The Great Midwest Athletic Conference has named sophomore forward Angelo Cugini as the G-MAC men's basketball player of the week. Cugini is coming off a 22 point and 12 rebound effort in a Battler victory over nationally ranked Bowie State on Saturday. The 6'7" native of Akron, OH is the Battler leading scorer after three games and is tied as the team's leading rebounder. Cugini finished the Bowie State game shooting 8 of 12 shooting while connecting on 4 of 7 from three-point land.
Angelo played his high school basketball at Cuyahoga Falls where he averaged 20 ppg/11 rebounds. He is the son of Tracey and Rick Cugini. Angelo currently majors in business management at Alderson Broaddus University. Battler Beat wishes to congratulate Angelo on this week's honor.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Alderson Broaddus ranked 10th in latest D2SIDA Midwest Regional Poll
The Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team is rated #10 in the latest Division II Sports Information Directors Midwest Regional media poll. The Battlers will take on the #4 rated team in the Midwest Regional Poll Ashland University this Friday in Erie, Pennsylvania. Game time is slated for 5:30 PM in this key midwest region contest. The link to the region poll can be found here: D2SIDA Men's Basketball Regional Polls
Battlers knock off #17-ranked Bowie State 76-63
The Alderson Broaddus men’s basketball team played
their home opener on Saturday facing off against the Bowie State Bulldogs out
of the CIAA. Alderson Broaddus was coming off a trip last week to Detroit,
Michigan where they had split games with GLIAC opponents. Bowie State came into
the game 3-0 and earning the #17 ranking in the latest D2SIDA media poll. One
of those three wins for Bowie was against the defending runner-up and current
#7-ranked team Indiana of Pennsylvania. That victory for the Bulldogs had taken
place at IUP.
The Bulldogs came in with an imposing lineup that was
sure to test the Battlers on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs were led by
Jordan Goodman’s 20 points per game. The 6’8” senior transfer from New Mexico
was once a 5-star recruit. He had originally committed to play basketball for
Georgetown before enrolling at Harcum Community College. Bowie State also
brought in guard Justin Beck who was a pre-season All-CIAA pick. Beck came into
the game averaging 17.3 points per game. Needless to say, the Bulldogs were
bringing an athletic and talented team.
The Battlers asserted themselves in this game early
and often. Bowie State jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the 18:15 mark of the first
half. That would be the last lead that the Bulldogs would have for the rest of
the game. The Battlers took a 5-3 lead at the 16-minute mark on a layup by
Richard Lemon and never looked back the rest of the afternoon.
The Battlers would extend the lead to 22 points in the
first half on a Manny Artinano’s basket where he slipped a screen and was fed a
beautiful pass by senior Malcolm Tatum. That layup pushed the score to 32-10 at
the 4:45 mark of the first half. But Bowie State was too talented to keep the
score at that margin. The Bulldogs would go on a 15-2 run to close out the
first half and cut the Battler lead to 34-25 heading into intermission.
The Battlers would start the second half by jumping
out to a 42-27 lead at the 17:31 mark thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers by
Angelo Cugini and Malcolm Tatum. The closest Bowie got to AB would be to cut
the deficit to eight points on a couple of occasions. But for most of the
second half, the Battlers maintained a double-digit lead and finished with a
76-63 victory.
The Battlers were led by Angleo Cugini’s 22 points and
12 rebounds. The 6’7” sophomore from Akron, OH connected on four 3-pointers. AB
also got 18 points from senior forward Thylas Perkins, 17 points from junior
reserve Sanar Shamdeen and 11 points, 8 rebounds from senior Richard Lemon. The biggest key to the victory however may have been the Battlers efforts on the defensive end of the floor. AB was able to hold Goodman to seven points on 2 of 9 shooting from the floor. This was well under his average. The Battlers also held Justin Beck to only ten points. Bowie had come into Saturday's contest averaging 85 points per game. The Battlers were able to hold them to 22-points under their average.
The Battlers will return to action this Friday,
November 27th when they take on a 3-0 Ashland University squad at
the first game of the 32nd annual Gary Miller Classic that takes
place on the campus of Gannon University in Erie, PA. The video of the game can
be seen by logging on to www.gannonsports.com.
Ashland was the pre-season GLIAC South favorite to start the season. The Eagles
are coming off an impressive win over nationally pre-season rated #8
Indianapolis.
Friday, October 16, 2015
A-B produced the only 3-time WVIAC rebounding leaders and did it twice; who were they?
We thought we would throw another Fun Fact Friday out there today as the basketball season has
officially started at the NCAA Division II level. Our question today is based on the fact that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball program was the only WVIAC program to produce two 3-time WVIAC rebounding leaders. Who were the two Battler players to accomplish this feat?
Andy Jennings led the conference in rebounding from 1967-1969. Willie Davis would do the same from 1989-1991.
officially started at the NCAA Division II level. Our question today is based on the fact that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball program was the only WVIAC program to produce two 3-time WVIAC rebounding leaders. Who were the two Battler players to accomplish this feat?
Andy Jennings led the conference in rebounding from 1967-1969. Willie Davis would do the same from 1989-1991.
Friday, September 25, 2015
First Men's Basketball Scrimmage Announced
Battler Beat has discovered that the first men's basketball scrimmage for the upcoming season will take place on Thursday, October 22 at Rex Pyles Arena in Philippi. The Battlers will be taking on Community College of Beaver County which is located in Pennsylvania.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Alderson Broaddus Lands Local Product Tavon Horton
Alderson Broaddus got a tremendous late addition to their men's basketball program last week. Tavon Horton of Fairmont, WV signed on with the Battlers. Horton was a West Virginia 1st-team AA All-State selection this past season for his accomplishments on the court for the Fairmont Senior Polar Bears. This past season Horton average 11 point per game, 5 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game and 2.5 steals per game while playing the point guard position. Those were impressive numbers on a team that regularly played 10 to 12 players a night. He was named the 2015 Times-West Virginia Player of the Year.
Horton really caught the eye of the Battler coaching staff at this past season's West Virginia Boy's
State Tournament. This was the venue where Tavon took his game to another level and showed why the Battlers would come calling this summer. He averaged 17 points per game during the three games that Fairmont Senior played in the state tournament. What is even more impressive is that Horton drew the opposing team's best player in each of the three games of the state tournament. He drew the defensive assignment of guarding Bridgeport's John Wilfong and Poca's Elijah Cuffee. Both of those players were also 1st-team all-state selections. Horton held both players to a combined 16 points. Cuffee already has several D-I offers including an offer to play at Texas Tech. Fairmont Senior finished as the WV AA Boys Basketball Runner Up. The Polar Bears finished the season with 23 wins an 3 losses.
This past summer Tavon was selected to play in the prestigious West Virginia North-South All-Star basketball game. Horton didn't slow down his progress at this venue either. He finished the game with 15 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. For his efforts, Tavon was named the North All-Star Most Valuable Player of the Game. We hope to catch up with Tavon for an interview later on this week.
Horton really caught the eye of the Battler coaching staff at this past season's West Virginia Boy's
State Tournament. This was the venue where Tavon took his game to another level and showed why the Battlers would come calling this summer. He averaged 17 points per game during the three games that Fairmont Senior played in the state tournament. What is even more impressive is that Horton drew the opposing team's best player in each of the three games of the state tournament. He drew the defensive assignment of guarding Bridgeport's John Wilfong and Poca's Elijah Cuffee. Both of those players were also 1st-team all-state selections. Horton held both players to a combined 16 points. Cuffee already has several D-I offers including an offer to play at Texas Tech. Fairmont Senior finished as the WV AA Boys Basketball Runner Up. The Polar Bears finished the season with 23 wins an 3 losses.
