9 mark in the conference.

Among the earlier season prognosticators, including the Big 12 coaches, the Buffaloes are predicted to finish at the bottom third of the conference, despite a much-improved non-conference schedule preparing the team for the rigors of conference play.

“I think we’ll be a little bit better than what most people might think initially, because even though we have so many young guys, they have a degree of maturity that will help them grow and get better,” Patton said. “We don’t have that many returners and with the ones we do have, the new guys will fit right in.”

Perhaps the best ingredient for the Buffs’ success rides on the shoulders of Roby, a 2005-06 All-Big 12 first team selection. Roby led the team in scoring in each of his first two years and stands only 10 points from becoming the 24th player to score 1,000 points in his career. He has done it all for the Buffs, returning as the leader in points (17.0 ppg.), rebounding (5.5) and steals (2.1). He also returns as the team’s leader in assists (2.5 apg.) with the loss of senior guard Marcus Hall (6-1, 190, Houston, Texas), who is academically ineligible for the Fall 2006 semester.

Depending on Hall’s status (8.7 ppg., 4.1 apg), CU will rely heavily on its incoming freshman class for success. Hall’s fate will be re-evaluated at the end of the Fall semester to determine his Spring 2007 status. For his career, Hall ranks ninth on the school’s all-time assist list (295), 10th in 3-pointers made (99) and 19th in steals (82).

If and when Hall is able to return, the starting point-guard position may fall on fellow senior Dominique Coleman (6-3, 180, Oakland, Calif.). Coleman brings a year of experience of knowing the offense scheme to the point averaging 4.4 points and 2.0 assists per game. The only other scholarship returnees besides Roby, Hall and Coleman, are CU forwards, sophomore redshirt Jermyl Jackson-Wilson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and junior forward/center Marcus King-Stockton (Denver, Colo.).

Jackson-Wilson, a transfer from Ohio State, practiced all of last season with the Buffs after sitting out a year. The 6’6, 220-pound forward could emerge into the starting lineup with his aggressive, energetic play in the paint. Also a key fixture under the basket is King-Stockon’s much needed 6’9”, 230-pound frame and two years of experience.

Beyond the quintet of returning players lies a team full of newcomers not seen in Boulder since the 1993-94 season when CU dressed seven freshmen and only one senior under then-head coach Joe Harrington (10-17 overall, 2-10 Big 8).

Here is a look at the eight newcomers bringing an exciting array of talent to the lineup covering all ends of the floor.

Look for freshman point-guard Kalvin Bay (6-1, 170, Tempe, Ariz.) to make an immediate impact. Labeled the quintessential point-guard with outstanding ball handling skills, Bay has great court vision and the ability to knock down the three-pointer with regularity. He has also shown great leadership qualities in running the team in the preseason workouts. James Inge (6-3, 170, Camden, N.J) was a late addition to the roster during the summer and could be a valuable ally to the team’s strength at the guard position after scoring over 1,400 points during his prep career. Another freshman guard playing a key role for the Buffs this season will be Dwight Thorne (6-3, 180, Arlington, Texas). Thorne is another solid guard with excellent ball handling skills and has looked impressive in the preseason individual workouts. At Martin High School, he became first player to play all four years on the varsity in 22 years.

A potential starter that could follow Roby’s footsteps into the starting rotation is freshman Xavier Silas (6-5, 195, Austin, Texas).

Silas comes from Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., a college preparatory school where he played with seven other Division I basketball players a year ago, averaged 12.8 points and four rebounds a game. Two seasons earlier at Stephen F. Austin in Texas, Silas broke 11 school records including points in a season (738), averaging 23.8 points per game.

“Xavier probably has the best chance to be an immediate impact,” Patton said. “I think he is probably as good, if not better than Roby was at this stage. He has the maturity to come in and play right away.”

Rounding out the guards will be sophomore Chase Perkowski (6-2, 185, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.). Perkowski will solidify guard play in practices with being a role player off the bench during his second year with the Buffs.

The centers on the roster are a unique trio. It’s the first time in school history that three freshmen stand over 6-10, giving the Buffs a large presence not seen since seven-footer David Harrison plugged the middle from 2001-04.

“We have more big guys than we’ve ever had on the roster and I think all those guys will contribute at some point,” Patton said. “All these guys have worked hard in preseason individual workouts; and they also have a great attitude.”

The tallest addition to the roster is Marc Van Burck (6-11, 255, Regina, Saskatchewan). One of the best centers to come out of Canada this past summer, Van Burck brings a soft touch from 10-feet around the basket that helped him average 24 points and 15 rebounds a game as a senior at Luther College High School. Van Burck was also a two-time member of Canada’s junior national team.

Sean Kowal (6-10, 235, St. Louis, Mo.) is the second of the three promising center prospects and was CU’s first center named last November. The Metro Catholic Conference Player of the Year provides depth in the post averaging 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds a year ago.

Freshman walk-on Trent Beckley (6-10, 220, Vail, Colo.) rounds out the front line averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds his senior season at Battle Mountain High School.

Also in the mix in a starting role or as one of the first players off the bench will be Jeremy Williams (6-7, 215, Memphis, Tenn.). Williams was a Mr. Tennessee finalist last year leading Hamilton High School to a 39-0 record, a state championship and the No. 7 final ranking in the final USA Today basketball poll. Williams’ durability anywhere on the court will add depth to the frontline in addition to playing the two to four slot.

The 2006-07 non-conference schedule features nine home and three road games this November, December and early January. Six of the 12 non-conference games feature the Mountain West Conference with home games against Air Force (Nov. 18), Wyoming (Nov. 26), Colorado State (Dec. 9) and TCU (Dec. 30); road games include New Mexico (Nov. 14) and Utah (Nov. 21). The other non-conference road game on the schedule is UNC Wilmington (Nov. 29).

CU’s match up with Air Force is the first against the Falcons in 27 years (since 1979). CU has not played New Mexico since 1980 and Wyoming since 1998. Other non-conference home games include Denver (Nov. 10), Northern Colorado (Dec. 2), Pepperdine (Dec. 4), UC Davis (Dec. 23) and Central Florida (Jan. 3).