Men's Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview
COMING UP: vs. Northwest Nazarene (United Heritage Tip-Off Series), Nov. 10, 7:05 p.m.
QUICK 2009-10 SYNOPSIS: With a good nucleus returning and one of the better recruiting classes in recent memory, The College of Idaho men’s basketball team is poised to make a return to the upper echelon of the Cascade Conference. The Yotes, who have advanced to the NAIA Division II National Tournament five times during the last nine years, are searching for their first 20-win season since 2005 and their first postseason victory since 2006.
CCC PRESEASON POLL: The ten CCC coaches seemed to have done their homework, as the Coyotes received six first-place votes, earning the top spot in the balloting. It marked the highest preseason ranking in the league under head coach Mark Owen (10th year, 180-110) – as the Yotes were ranked second in the preseason poll in both 2002-03 and 2003-04, and haven’t been ranked higher than fourth since 2005-06. Defending champion, Oregon Tech, claimed two first-place votes and were second, followed by Warner Pacific, Evergreen State, and Eastern Oregon – each teams that advanced to the NAIA Tournament (with EOU reaching the quarterfinals and OIT and ESC reaching the second-round). The preseason No. 1 team in the league has been a good place to be – as during the seven years the CCC has conducted the poll, the favorite has advanced to the NAIA Tournament each year, while winning the league title four of the seven seasons.
NAIA TOP-25 PRESEASON POLL: For the first time since the 2005-06 season, the Coyotes will begin the season ranked in the Top-25, earning a No. 8 ranked in the NAIA Division II Preseason Top-25 Coaches Poll, released on Oct. 26. It marks the first time since the 2006-07 season that the Yotes have been in the Top-25, while the squad has received at least one vote in the poll every season since the NAIA split into two divisions in 1991. It is the highest ranking for the Coyotes since they ascended to No. 5 during the 2004-05 season and is the highest preseason ranking since opening the 1999-00 season at No. 2. Three other CCC teams were in the Top-25 – No. 11 Oregon Tech, No. 18 Warner Pacific, and No. 22 Evergreen State.
LAST SEASON / PLAYERS LOST: The 2008-09 season was an up-and-down year for the Coyotes, but finished just as the previous eleven seasons had – with a postseason berth. The Yotes ran through a gauntlet of an opening schedule, starting 1-5 – before hitting their stride after Christmas, rattling off six wins in a row, including a home upset of nationally-ranked Eastern Oregon and a buzzer-beater upset of nationally-ranked Evergreen State. The C of I would earn the No. 5 seed in the league tournament – facing that same Evergreen team on the road, but falling in a tight 70-57 decision. From that squad, the Coyotes lost three seniors – including two-time CCC Defensive Player of the Year Bryan Champ and forwards Kurt Nielson and Ryan Sinfield, all four-year members of the team. Five other players decided not to return this year – as Steffen Spinks (U. of Illinois-Springfield), Tucker Long (Mesa State), Jordan Stokes (Cal State-Stanislaus), and Terriel Thomas (Treasure Valley CC) have transferred to other schools, while Kyle Redman decided not to return to the team this season.
POSITION BY POSITION –GUARDS: The Yotes will have a talented backcourt this season, as a pair of proven guards will help run the show. Returning senior point-guard Kelvin Potts (Oakland, Calif. / Chabot CC) dedicated himself during the offseason and is in tremendous shape, hoping to improve on a 2008-09 season that saw him average ten points and four assists per night. He will be joined by senior transfer Noah Gottlieb (Los Angeles, Calif. / Chaminade U.), who had an outstanding junior season at NCAA Division II Chaminade University, where he was named to the All-Pacific West Conference Team. Gottlieb averaged ten points and five assists a game, while connecting on 47-percent of his three-point attempts. Three others – sophomore Jordan Taylor (Emmett, Idaho / Emmett HS), and freshmen Gavin Gaskill (Nampa, Idaho / Vallivue HS) and J.J. Baisch (Keizer, Ore. / McNary HS) will be reserves, working hard in practice to improve day in and day out. Two others – sophomore Duncan Koga (Caldwell, Idaho / Caldwell HS), and freshman Miguel Rodriguez (Wilder, Idaho / Wilder HS) will use this season as a redshirt year.
POSITION BY POSITION – WINGS: The Coyotes will be really long at the wing position this year – and very deep. Six-foot six-inch senior Brian Bergerson (Modesto, Calif. / Modesto CC) returns, looking to rebound from a tough 2008-09 season that saw him average just seven points per game – despite leading the team with 52 made three-point attempts. Three transfers will play big minutes for the Yotes – juniors Steve Peres (Palos Verdes, Calif. / El Camino CC) and Kelly McCarty (Salinas, Calif. / U. of Hawaii-Hilo), and sophomore Matt Ballenger (Nampa, Idaho / U. of Colorado). The 6-4 Peres is a steady player, earning All-Conference honors at El Camino College after averaging 15 points and six rebounds per game last year, while the 6-3 McCarty will see action for the first time since 2007-08 (redshirted last year at Hawaii-Hilo), when he averaged 18 points a game at Hartnell CC. Ballenger, a strong 6-5, returns to the hardwood after a two-year hiatus (played quarterback at the University of Colorado), hoping to rekindle the magic that saw him average 27 points a game as a senior at Skyview High, where he led his team to the 2005 and 2006 4A state championships. Also back for the Yotes is senior Calen Blessinger (Blackfoot, Idaho / Columbia Basin CC), who missed all of last season due to injury.