This past summer Tavon was selected to play in the prestigious West Virginia North-South All-Star basketball game. Horton didn't slow down his progress at this venue either. He finished the game with 15 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. For his efforts, Tavon was named the North All-Star Most Valuable Player of the Game. We hope to catch up with Tavon for an interview later on this week.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Battlers land JUCO transfer Ohndo Smith
Battler Beat was informed last week that ABU men's basketball team signed junior college post player Ohndo Smith. The 6'8"/275 post player was a student-athlete at Jamestown Community College the past two seasons. Smith originally committed to the University of Tennessee-Martin in the fall. He averaged 24.6 points per game along with 14 rebounds per game for Jamestown CC this past season. For his efforts, Smith was named 1st-team All Region 3 of Division III for the NJCAA. He is a native of the Bronx, NY. Battler Beat will be contacting Ohndo later on in the week for an interview.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Former Battler Nate Barnes Erupts for 54 points in Pro League Game
Battler Beat recently updated fans about former Alderson Broaddus all-conference player Nate Barnes signing a pro contract to play in Nicaragua. We have an update for Battler fans. Nate Barnes recently pumped in 54 points, including 14 three-pointers in 23 attempts. This production by Barnes was for his team's 103-52 league victory. It appears that the 14 three-pointers was the most ever in a league game. You can catch one of Nate's three-pointers on the video below. The game was played in front of a lively crowd.
Battlers Add Two Games vs. Old WVIAC Foes
The Alderson Broaddus Men's Basketball team has added two more out-of-conference games for the upcoming season. The two games will be against foes that the fans of ABU are familiar with. Both games are also Saturday afternoon contests.
The Battlers will be taking on local rival Glenville State on Saturday, December 12th at 4 PM in Glenville. The game will be played at the beautiful Waco Center located on the campus of Glenville State College. It will match the teacher versus student match up as current Glenville State Head Coach Stephen Dye is a former all-conference performer for the Battlers. Glenville is coming off another successful season which saw the Pioneers achieve their second straight NCAA bid. Glenville State was also the Mountain East Conference tournament champion this past season.
AB will return to Rex Pyles Arena the following Saturday to take on former WVIAC member Shepherd. The game will take place on December 19th at 4 PM. The Rams are coming off a 15-15 campaign this past season. Both the Glenville and Shepherd games will be counted as in-region games.
The Battlers will be taking on local rival Glenville State on Saturday, December 12th at 4 PM in Glenville. The game will be played at the beautiful Waco Center located on the campus of Glenville State College. It will match the teacher versus student match up as current Glenville State Head Coach Stephen Dye is a former all-conference performer for the Battlers. Glenville is coming off another successful season which saw the Pioneers achieve their second straight NCAA bid. Glenville State was also the Mountain East Conference tournament champion this past season.
AB will return to Rex Pyles Arena the following Saturday to take on former WVIAC member Shepherd. The game will take place on December 19th at 4 PM. The Rams are coming off a 15-15 campaign this past season. Both the Glenville and Shepherd games will be counted as in-region games.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
ABU's Chavez Harper Gets 'Battle Tested' in the Cleveland Pro-Am
Philippi, West Virginia is home of Alderson Broaddus University. But from a historical prospective, Philippi is known as the first land battle of the Civil War which occurred in June of 1861. Although many historians consider the Battle of Philippi to be nothing more than a skirmish, it was hailed by the northern press as a major victory in the war. The troops of the Union and Confederacy that took part in this battle were considered 'inexperienced'. But the battle did have consequences. It would propel Major General George B. McClellan into a status symbol of the Union military. It is from this brief account that ABU gets the nickname the Battlers. ABU's mascot is known as Skirmish.
Forward the account of Philippi to this past basketball season for Alderson Broaddus. A young 6-5,
205 pound freshman forward from Cleveland, OH named Chavez Harper arrived on campus to join a team that returned all but one player from the previous basketball season. Harper was coming off a senior season at Euclid High School where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. But as many freshman will attest, the transition from the high school ranks to college isn't always a smooth one. In fact, some say that it takes a season to get 'battle tested'. Harper would be the first to say that he too experienced the transition highs and lows. "My first year at AB was a roller coaster ride. I struggled mainly because of myself. I was not confident at all. I was always worried about making a mistake. And I worried so much about not making a mistake that I made more mistakes than I should have." stated Harper.
Battler Beat won't make it out that Harper didn't have his moments as a freshman. In the always competitive Gary Miller Classic at Gannon University, Harper showed glimpses of the potential that he was bringing to the Battler basketball program. The first game of the classic was against Slippery Rock. Harper put in nine points on 3 of 3 shooting from the field including one 3-pointer. He did this in 14 minutes of play. That performance caught the eye of head coach Greg Zimmerman who would insert Harper into the starting lineup the next evening against eventual PSAC regular season and tournament champion Gannon. Harper would not disappoint. He contributed 13 points in the winning effort on the road. The Hammermill Center isn't always the easiest venue to get a victory either. And it is certainly not an easy place for a freshman to get his first start and contribute a double-digit point effort.
But what happens to many freshman would happen to Harper during the 2014-15 season. He would play his share of minutes during certain games. But other games would see Chavez watch and learn from the bench. He was a forward competing for minutes against two experienced all-conference forwards in juniors Richard Lemon and Thylas Perkins. Both of those two had been through the 'battles' of D2 basketball. They had both been starters on the 2013-14 G-MAC regular season and tournament champion season. Harper was still trying to find his niche on the team.
Despite the ups-and-downs in playing time, Chavez Harper was never forgotten during his freshman season. His most telling time,that may have changed his whole outlook, occurred during the 2015 G-MAC tournament championship game against Kentucky Wesleyan. Thylas Perkins was limited in minutes due to an ongoing back problem that plagued him earlier in the season. The player that Coach Zimmerman turned to was Chavez Harper. It was during this championship contest that Harper started to gain some confidence again. His stat line may not seem that imposing. He had zero points and four defensive rebounds in ten minutes of play. At the same time though, he didn't hurt the team during a tight defensive contest. He had zero turnovers and played well on the defensive end. "The championship game was a great experience for me. The longer I stayed on the floor, the more relaxed I got. Prior to the championship, my goal was to prove to every body that I was good enough. I doubted what I could do every day, and it affected my game negatively. When the championship game came, I had one goal and that was to win that title. Whatever the team needed, I wanted to do. The championship game is where I started to believe in myself more. I was just so happy to a part of something so special. Ever since that day, I haven't doubted myself one bit." stated Harper.
Chavez Harper is now proving to be prophetic in his exclamation of self-confidence. One only has to look at his production in the highly competitive Cleveland Pro-Am League that occurs every summer in the Cleveland/Akron area. It is a league home to many professional and division one players. It is also stocked with players who have honors in the D2, D3 and NAIA ranks of college basketball. This summer Chavez Harper has not only been getting 'battle tested' but he is winning many of the key 'battles' on the court. This is the second straight summer that Harper has been a part of the Cleveland Pro-Am. He played in last year's league upon graduating from high school. But Harper is the first to say that this summer has been totally different than last year's experience. In part because Harper has already experienced what the league was like. You could say that he was battle-tested coming into this summer. "Stepping on the court in the Cleveland Pro Am and performing consistently is not easy to do. I tried to play after I graduated high school and I really could not hang. I was not ready for the style of play and how physical it was. Before I played like I just wanted to play good. Now, whenever I step on the court, I want to dominate." said Harper.
