Men's Basketball
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What's New
August 20, 2010 - Former Spartans Moving On - Spartan head men’s basketball coach Reed Nosbisch has announced the intentions of three former players who will be continuing their playing careers for the 2010-2011 season. Standouts Cameron Sanchez, Brett Manning, and Tommy Krueger have decided to continue their careers at four year colleges /universities. More»
Season Outlook
Excitement is building around Elgin Community College about this year’s Spartan Basketball program, and for good reason. With eight returning players, including three starters, and a strong group of newcomers, the Spartans have set some lofty goals.
“We worked very hard this past season at securing some of the best basketball players in the area,” said head coach Reed Nosbisch. “We wanted everyone, from returning players to recruits, to understand what we are trying to build here. We did our preseason conditioning in shirts that read ‘Right Here….Right Now’ for a reason.”
The Spartans return Johnny Paden at the point (unanimous First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-Region), Dave Bernard (Second Team All-Conference), Brett Manning, Eddie Gray Jr., Ryan Mattes, Andrew Smith, Tommy Krueger, and Tarnell Davis. Paden averaged 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game last year. He will be a co-captain this year along with Bernard, who averaged 8.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Manning, who connected on 46 3-point field goals last year, was a part-time starter and will be counted on to be the long range bomber. Smith, also a part-time starter last year, and Gray can play both guard spots. Krueger, who led the team last year in charges taken with 12, is a hard nosed guard known for his defense. Mattes and Davis can play on the wings and shoot it from “3”.
“We played a very slow controlled tempo last year,” said Nosbisch. “We just didn’t have the size to rebound. It’s hard to win if you don’t rebound.”
Bernard was last year’s biggest guy at 6’3”. “Dave will move to his natural position this year on the wing,” said Nosbisch. “He accepted his role last year of playing inside, and did a good job. But honestly, at 6’3”, he was just out-manned every night.”
The Spartans addressed last year’s weakness (height) with one of its deepest recruiting classes in recent memory. The class includes two starters from Dundee-Crown which finished 4th in the state last year. Marcus Henry and Aaron Reams are both athletic players who can defend. Jeffrey Lewis Jr. (South Elgin) is a leader and point guard and Mike Kozenczak (Hampshire) adds muscle and shooting at the wing position. Also in the mix is Terell John (Larkin) who can play in the post and adds more muscle. Marquis Lobdell (Bartonville Limestone) rounds out the incoming freshmen with size at a wing spot.
“We wanted to focus on guys who came from winning programs,” said Nosbisch. Marcus and Aaron finished 4th in the state, Jeff’s team set a school record for wins, Mike shared a conference title, and Marquis’ team was ranked as high as 6th in the state at one point last year. These guys know how to win.”
The Spartans also received commitments from four JUCO transfers and one player returning from the 2007-2008 team. Cameron Sanchez (Woodstock/McHenry CC) is a 6’6” player who can play in the post and knock down the open jumper. Martell Hutchinson, 6’3”, (Milwaukee Custer/Bismark St. CC) played at the National Tournament last year in Danville. He is an explosive wing and cousin of Johnny Paden. Mike Bertrand, 6’5”, (St. Charles East/Iowa Central CC) is another big who can beat you down low and step out and knock down the “3” ball. D’Angelo Stewart, 6’6”, (Elgin/Sauk Valley) is very similar to Bertrand and Sanchez in style of play. Jon Suire (Elgin) is returning after a year off from school. He supplies perimeter shooting and strength on defense.
“All the transfers supply the size we needed. They can all step out and knock down the “3” ball, as well as beat you in the post. We are going to be able to interchange guys in different spots,” said Nosbisch.
The Spartans will be tested again this season with a tough non-conference schedule. Opponents will include Triton, South Suburban, College of DuPage, Harper, Kishwaukee, Lincoln Land, Illinois Valley, and the prestigious Highland Tournament.
“We will be tested early,” said Nosbisch. “We are very excited about the schedule we will play. We feel we can compete with those teams. I wouldn’t play them if I didn’t think we could.”
The Spartans will look to pick up the pace on offense this season. Last year’s team averaged 66 points a game. “We couldn’t run last year,” said Nosbisch. “When you struggle to rebound, it’s difficult to run.”
On defense, the Spartans will continue to press and play hard nosed man to man. “We played good defense last year. I know it’s like beating a drum over and over, but the problem was on the glass,” Nosbisch stated.
With a roster of local talent, the Spartans are hoping that the local community will get behind them. “We have a great facility. We have great kids. We have a great admission price (free). We really want the surrounding communities and students to get involved. We feel we have something special this year. We remind each other every day, Right Here….Right Now.”
Spartans Moving On
Follow the successes of some basketball players for the last few years. More»
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