POSITION BY POSITION – POSTS: The Yotes return one of the best low-post tandems in the CCC this season, as seniors Craig McGee (Boise, Idaho / Centennial HS) and Jabari McIntosh (Union City, Calif. / West Valley CC) will roam the paint. The 6-8 McGee earned All-CCC and honorable mention NAIA All-America honors after last season, leading the Coyotes in scoring and rebounding, averaging 16 points and nine rebounds a game – including a string of seven consecutive double-doubles, and enters his final season having scored 1,023 points in his college career. The 6-8 McIntosh came on strong during the second half of last season, leading the team with 48 blocked shots – averaging over two blocks a game in CCC play, while averaging six points and four rebounds a night. The heir apparent to the position, 6-6 freshman Bryden Benke (Caldwell, Idaho / Vallivue HS), an 5A All-State player out of Vallivue High, looks to use the season as a redshirt year.
NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Once again this season, the Coyotes will play one of the more progressive non-conference schedules in the NAIA Division II – although this season, five of the seven games will be in the J.A. Albertson Activities Center. The Yotes will open at home against Canyon County rival, Division II Northwest Nazarene – on Nov. 10, in the first of two games as part of the United Heritage Tip-Off Series (with the teams playing a return game in Nampa on Dec. 8 – which will be an exhibition tilt for the Yotes). A week later, the 23rd Annual Duane Wolfe Memorial Golden Rule Shoot-Out will feature an outstanding cast - pitting The C of I and Northwest University of the CCC against Frontier Conference stalwarts Lewis-Clark State and Westminster. Thanksgiving weekend, the Yotes make their lone preseason road trip, making the annual trek to Salt Lake City for a rematch with Westminster, ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Division I preseason poll, and Carroll College. They will close out their non-conference slate in early December, hosting a second tournament (Holiday Classic) – facing Montana Western and Portland Bible. Once again, the Coyotes will not play an NAIA Division II team during the preseason (playing five games against NAIA Division I opponents, one against an NCAA Division II team, and one against a NCCAA squad).
CASCADE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Year in and year out, the CCC proves to be one of the premier conferences in the NAIA Division II – as last season, four teams advanced to the NAIA National Tournament. Oregon Tech looks to win their fifth regular-season title in the last six years – returning All-CCC guard Justin Parnell and outstanding newcomer Joseph Foster. Evergreen State will be dangerous every time they take the floor – led by CCC Player of the Year Nate Menefee, while Warner Pacific returns the NAIA’s leading shot-blocker, Kaylone Riley, along with a pair of NCAA Division I transfers. Eastern Oregon must replace a pair of All-CCC guards, but returns a quality post in Jordan Gregg, while Northwest Christian expects big things from Ben Voogd, who transfers from Louisiana State. The four other schools – Concordia, Southern Oregon, Northwest, and Corban all had quality recruiting classes – which makes every night during the 18-game slate an arduous task.
NEW LOOK HOME FLOOR: Fans will notice a new look to the J.A. Albertson Activities Center when they arrive for the home opener, as the surface received a facelift over the summer. Gone is the painted three-point arc, along with the cursive Yotes at center-court, replaced by a large “CI” logo – while the keys and inside the arc remained unpainted.
RADIO BROADCASTS UNCERTAIN: For the first time in over 50 years, C of I basketball will not be carried live on 1490 KCID-AM, as the parent company, Journal Broadcast Group, has sold the AM frequency. There are efforts, however, being made to find a new flagship station for Coyote basketball – hopefully in time for the 2009-10 season.
LIVE STATS/VIDEO: All C of I home games in 2009-10 will have Live Stats available, via The C of I athletic website at http://yotestats.i8.com/basketball/xlive.htm, while every home game will have free Live Video available online via www.pennatlantic.com.
ABOUT THE COACH: Mark Owen begins his tenth season as head men's basketball coach at The C of I. After serving for nine seasons as an assistant to NAIA Hall-of-Fame coach Marty Holly with the Coyotes, Owen took over the reins during the 2000-01 season - and has directed the school to five 20-win seasons, three Cascade Conference Tournament championships, and five NAIA National Tournament appearances. Under his direction, The C of I has been ranked or received votes in the NAIA Top-25 in all nine of his seasons as coach. The Yotes have been ranked as high as No. 3 in the NAIA Division II national poll, with his 2003-04 club winning the first CCC regular-season championship since 1996 - earning Owen CCC Coach of the Year honors. While an assistant to Holly, Owen was primarily responsible for running the Coyote offense, which averaged over 78 points per game - including the 1995-96 NAIA Division II National Championship team that averaged 85.4 points per game. Prior to joining the Coyote coaching staff, Owen coached at Marsing High School for four seasons, leading the Huskies to a 21-4 record and a fifth-place finish in the 1990 Idaho State 'A-4' basketball tournament. Owen, the Coyotes' all-time assist leader, competed for the College of Idaho from 1982-1985, leading the school to back-to-back NAIA District II championships and its first appearance at the NAIA National Basketball Tournament in 22 years. As a senior, Owen was a third-team NAIA All-America pick, NAIA District II Player of the Year, and first-team Little All-Northwest. He was also selected as the NAIA's National Player of the Week during his senior season. During his three-year career, Owen dished out 631 assists (7.1 per game), while scoring 1,242 career points (14.0 per game). Owen holds the single-season C of I record with 244 assists and also holds the school's second-highest single-game scoring mark with 47 points. For his endeavors, he was inducted into The C of I Athletic Hall-of-Fame in 1996. Following his collegiate career, Owen was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in the seventh-round of the 1985 NBA Draft. He is a graduate of Boise High, where he helped the Braves to the 1980 A-1 basketball championship. Owen has three children - daughters Amanda and Whitney, and son Josh - who was an NAIA All-American for the Yotes in 2008.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more on The C of I men’s basketball program, head to the official homepage of the Coyotes, www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/mensbasketball.asp.