We asked Chavez how this experience this summer has been different. He replied: "My experience this summer has been great! I have been blessed enough to grow my game, and showcase my talents by competing against some of the best players from all over the state of Ohio. I think being able to complete against many athletes who play at a higher level than I do currently, and players who have been through the same path I am on now, has helped me to elevate my game. The mindset going into the summer was to prepare myself to be an asset to the team for my sophomore season at AB. Without a doubt, competing against professional athletes and players who play at other colleges around the country, has helped me a lot. Every time I step on the court I think of what I can do to be better for my teammates and coaches at AB. I look forward to guarding players who play professionally, and matching up with the players who many people know are really good. Competing against players who have proven they are great has made me relentless in my approach to dominate. It put a chip on my shoulder feeling like I wasn't good enough to compete. Now whenever I step on the court I am confident that I can compete no matter who is in front of me."
One only has to look at the numbers that Chavez Harper has been putting up night-in and night-out at the Cleveland Pro-Am to see that he certainly has played with a chip on his shoulder. He was named one of the Day 7 Top Performers after his 15 point/12 rebound performance in a league game. It didn't stop there however. On Day 9, he was once again named one of the top performers on the Cleveland Pro-Am website due to his 24 point/8 rebound effort in leading his team to victory. He would notch another top performer award for a 25 point/15 rebound outburst. For his efforts, Chavez was honored with the accolade of being named to the 1st-team Cleveland/Akron Pro-Am team. The slate for the 1st-team was pretty good too. Joining Harper on the 1st team were: Todd Brown Jr (former double-digit performer for Wright State who now plays professionally), Jimond Ivey (a member of Akron's basketball team), and Justin Jamison (who played for Texas Tech). To put things in perspective, Jesse Hardin, who was Walsh's leading scorer last season, was named to the 3rd-team in this league. There were many other notable players in this league. Harper competed against Kwan Cheatham, Pat Forsythe and Demetrius Treadwell who played for the University of Akron last season. The latter two players were double-digit scorers for the Zips. He also went against Garrick Sims who plays professionally in Europe and Nick Harney, who once played for Akron, but was a 1st-team all-MEC pick last season for Fairmont State last season. But maybe his biggest battle came against Jared Sullinger. Sullinger played basketball for Ohio State University and was a 1st-round pick of the Boston Celtics. Needless to say, Chavez put up his numbers against many a high-level player when he took the court in the league each night.
But all good players now that there is more to honing their skills than playing league ball. We asked Chavez what Coach Zimmerman asked him to work on in the off-season. Harper replied: "Coach Zimmerman really wanted me to spend a lot time on my jump shot. Making the mid-range jumper consistently and shooting within the flow of the game have been big for me this summer. He also wanted me to get stronger. He wants me to be able to guard multiple positions such as small forwards and power forward. Lastly, he wanted me playing with more mental toughness. Being able to handle adversity and block out things that don't go my way are all things he really wanted me to be able to do by the time I returned for my sophomore season." He didn't stop their in going over his weekly routines for the summer. Chavez has kept himself occupied beyond playing in the league and working individually on his game. Chavez told us that he has been "running on the track, running up bleachers and lifting weights" all summer long.
While the whole summer experience has been great for Chavez, he doesn't forget the many roller coaster rides that he experienced his freshman season at ABU. He feels there are many factors that will lead him to having a better sophomore year and career at AB. The Cleveland Pro-Am was certainly one factor. But the overall school experience was another. "I learned a lot from my freshman year. I now know what it takes to be a part of something special and what it takes to be a college athlete. Adjusting to college was tough but with the support of my teammates, coaches and the great community, it was easier to adjust as the school year progressed." But Harper also noted that those freshman roller coasters would now lead to much smoother rides upon his arrival in Philippi in August. He notes that he now knows what to expect not only as an athlete but as a student as well. "School was great," noted Harper. "I changed my major from education to business, and I am very happy with that decision. Business fits me more, and I enjoy the professors who teach it. AB is a great place to focus on school and basketball without having too many distractions. I look forward to my future at AB."
It appears on the surface that the Cleveland/Akron Pro-Am League has helped Chavez's game, confidence and overall approach to winning. He stated that the league provided an awesome experience to better his future on the court. But Chavez was the first to note that he doesn't plan on stopping his progress in Cleveland. He had strong words for the AB Battler fans, alumni and community: "I will do whatever it takes to be successful. I will continue to work hard to be the best I can be on and off the court. Our team will continue to work as hard as we possibly can to make sure our fans are happy. Thank you to all the fans for your unparalleled support and love and I look forward to helping the team defend our conference championship, and also earn a national championship in the near future."
Those are good, strong words for a sophomore-to-be. But Chavez has backed those words up with strong performances in a tough league that features quality players every night. Just like Major General McClellan became an experienced leader in the Civil War after the Battle of Philippi, we think it is safe to say that Chavez Harper is now more "Battle Tested" as the 2015-16 basketball season approaches.
Forward the account of Philippi to this past basketball season for Alderson Broaddus. A young 6-5,
205 pound freshman forward from Cleveland, OH named Chavez Harper arrived on campus to join a team that returned all but one player from the previous basketball season. Harper was coming off a senior season at Euclid High School where he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. But as many freshman will attest, the transition from the high school ranks to college isn't always a smooth one. In fact, some say that it takes a season to get 'battle tested'. Harper would be the first to say that he too experienced the transition highs and lows. "My first year at AB was a roller coaster ride. I struggled mainly because of myself. I was not confident at all. I was always worried about making a mistake. And I worried so much about not making a mistake that I made more mistakes than I should have." stated Harper.
Battler Beat won't make it out that Harper didn't have his moments as a freshman. In the always competitive Gary Miller Classic at Gannon University, Harper showed glimpses of the potential that he was bringing to the Battler basketball program. The first game of the classic was against Slippery Rock. Harper put in nine points on 3 of 3 shooting from the field including one 3-pointer. He did this in 14 minutes of play. That performance caught the eye of head coach Greg Zimmerman who would insert Harper into the starting lineup the next evening against eventual PSAC regular season and tournament champion Gannon. Harper would not disappoint. He contributed 13 points in the winning effort on the road. The Hammermill Center isn't always the easiest venue to get a victory either. And it is certainly not an easy place for a freshman to get his first start and contribute a double-digit point effort.
But what happens to many freshman would happen to Harper during the 2014-15 season. He would play his share of minutes during certain games. But other games would see Chavez watch and learn from the bench. He was a forward competing for minutes against two experienced all-conference forwards in juniors Richard Lemon and Thylas Perkins. Both of those two had been through the 'battles' of D2 basketball. They had both been starters on the 2013-14 G-MAC regular season and tournament champion season. Harper was still trying to find his niche on the team.
