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Johns Hopkins Picked to Finish Fourth in Centennial Conference
Nov. 18, 2008
The Johns Hopkins men's basketball team has been picked to finish fourth in the Centennial Conference this season. The Blue Jays received 107 points in a poll of the conference's coaches and sports information directors. Gettysburg was tabbed to win the conference with 162 points and 18 first place votes. Men's Basketball Poll After graduating two senior captains, Johns Hopkins head coach Bill Nelson, entering his 23rd season, has a veteran group returning for the 2008-09 season. With one of the best backcourts in the Centennial Conference, Nelson will be looking for his young post players to step up this season. The key this year for Hopkins will be how quickly the six newcomers adjust to the Blue Jays' system and the college game. PERIMETER Kamm took over the starting role as a sophomore and has been a real coach on the floor for Nelson the past two seasons. "Collin is probably one of the most underrated point guards in the conference," said Nelson. "He really understands our game. He's extremely consistent and makes great decisions." Kamm ranked 12th in the conference last season in assists per game (2.50), but was fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.25). An unselfish player who thinks pass first, he dished 65 assists on the year while averaging 7.6 points per game on 50.7 percent shooting.
Weisenfeld returned to action last season after missing all of 2006-07 with a torn ACL and averaged 18.2 minutes per game. "I'm not sure we've seen the real Scott yet," Nelson commented. "He still wasn't 100 percent last season after the injury." A savy player on both ends of the court, Weisenfeld racked up 62 assists last season as well as 28 steals. He combines a nice outside shot with a devastating move to the basket and shot 45.8 percent from the field. Also an excellent free throw shooter, Weisenfeld was 74.0 percent from the line. The most talented all-around player on the team, O'Connell, led the team in steals (53), was second in defensive rebounds (98) and third in free throw percentage (.747). Playing 33.1 minutes per game, he averaged 9.7 points and 4.8 points. Once again, O'Connell will have the task of guarding the opponent's best offensive player. Joining Kamm, Weisenfeld and O'Connell on the perimeter are seniors Ryan Purcell and Phil Beggans, junior Matt Dapas, sophomores Dan Crowley and Leland O'Connor and freshmen Tim McCarty and Sean O'Connor. A co-captain this season, along with Kamm and Weisenfeld, Purcell is well respected by his teammates for his leadership on and off the court. Nelson will look to Purcell to provide a spark off the bench as he shoots 54.2 percent from three-point range. Beggans is another three-point threat for the Blue Jays, shooting 36.6 percent for his career. An excellent free throw shooter as well, Nelson will look for Beggans to get to the line more this season. Like Purcell, Beggans can really light a fire under his teammates with his excellent range. A walk-on last season, Dapas proved to be a pleasant surprise. A very team-oriented player, he has shown a lot of improvement in the preseason and should see more time off the bench. Crowley is having a successful season on the gridiron as a wide receiver on the JHU football team and is slated to join the team at the conclusion of the season. A strong player with a good outside shot, he will be a nice weapon off the bench. Leland O'Connor, a transfer from Catholic, has outstanding range and is one of the best three-point shooters on the team. He has a very strong move to the basket and will get better as the season progresses. McCarty practices hard and does a lot of things well for Nelson. With long arms, he's a real threat on defense for blocked shots and deflections. On the offensive side of the court, he drives to the basket very well and really goes to the boards. Sean O'Connor will see time at the point guard position behind Kamm and Weisenfeld. A good shooter, he could also see time on the wing. "Sean's very knowledgeable of the game," said Nelson. "He's an excellent passer and is tough on defense." POST Farber-Miller had a breakout season in 2007-08, becoming one of the better post players in the Centennial Conference. After seeing limited action as a freshman, he started 21 games last season and was second on the team with 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He also led Hopkins and ranked fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (.523). An outstanding free throw shooter, he went to the line more than any other player on the team and converted 78 of 103 attempts. He has developed great back to the basket moves and has All-Centennial potential. Baumgartner was the first post player off the bench last season and saw action in all 26 games. Like Farber-Miller, he made great strides between his freshman and sophomore seasons and Nelson will look for him to continue that progression. He has greatly improved his perimeter shot but also goes strong to the basket. He was second on the team, behind Farber-Miller, in offensive rebounds and one of his goals this season is to become the best offensive rebounder in the conference. Defensively, he is a force off the ball and has developed into an excellent shot blocker. Alberici came off the bench and averaged 14.1 minutes per game in his rookie season and showed flashes of great basketball. He averaged 5.0 points and 1.5 rebounds and was second on the team with 15 blocks. An outstanding shooter (.517), Nelson is looking for him to really be an impact player for Hopkins this season. Henrici, a transfer from Gettysburg, can play the perimeter or the post. He possesses an excellent mid-range shot and is quicker than most post players. He should compete for a starting role in his first season with the Blue Jays. Gergen could play the two, three or four position for the Blue Jays and is quietly emerging as a solid player for Nelson. DeLott has missed most of the preseason due to illness, but as he learns the game and his conditioning improves - the sky is the limit for him. SCHEDULE The Blue Jays then jump into the fourth annual Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament as they travel to Frostburg to take on the Bobcats in the first round. Stevenson University will host the final two days of the tournament on Thanksgiving Weekend. Then it is right into Centennial Conference action with Franklin & Marshall and Swarthmore to wind down 2008. "This is the strongest the Centennial Conference has been in quite a few years," remarked Nelson. "With two NCAA teams in Ursinus and Gettysburg and Dickinson having most of its players back, it will be a very interesting year in the conference." Hopkins will play just four games at home in the month of January as the Blue Jays open up with a trip to Orlando for the ECAC Holiday Festival. Home games against Ursinus, Dickinson, Swarthmore and Washington highlight the schedule in January. February is a different story, as Hopkins will leave Baltimore just twice, to take on Franklin & Marshall and Washington. |
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