Despite the ups-and-downs in playing time, Chavez Harper was never forgotten during his freshman season. His most telling time,that may have changed his whole outlook, occurred during the 2015 G-MAC tournament championship game against Kentucky Wesleyan. Thylas Perkins was limited in minutes due to an ongoing back problem that plagued him earlier in the season. The player that Coach Zimmerman turned to was Chavez Harper. It was during this championship contest that Harper started to gain some confidence again. His stat line may not seem that imposing. He had zero points and four defensive rebounds in ten minutes of play. At the same time though, he didn't hurt the team during a tight defensive contest. He had zero turnovers and played well on the defensive end. "The championship game was a great experience for me. The longer I stayed on the floor, the more relaxed I got. Prior to the championship, my goal was to prove to every body that I was good enough. I doubted what I could do every day, and it affected my game negatively. When the championship game came, I had one goal and that was to win that title. Whatever the team needed, I wanted to do. The championship game is where I started to believe in myself more. I was just so happy to a part of something so special. Ever since that day, I haven't doubted myself one bit." stated Harper.
Chavez Harper is now proving to be prophetic in his exclamation of self-confidence. One only has to look at his production in the highly competitive Cleveland Pro-Am League that occurs every summer in the Cleveland/Akron area. It is a league home to many professional and division one players. It is also stocked with players who have honors in the D2, D3 and NAIA ranks of college basketball. This summer Chavez Harper has not only been getting 'battle tested' but he is winning many of the key 'battles' on the court. This is the second straight summer that Harper has been a part of the Cleveland Pro-Am. He played in last year's league upon graduating from high school. But Harper is the first to say that this summer has been totally different than last year's experience. In part because Harper has already experienced what the league was like. You could say that he was battle-tested coming into this summer. "Stepping on the court in the Cleveland Pro Am and performing consistently is not easy to do. I tried to play after I graduated high school and I really could not hang. I was not ready for the style of play and how physical it was. Before I played like I just wanted to play good. Now, whenever I step on the court, I want to dominate." said Harper.
We asked Chavez how this experience this summer has been different. He replied: "My experience this summer has been great! I have been blessed enough to grow my game, and showcase my talents by competing against some of the best players from all over the state of Ohio. I think being able to complete against many athletes who play at a higher level than I do currently, and players who have been through the same path I am on now, has helped me to elevate my game. The mindset going into the summer was to prepare myself to be an asset to the team for my sophomore season at AB. Without a doubt, competing against professional athletes and players who play at other colleges around the country, has helped me a lot. Every time I step on the court I think of what I can do to be better for my teammates and coaches at AB. I look forward to guarding players who play professionally, and matching up with the players who many people know are really good. Competing against players who have proven they are great has made me relentless in my approach to dominate. It put a chip on my shoulder feeling like I wasn't good enough to compete. Now whenever I step on the court I am confident that I can compete no matter who is in front of me."
One only has to look at the numbers that Chavez Harper has been putting up night-in and night-out at the Cleveland Pro-Am to see that he certainly has played with a chip on his shoulder. He was named one of the Day 7 Top Performers after his 15 point/12 rebound performance in a league game. It didn't stop there however. On Day 9, he was once again named one of the top performers on the Cleveland Pro-Am website due to his 24 point/8 rebound effort in leading his team to victory. He would notch another top performer award for a 25 point/15 rebound outburst. For his efforts, Chavez was honored with the accolade of being named to the 1st-team Cleveland/Akron Pro-Am team. The slate for the 1st-team was pretty good too. Joining Harper on the 1st team were: Todd Brown Jr (former double-digit performer for Wright State who now plays professionally), Jimond Ivey (a member of Akron's basketball team), and Justin Jamison (who played for Texas Tech). To put things in perspective, Jesse Hardin, who was Walsh's leading scorer last season, was named to the 3rd-team in this league. There were many other notable players in this league. Harper competed against Kwan Cheatham, Pat Forsythe and Demetrius Treadwell who played for the University of Akron last season. The latter two players were double-digit scorers for the Zips. He also went against Garrick Sims who plays professionally in Europe and Nick Harney, who once played for Akron, but was a 1st-team all-MEC pick last season for Fairmont State last season. But maybe his biggest battle came against Jared Sullinger. Sullinger played basketball for Ohio State University and was a 1st-round pick of the Boston Celtics. Needless to say, Chavez put up his numbers against many a high-level player when he took the court in the league each night.
But all good players now that there is more to honing their skills than playing league ball. We asked Chavez what Coach Zimmerman asked him to work on in the off-season. Harper replied: "Coach Zimmerman really wanted me to spend a lot time on my jump shot. Making the mid-range jumper consistently and shooting within the flow of the game have been big for me this summer. He also wanted me to get stronger. He wants me to be able to guard multiple positions such as small forwards and power forward. Lastly, he wanted me playing with more mental toughness. Being able to handle adversity and block out things that don't go my way are all things he really wanted me to be able to do by the time I returned for my sophomore season." He didn't stop their in going over his weekly routines for the summer. Chavez has kept himself occupied beyond playing in the league and working individually on his game. Chavez told us that he has been "running on the track, running up bleachers and lifting weights" all summer long.
While the whole summer experience has been great for Chavez, he doesn't forget the many roller coaster rides that he experienced his freshman season at ABU. He feels there are many factors that will lead him to having a better sophomore year and career at AB. The Cleveland Pro-Am was certainly one factor. But the overall school experience was another. "I learned a lot from my freshman year. I now know what it takes to be a part of something special and what it takes to be a college athlete. Adjusting to college was tough but with the support of my teammates, coaches and the great community, it was easier to adjust as the school year progressed." But Harper also noted that those freshman roller coasters would now lead to much smoother rides upon his arrival in Philippi in August. He notes that he now knows what to expect not only as an athlete but as a student as well. "School was great," noted Harper. "I changed my major from education to business, and I am very happy with that decision. Business fits me more, and I enjoy the professors who teach it. AB is a great place to focus on school and basketball without having too many distractions. I look forward to my future at AB."
It appears on the surface that the Cleveland/Akron Pro-Am League has helped Chavez's game, confidence and overall approach to winning. He stated that the league provided an awesome experience to better his future on the court. But Chavez was the first to note that he doesn't plan on stopping his progress in Cleveland. He had strong words for the AB Battler fans, alumni and community: "I will do whatever it takes to be successful. I will continue to work hard to be the best I can be on and off the court. Our team will continue to work as hard as we possibly can to make sure our fans are happy. Thank you to all the fans for your unparalleled support and love and I look forward to helping the team defend our conference championship, and also earn a national championship in the near future."
Those are good, strong words for a sophomore-to-be. But Chavez has backed those words up with strong performances in a tough league that features quality players every night. Just like Major General McClellan became an experienced leader in the Civil War after the Battle of Philippi, we think it is safe to say that Chavez Harper is now more "Battle Tested" as the 2015-16 basketball season approaches.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Battler Beat Interview and Outlook on AB Recruit Ja' Darien Wade
It was announced last week that Alderson Broaddus men's basketball program had received a letter of intent from Parkersburg High School standout Ja' Darien Wade (pictured in red #5). The Big Reds are coming off an impressive season in which they advanced to the West Virginia AAA state basketball tournament where they were beat in the quarterfinals on a buzzer beater by Hurricane. Wade had a big impact on that team. He led the team in scoring with a 21.4 point per game average. He did that while shooting 53% from the field. He also contributed 7.4 rebounds per game. For his contributions, Wade was named to the 1st-team West Virginia AAA boy's basketball team. He was also named to the 1st-team all Mountain State Athletic Conference team. The MSAC is a highly competitive AAA conference in the state of West Virginia. We caught up with both Ja' Darien and his high school coach Jeff Mennillo to get their thoughts on: Wade's game, his senior year of high school and his prospects as a Battler.
We asked Wade when did ABU first starting recruiting him. "It really all started at the state tournament", said Wade. He said his accomplishments, as this past season progressed, led to more interest. But Ja' Darien was the first to say "the team awards were far greater than my individual awards". Parkersburg competed night in and night out against some of the best AAA schools in WV that included the likes of Capital, Huntington, South Charleston, Hurricane and rival Parkersburg South. His head basketball coach agreed with our assessment of Wade being a major impact on the Big Reds season. "JD was a huge part of our success. He showed up every game. In the locker room, he was a great leader. And off the court, he was a great son." stated Parkersburg head coach Jeff Mennillo.
Wade's production and attitude toward winning looks typical of what Alderson Broaddus Men's Basketball Coach Greg Zimmerman recruits. Zimmerman wants more than a player that produces statistics. He wants a player that produces against the best competition and leads his team to victory while maintaining that production. Ja' Darien Wade certainly did that this past season against some of the best teams and players that the state of West Virginia has to offer. When Wade squared off on the road against South Charleston and WVU commit Brandon Knapper, Ja' Darien finished the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds. When the Big Reds went against an athletic and highly rated Capital team, Wade produced a 17 point / 8 rebound effort. In the state tournament, he scored 24 points against a well-seasoned Hurricane team. This type of production was against three teams that finished the season rated in the top 6 of the West Virginia Class AAA poll. This is the type of thing that Greg Zimmerman wants from a player. Wade will need to continue to produce like that as the G-MAC becomes more and competitive with the likes of 8-time Division II national champion winner Kentucky Wesleyan and a Findlay program that won the Division II national championship and finished 36-0 in 2009. Coach Zimmerman wants winning players in order to continue to defend their back-to-back regular season and tournament championships that they earned in the G-MAC.
We asked Ja' Darien what position on the floor he thought he would play when he arrived in Philippi. "I think primarily I will be a shooting guard. But really, I can play a little bit of every thing", stated Wade. His coach didn't disagree and added more to that assessment. "I see JD playing a big guard such as a two or three. He has good ball-handling skills, a great 3-point shot and a good explosive first step", stated Coach Mennillo.
Coach Mennillo didn't stop there with his praise of Wade. Coach Mennillo is a veteran high school basketball coach in the state of West Virginia. He has led several teams to the state tournament as head coach. His words of praise should be ringing to all AB fans. "JD spent more time in the gym than any other player I coached in the past 28 years. He is a good teammate and completely committed to winning. Players and coaches will enjoy being around Ja' Darien. He is likeable.", stated Mennillo.
That type of words coming from a coach is impressive. But every coach realizes that no player is perfect. We asked Coach Mennillo if there was one thing in Ja' Darien's game that he needed to work on when playing for a successful and demanding coach like Greg Zimmerman. Coach Mennillo was honest in his assessment. "Ja' Darien will really need to work on the defensive end. If there is an area of improvement, it is his defensive skill set." state Mennillo. But the coach was quick to add: "I am sure that he will work on it". Coach Mennillo also noted that going from high school ball to college ball has differences. "He may need a year to get comfortable with the speed and physicality of the game." said Mennillo. That may not be a problem though. It would appear on the surface that there may not be as much stress for Wade in his first year in Philippi since AB is returning five seniors and three all-conference performers. That experience factor should allow Wade to gradually pick up Coach Zimmerman's system.
We asked Ja' Darien what eventually led him to signing with Alderson Broaddus. "I like the school location. A lot of students there play sports so they are going to be like me. It also felt like home up there. The basketball team was polite on my visit. It just felt like I wanted to be there for 4 years." said Wade. As of now, Wade is undecided in a major. He stated he wanted to give that aspect some more time and thought.
We ended our interview by asking Ja' Darien if he had any thing that he wanted to tell AB fans about himself or any message he had for AB fans. Ja' Darien didn't hold back in his response to Battler fans. "AB fans need to know they are getting a hard worker. I am committed to your team. I am excited to be a Battler." said Wade. Battler Beat congratulates Ja' Darien on his signing with Alderson Broaddus University.
Former Battler Nate Barnes Lands Pro Contract
Battler Beat has learned that former Alderson Broaddus guard Nate Barnes has landed a professional
basketball contract in a league in Nicaragua. Nate has recently signed to play with Los Trinis of the ACB League of Nicaragua in Trinidad. Barnes is a native of Cleveland, Ohio.
Nate Barnes played for Alderson Broaddus during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. During the 2010-11 season, he averaged 19 points per game which garnered him 1st-team All-WVIAC honors as a junior. Nate played the two-guard that season. The 2011-12 season saw Nate move to the point guard position when fellow Cleveland native Kurklin Bohanon (pictured below with Nate) arrived at AB. Barnes averaged 16.5 points per game and 5 assists per game that season. Prior to coming to Alderson Broaddus, Barnes was twice named 1st-team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference for his performances at Lakeland Community College during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Nate debuted for Los Trinis a few nights ago. In his debut game, he scored 20 points. We congratulate Nate Barnes on his contract and will keep AB basketball fans updated on Nate's progress here at Battler Beat.
basketball contract in a league in Nicaragua. Nate has recently signed to play with Los Trinis of the ACB League of Nicaragua in Trinidad. Barnes is a native of Cleveland, Ohio.
Nate Barnes played for Alderson Broaddus during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. During the 2010-11 season, he averaged 19 points per game which garnered him 1st-team All-WVIAC honors as a junior. Nate played the two-guard that season. The 2011-12 season saw Nate move to the point guard position when fellow Cleveland native Kurklin Bohanon (pictured below with Nate) arrived at AB. Barnes averaged 16.5 points per game and 5 assists per game that season. Prior to coming to Alderson Broaddus, Barnes was twice named 1st-team All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference for his performances at Lakeland Community College during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Nate debuted for Los Trinis a few nights ago. In his debut game, he scored 20 points. We congratulate Nate Barnes on his contract and will keep AB basketball fans updated on Nate's progress here at Battler Beat.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Battler Beat Catches Up with Recruit Malik Bocook
We reported last month that Alderson Broaddus Head Coach Greg Zimmerman worked hard to land Zanesville, Ohio product Malik Bocook. Zimmerman has two seniors to replace from last season's team as wing player Ali Bilal and post player Tobias Dowdell have graduated from ABU. Zimmerman started recruiting Bocook back in December of this past basketball season in hopes of landing his talents. We recently caught up with Malik to get his thoughts on his senior year of basketball at Zanesville High School, the recruiting process by AB and his expectations when he arrives in Philippi.
Malik talked a little bit about how the recruiting process worked. "AB first started recruiting me around December. Ever since then, the coaching staff at AB was my first choice", stated Bocook. It was in December that Malik was just starting what he described to us as "a great senior year". Zanesville High School finished the season with a 19-6 record. Bocook helped his team by averaging 19.5 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game. For his hard work and contributions, Bocook was named to the 1st-team AP Ohio HS Eastern All-District Basketball Team. He was also named to the second team AP All-Ohio All-State basketball team. He stated the coaching staff at AB projects him as a small or power forward. Video of Malik shows that he is a very versatile player. He is athletic and can take a defender off the dribble. He has the ability to run off a screen, catch, square and hit the outside jumper. His athleticism allows him to guard and defend several different positions on the floor. Video also shows tremendous jumping ability and athleticism around the basket.
Bocook gave a lot of credit to his high school coach. "I had one of the best coaches in the state in Scott Aronhalt". Coach Aronhalt stated earlier that Bocook had other offers on the table. Malik said other notable schools showing interest were West Liberty, Wheeling Jesuit and Ohio Dominican. But in the end, what helped lead Malik to Alderson Broaddus? Bocook stated: "the number one thing that really got me was how much Coach Zimm and the coaching staff care about the players". Bocook says he wants to major in criminal justice while at ABU. "I want to be a federal special agent", stated Bocook.
We also asked Malik about what it was like to play for current Zanesville assistant coach and former West Liberty All-American Cedric Harris. Many Battler fans may remember the play of Harris, a former 1st-team All-American who also was from Zanesville. Malik said the following about getting some coaching from Harris: "I can't even put into words how much fun it was to be coached by him. He always had tips and drills for me. Coach Harris was always on my back during school and throughout practice. It was just a blast to be coached by him".
In the end of the interview, we gave Malik the opportunity to tell us any thing he would want Battler fans to know about himself, his plans, his career, his game, etc. He gave us a one-sentence statement that we think says it all about what the Battler basketball program is getting. "All I want to say to the AB fans is that I will do whatever it takes to win", stated Bocook emphatically. We thought that was all that needed to be said.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Battlers Return to Erie for Thanksgiving Tournament
Battler Beat has learned that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will return to Erie, Pennsylvania to take part in the 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic to be held over Thanksgiving Break. All games will take place at the Hammermill Center located on the campus of Gannon University. The Gary Miller Classic is a championship/consolation tournament set up.
The Battlers will play in the first game on Friday, November 27th against Ashland University. Game time has been set for 5:30 PM. If they win, then they will play on Saturday, November 28th at 7:30 PM in the championship game. If they lose against Ashland, then they will play on Saturday, November 28th at 5:30 PM in the consolation game. The other bracket contains Gannon University versus Le Moyne College. Gannon was the PSAC West regular season champion and also the PSAC tournament champion. The Battlers defeated Gannon last season in this same classic. Le Moyne is coached by former West Virginia University standout and former WV Wesleyan head coach Patrick Beilein.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
How Will the G-MAC Look by 2017 as Expansion Continues?
Battler Beat knows one thing for sure. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which Alderson Broaddus is a part of, has added some quality institutions to conference membership. It was announced on Monday, June 29 that University of Findlay, Hillsdale College, Walsh University, Ohio Dominican University and Lake Erie College accepted membership as G-MAC members for the 2017-18 school year. This followed the May announcement that Malone University would join the G-MAC for the 2016-17 school year. This would put conference membership at 13 schools by 2017. That is an odd amount of schools. It would give the conference 8 football-playing members. But with the fact that it is only 13 schools and 8 of them playing football, it leads us to believe that the conference is not done with expansion. We also add the remark that the Lake Erie College president made this week in that he feels the conference could have up to 17 members by 2017. It leads us to believe that the expansion track isn't complete. Today we decide to give our prediction on what the conference will look like by the 2017-18 school year. In future posts, we will detail how the conference expansion will greatly aide the athletic department at Alderson Broaddus University.
Will any of the Current G-MAC schools defect?
We certainly hope not. But the geographic layout of the conference could possibly lead to one defection. Trevecca Nazarene's athletic director came out this week and said that the Trojans are committed to the G-MAC with a caveat that southern expansion needs to occur next. We actually believe him and also believe that G-MAC Commissioner Tom Daeger will now successfully make that move. Daeger brokered a great expansion deal this past spring. He deserves a ton of credit for the leadership that he has shown through the whole G-MAC ordeals. When Cumberland and Georgetown were turned down for D2 membership, he came up with a different and even better plan for expansion. He looked to obtain new members from what many believe is the top D2 conference in America. The GLIAC is regarded as the top D2 conference as far as athletics are concerned. Many would have thought it to be impossible to get members to leave the GLIAC and join the G-MAC. But the fact is that many of the private schools in the GLIAC were swamped by the large-state schools in Michigan. Some of those D2 state-schools in Michigan have bigger enrollments than Marshall University and some are almost as big as West Virginia University. So what Daeger did is to contact the much smaller private schools primarily located in Ohio and ask if they would be interested in joining a fledgling league in the G-MAC. His outline of what he visioned for the league sold these institutions into joining the league. For now, Daeger has G-MAC membership at 13 schools.
Word has surfaced from multiple avenues that Cumberland was rejected last year on some faulty logic in their NCAA membership plan. Cumberland is very strong in many sports at the NAIA level. Their baseball facility has to be one of the better small-college baseball facilities in the country. The logic given for Cumberland's denial was that 'their student-athletes didn't have quite enough community service hours' and that the school's 'community-service plan wasn't quite what the NCAA wanted'. Many believe at the time that the GLIAC and GLVC members on the NCAA expansion committee drove the attempt to not have the G-MAC expand. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. What is true is that the NCAA did set up some different ways that the expansion committee was to operate. With the G-MAC now expanding to 6 more NCAA D2 members, it is believed that it will not only be easier to convince to southern NAIA schools to apply to Division 2 status but that these schools will likely be accepted.
We believe and predict that two NAIA schools will apply for D2 membership for the 2017-18 year. We believe those two schools will be Cumberland Univeristy located in Lebanon, Tennessee. We also believe that Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky will apply. These two schools would lie in close proximity to current G-MAC members Trevecca Nazarene and Kentucky Wesleyan. We feel Cumberland and LWC have the athletic makeup and like-minded institution traits that the league is looking for. Cumberland has a powerhouse baseball program at the NAIA level. It would be a great baseball partner with Trevecca's outstanding baseball program. LWC's athletic department is very good overall. Both schools also have football. We will detail later in this post as to why we feel a southern NAIA expansion will be a component. But certainly this league would like to keep two current schools in the markets of Nashville, TN and Owensboro, KY. Adding another school in Nasheville would be even better. The G-MAC also doesn't want to take any chance of losing Kentucky Wesleyan's basketball tradition. KWC has football and may not be so quick to jump from the G-MAC. But the conference certainly wants to keep a school in the league that has 8 NCAA Division II men's basketball championships to their credit. History and tradition mean a lot.
Where does the G-MAC go after the southern NAIA expansion?
Our next prediction is how we believe the G-MAC may look and why we believe the next expansion moves point to if the NAIA piece is successful this time. We believe that the G-MAC will rely on the Pod scheduling system as compared to a two-division G-MAC. We believe the G-MAC will go to a Pod scheduling system simply because the G-MAC is a conference will have a large geographic layout by 2017-18. We also believe the it makes to much sense to go in that direction. It would be a four-pod league based on geography. It would cut down on travel for the non-football sports.
We believe the next school that will either be invited or will express a dire interest to join will be Notre Dame College in South Euclid, OH. It just makes too much sense. They are geographically going to be too close to many of the G-MAC schools. We believe one pod would feature: Kentucky Wesleyan, Trevecca Nazarene, Cumberland and Lindsey Wilson. Another geographic pod would feature: Walsh, Lake Erie, Malone and Notre Dame. Another geographic pod (although a bit more spread out) would be: Cedarville, Urbana, Findlay and Hillsdale. But in this day and age of D2 conferences, travel is going to occur. This pod isn't all that bad really.
But then that leaves us with Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins and their pod. That becomes interesting. In order to get our prediction, we have to revisit history a little bit. When the WVIAC broke up and the MEC formed, their was a blip in between. Ed Welch, president of UC, led a movment to keep the WVIAC in place. UC, WV State, UPJ, Bluefield State, Wheeling Jesuit, WV Wesleyan, AB, D&E and Ohio Valley agreed to keep the league in place. The problem was that there were not enough football institutions for UC, WV State and WV Wesleyan to remain. It would have been a problem for them. Robin Capehart gave UC, State, Wesleyan and Wheeling 48 hours to make a decision on whether to join the MEC or not. They went to the MEC but with feet dragging. This has all been documented in newspaper articles from a few years ago.
But now with G-MAC expansion of six D2 institutions, the cards sit pretty for Tom Daeger. Private schools in the state of West Virginia rely heavily on out-of-state student enrollments. The financial condition of the state of WV dictates that there are not enough students in the state of WV to keep these private institutions alive. These private WV schools also have to recruit heavily out-of-state. There are not enough in-state athletes to fill out all the rosters. It would lead us to believe that some of the current MEC private institutions and their coaches may like the idea of being in a conference that is branched out into four states. It makes it easier for a basketball coach at UC to tell an Ohio basketball player that you will be coming back home to Ohio to play several basketball games a year. Plus there is a strong feeling among MEC private schools that the MEC was a league-formed and terms dictated to by West Liberty and Shepherd. It is perceived as a state-school run league. For instance, the MEC expansion committee has been made of only two people for some time: commissioner Reid Amos and Shepherd AD B.J. Pomeroy. Amos was a long-standing state employee for both Fairmont State and West Liberty. Was that the reason for the blip caused by UC President Ed Welch back in the formation of the MEC? Remember that individual league members of the MEC do not get a vote in league expansion. That is left up to this two-person committee.
With all of that being said, we believe that if other expansion plans occur that either University of Charleston, WV Wesleyan or Wheeling Jesuit will be invited to join the G-MAC. We only feel Wheeling would be invited if they started a football program up. WV Wesleyan makes a lot of sense since they are close to AB and D&E. UC might be a reach but it was Ed Welch who was never in favor of disbanding the WVIAC. Charleston is also an institution that recruits heavily both student and student-athlete wise into the state of Ohio. But this would be a pod that might include Ohio Valley instead of Charleston....let's keep that in mind. We actually think Wheeling Jesuit might be the most ideal school to come in, but we do believe the fact that they don't have football might hurt their chances of getting an invite. Right now they are in a good situation in the MEC being that they are the only school in that league without football. That allows them to dump more scholarship money into sports like basketball and volleyball since they do not have to fund football
What would the pod system look like in the G-MAC?
Southwest Pod Midwest Pod Northeast OH Pod WV Pod
Kentucky Wesleyan Cedarville Notre Dame OVU
Trevecca Nazarene Hillsdale Walsh AB
Cumberland Findlay Malone DE
Lindsey Wilson Ohio Dominican Lake Erie WV Wesleyan or WJ
How would scheduling work for league members?
We believe that there is always going to be travel in the G-MAC. But we believe the following scenario would cut-down on travel quite a bit. We are going to use men's basketball as our example. But this would really apply to most sports that aren't football. It is just easier to show how this would work under one sport. We chose the sport we are most familiar with: men's basketball.
We believe that in men's basketball that all members in one pod would play each member twice. For instance, Cedarville, Hillsdale, Findlay and OD would all play each other home-and-home duirng the course of a season. That would give each member 6-league games to start with.
We believe that due to geographic layout that the Southwest Pod members and the Midwest Pod members would also play each other home-and-home during a basketball season. For instance, Cumberland would face Cedarville, Hillsdale, Findlay and OD twice during a basketball season. That would add 8 more men's basketball games. That is a total of 14-league games so far. The Northeast OH pod and WV pod members would also play each other twice during the season.
We then believe that during the course of a basketball season that the Southwest/Midwest pod members would play the Northeast/WV pod members once. For example, Ohio Dominican would already have 14 league games. They then would play Notre Dame, Walsh, Malone, Lake Erie, AB, DE, Ohio Valley and say a Wheeling once during the course of the basketball season. This would give each league member a total of 22 league basketball games. It also gives each member institution a chance to play 6 out-of-conference games. The key thing here is that these schools only have to make the farthest road trips once every two years. For example that Trevecca would only have to travel to Philippi once every two years and that Davis & Elkins would only have to travel to Owensboro, KY once every two years. The bottom line is that it cuts down on the extreme trips to once every two years rather than every year.
The travel might be a little more taxing on the Southwest/Midwest pod. But I believe that Findlay and Kentucky Wesleyan fans would have no trouble playing each other twice considering both programs hold 9 D-II men's basketball national championship between them. Schools trying to hype G-MAC games gets a little bit easier. And as we have stated, there is always going to be a little bit more travel in today's landscape.
How would the regular-season championship be determined?
We believe that a computerized-power rating would be used to determine the regular-season champion in several sports. Because not every league-member plays each other twice, it would make sense to do it this way. It would be based on the strength of the league teams you play. For example, it does appear on surface that the Southwest/Midwest pods are a little stronger in men's basketball. So by using a power-rating system.
What about Ursuline?
It throws a little wrench into women's athletics and the pod-system. But obviously it could still work. It would make sense to place Ursuline into the Northeast OH pod. Some things would have to be worked out in terms of scheduling, but it wouldn't be that difficult.
Final Thoughts
We again congratulate the current league-members on the fact that expansion looked attractive to form a private-school league. We also congratulate Tom Daeger for such an outstanding job during this expansion process. This post is only a prediction. But we believe that is a prediction that holds some water in the future of the G-MAC. It may take different directions. But we strongly believe that the G-MAC is not done expanding! We will feature other articles later on about how the G-MAC now influences Alderson Broaddus University. But we believe for the first time that the G-MAC actually holds a nice set of cards in their hand when it comes to the future of the league.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Three Men's Basketball Players Make Spring 2015 Dean's List
Alderson Broaddus University has released the Spring 2015 Dean's List. One men's basketball player was listed on the Dean's List for obtaining a GPA of 3.6 or above. Senior Tobias Dowdell achieved this result. Dowdell is a native of Birmingham, AL and obtained an education degree.
Two members of the basketball team made the honorable mention dean's list for achieving a GPA of 3.4 to 3.59. Juniors Ron Miller and Malcolm Tatum earned this status. Miller is a junior guard from Bolivar, OH. Tatum is a junior point guard from Columbia, MD.
All members of the Dean's List must take 12 semester hours or more to qualify. Battler Beat congratulates our players that earned this distinction.
Two members of the basketball team made the honorable mention dean's list for achieving a GPA of 3.4 to 3.59. Juniors Ron Miller and Malcolm Tatum earned this status. Miller is a junior guard from Bolivar, OH. Tatum is a junior point guard from Columbia, MD.
All members of the Dean's List must take 12 semester hours or more to qualify. Battler Beat congratulates our players that earned this distinction.
Battlers to host Bowie State on Saturday, November 21
Alderson Broaddus men's basketball has added another game to their non-conference slate. The Battlers will host Bowie State in Philippi on Saturday, November 21. Game time has yet to be determined. Bowie State finished last season with a record of 22-8. The Bulldogs are a member of the CIAA. This game will be a rematch of last year's classic in which the Battlers prevailed 73-72 in Bowie, MD.
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Battlers Land the 'Total Package Recruit'
Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team recently signed Tristen Wolfe of Southern High School located in Racine, OH. On the surface, it would appear that one could classify Wolfe as a 'total package' when it comes to recruiting. He brings both a solid basketball and academic record to the university.
First let's take a look at Wolfe's basketball credentials. He finished his senior year at Southern with the following stat line: 21.4 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, 2.4 steals per game and 2 block shots per game. With that type of performance, Wolfe was able to earn Ohio's District 13 Player of the Year honors. He earned three 1st-team all-district honors in his career at Southern. He also excelled in track and field in the events of high jump and long jump. He also was the football team's quarterback.
What is even more impressive about Tristen Wolfe is that he was Southern High School's Valedictorian after completing his high school academic career with a 4.425 grade point average. That is a tremendous accomplishment for any high school student but especially for someone who excelled in three sports. Wolfe plans on majoring in bio-chemistry at Alderson Broaddus and has plans on becoming an anesthesiologist upon graduation.
Battler Beat congratulates Tristen Wolfe on an outstanding academic and athletic career in high school. We welcome Tristen to the AB family!
First let's take a look at Wolfe's basketball credentials. He finished his senior year at Southern with the following stat line: 21.4 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game, 2.4 steals per game and 2 block shots per game. With that type of performance, Wolfe was able to earn Ohio's District 13 Player of the Year honors. He earned three 1st-team all-district honors in his career at Southern. He also excelled in track and field in the events of high jump and long jump. He also was the football team's quarterback.
What is even more impressive about Tristen Wolfe is that he was Southern High School's Valedictorian after completing his high school academic career with a 4.425 grade point average. That is a tremendous accomplishment for any high school student but especially for someone who excelled in three sports. Wolfe plans on majoring in bio-chemistry at Alderson Broaddus and has plans on becoming an anesthesiologist upon graduation.
Battler Beat congratulates Tristen Wolfe on an outstanding academic and athletic career in high school. We welcome Tristen to the AB family!
Battlers to take on old foe Wheeling Jesuit on New Year's Eve
Battler Beat has found out that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will take on the Wheeling Jesuit Cardinals at 3 PM on New Year's Eve. The game will take place at the McDonough Center on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University. We will continue to update the 2015-16 men's basketball schedule as more games are added.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Alderson Broaddus lands JUCO freshman Exzavier Cooper
Alderson Broaddus has signed 6'5"/200 pound freshman Exzavier Cooper from Harford Community College in Maryland. Cooper will have three years of eligibility for the Battlers. Cooper finished an impressive freshman season for the Fighting Owls. He averaged 14.3 ppg/8 rpg and shot 50.3% from the field. Cooper is a native of Rocky Mount, NC.
Exzavier Cooper seemed to really turn it on as the season rolled along for Harford. With more experience, he seemed to get better. Some of his stat lines in games were:
vs. Volunteer State CC - 20 points and 8 rebounds.
vs. Harcum CC - 20 points and 8 rebounds
vs. Chesapeake - 20 points and 17 rebounds
vs. Anne Arundel - 25 points and 11 rebounds
vs. Prince George's CC - 23 points and 15 rebounds
vs. CCBC Dundalk - 20 points and 14 rebounds
vs. Hagerstown CC - 22 points and 10 rebounds
vs. Baltimore City - 23 points and 5 rebounds
His performance in the CCBC Dundalk game occurred during the MD JUCO tournament. His performance against Hagerstown CC was in the championship game of the MD JUCO tournament. Harford was the 2015 MD JUCO tournament champions. His performance against Baltimore City was in the NJCAA Region XX Championship game. Cooper has the ability to play inside or outside in Greg Zimmerman's offense. We hope to catch up with Exzavier and his coach later this week.
Alderson Broaddus to host Virginia Union on December 17th
The Alderson Broaddus 2015-16 men's basketball schedule continues to fall into place. The Battlers will host Virginia Union University out of Richmond, Virginia on Thursday, December 17th in Philippi, WV. Game time is set for 7:30 PM. Virginia Union is a member of the CIAA. Virginia Union won the Division II men's basketball national championship in 2005.
Friday, June 5, 2015
Fun Fact Friday: Which former AB player was once named player of the week by Sports Illustrated?
Which former Alderson Broaddus basketball player was once named player of the week by Sports Illustrated? Three-time 1st-team All-American Willie Davis is the answer. Davis was named the SI Player of the Week in the December 10, 1990 edition. Davis hit 21 of 29 shots in two games. He scored 59 points in a combined effort in wins over Wheeling Jesuit and Salem. He also grabbed 26 boards. This honor occurred during Davis' senior year as a Battler.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Alderson Broaddus to open the 2015-16 basketball season in Detroit
Battler Beat has learned that the Alderson Broaddus men's basketball team will open the 2015-16 season in Detroit, Michigan. AB will take part in the G-MAC/GLIAC Challenge to be held on the campus of Wayne State University (pictured above). The Battlers will be a part of a field that includes Tiffin University, Wayne State University and Kentucky Wesleyan College. All games will be played at the Matthaei Center (pictured below).
The Battlers will open the challenge on Saturday, November 14 at 5 PM when AB takes on Tiffin University. Tiffin is located in Tiffin, Ohio. The Dragons are part of the GLIAC. The Battlers will return to action on Sunday, November 15 at 4 PM to take on host Wayne State who is also a part of the GLIAC. Wayne State has an enrollment over 25,000 students. Both games will count as Midwest In-Region games.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
D-1 Basketball Transfer Visits AB
BattlerBeat has learned that Alderson Broaddus men's basketball program got a visit today from Nnamdi Enechionyia, a 6'6" transfer from Samford University. Enechionyia is originally from Springfield, VA but played his high school basketball at Saint James High School which is located in Hagerstown, MD. Enechionyia has two years of eligibility left.
Enechionyia played in all 32 games this past season for Samford. He started 12 of those games and finished the season with a 4.3 scoring average. Enechionyia had a season-high 22 points against the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He followed that game with 13 points against Kennesaw State. Enechionyia's most impressive performance was saved for a game against an out-of-conference opponent from the ACC. He was able to score 15 points against Wake Forest on 5 of 7 shooting from the field including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Nnamdi Enechionyia was a mathematics major at Samford. His brother Obi plays basketball for Temple. Nnamdi's grades were of good enough quality coming out of high school that he was even offered by the United States Naval Academy. He played AAU basketball for Takeover DC. We will follow the progress of Nnamdi Enechionyia and remind readers that this was only a visit.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
AB grad Jeff Burkhamer Lands Head Coaching Job at University of West Florida
Alderson Broaddus grad and former Battler point guard Jeff Burkhamer has accepted the head men's basketball coaching position at the University of West Florida. Jeff was previously the head men's basketball coach at Lander University where he had a 19-8 record this past season. He spent the past six seasons at Lander Prior to Lander, Burkhamer was the head men's basketball coach at Armstrong Atlantic State University where he compiled a record of 134-75 in 7 seasons. Coach Burkhamer has 19 years of head coaching experience. He has compiled a career head coaching record of 373-194.
Jeff Burkhamer also spent 12 seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach at the following schools: Winthrop University, Charleston Southern University, Morehead State University, Marshall University and Grand Rapids of the CBA. He earned his degree from Alderson Broaddus in 1984. He is the school's all-time assist leader with a career total of 646. He was inducted into the Battler Hall of Fame in 2001.
Coach Burkhamer has a rebuilding job on his hands at West Florida. The Argos finished last season with an overall record of 7-21 and a 3-19 record in the Gulf South Conference. West Florida has finished with three consecutive losing seasons. UWF is located in Pensacola, FL. Battler Beat wishes Coach Burkhamer well in this endeavor. We hope to have an interview with Jeff this summer on MixLR.
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