AUS Men's Basketball preview

Hoop Capers aim high
AUS basketball season opens on Thursday

Courtesy Monty Mosher, The Chronicle Herald

THE CAPE BRETON Capers parlayed an 18-2 record into their first AUS men’s basketball title in 15 years last season.

They were fortunate enough to celebrate that championship, a 94-77 win over archrival St. Francis Xavier X-Men, at Centre 200.

But a 34-7 record and a consolation title at the nationals in Ottawa left head coach Jim Charters with that close-but-no-cigar feeling.

The Capers will be tough to be beat again in 2010-11 with forward Phil Nkrumah (the CIS defensive player of the year), guard Jimmy Dorsey (first team all-star, AUS playoff MVP) and guard Paris Carter (AUS championship game MVP, second team all-star team) returning to the fold.

The new regular season opens Thursday with Acadia at Saint Mary’s. The Capers open with a weekend set at Memorial.

Carter, Nkrumah and forward Scott Jaspers-Fayer are fifth-year seniors on a veteran club, at least at the top end. Nkrumah’s shoulder injury set the team back at last year’s nationals.

"We want to surpass last year with the strong core we have back," said Charters. "Anything can happen. With Phil getting hurt last year you saw how fragile things can be. We’re just trying to take a long-term approach and try to get the team as good as it can be for the stretch run."

He thinks the top end of his roster is as good as it gets.

"I think our top six players are as good as anybody’s in the country," said Charters. "But we have to develop some depth."

Forward Al Alilovic and guard Tremaine Fraser, both in their fourth year, will be looked upon to lead on the perimeter and provide versatility.

Dorsey, in his third year of eligibility, will quarterback the offence.

Cape Breton native Jon MacDonald will get an opportunity to contribute more in his second season at the forward spot.

Three players on last year’s practice roster — guard Justin Roper, forward Lee MacQuarrie and guard Jamie Glasgow — have stepped up.

The major off-season acquisitions are Tavon Nelson and Julien Smith.

Nelson, a six-foot-six forward out of Baltimore, is a former NCAA and junior college player who was a high school teammate of Carter. Smith, out of North Preston, was one of the top high school recruits in the country.

Dorsey and Nkrumah have both missed time in the pre-season, but Charters hopes to have a full roster for opening night.

St. Francis Xavier (18-2): Steve Konchalski’s teams have won 28 games in each of the last two seasons, but the conference title has eluded them.

"This is the biggest team we have ever had as well as one of the deepest and most experienced," said Konchalski, in his 36th year. "After falling short in the AUS final the last two years, we will not be satisfied with anything less than a championship season."

In a bid to get back to the top of the AUS, the X-Men return six seniors, including two-time AUS most valuable player and two-time all-Canadian Christian Upshaw. Upshaw averaged 19.5 points and six assists last year.

Upshaw, dinged up in the pre-season, will be joined in the back court by fellow all-star guard Will Silver. Long-range gunner Charlie Spurr will provide offence off the bench while six-foot-nine Alberto Rodriguez gives the X-Men a presence down low.

Forward Chad Warren is a force on the offensive boards. Dwayne Johnson, with nearly nine points per game in 2008-09, returns after sitting out last season with a back injury.

Other key returnees are forward Jeremy Dunn, seven-foot-two centre Riiny Ngot from Sudan and all-rookie guard Jordan Clarke.

Newcomers are former Horton star Ellis Ffrench, a transfer from University of Windsor, and Auburn Drive’s Terry Thomas.

Forwards Shane Coupland of Australia and Rodrigo Madera of the Dominican Republic join Rodriguez and Ngot as international players on the team.

Saint Mary’s Huskies (14-6): Ross Quackenbush had to say so long to some quality veterans in all-conference pick Mark McLaughlin, Ike Uchegbu, Mike Poole and Ryan deWinter.

But the familiar faces back on the roster include Joey Haywood (AUS first team, CIS second team), Simon Marr, Demitri Harris, Ronald Vanel, Miguel Pink, Harry Ezenibe, Iain Robertson and Jack Gallinaugh.

New are guard Jerome Smith, a fourth-year transfer from Mohawk College, and six-foot-five forward Torey Fassett, a former junior college player in Baltimore.

Antonio Myles is a freshman six-foot-five freshman out of Maryland and six-foot-eight post Korey Cobb, who played with Fassett at Howard Commnunity College, completes the trio of Maryland imports.

Halifax native Riley Halpin joins in after a year at Brock.

Dalhousie Tigers (12-8): Head coach John Campbell blends some key veterans and some quality newcomers.

Simon Farine, the MVP of the 2008-09 AUS championship MVP and a first-team all-star last season, will captain this year’s team along with fifth-year senior forwards Sandy Veit and all-star Joe Schow.

Guards Stephen Lopez and Nick Flynn and forwards William Yengue, Tim Coote and Robert Nortmann are also part of the returning group. Lopez sat out last year due to a knee injury.

The backcourt will be deep with the addition of Juleous Grant from North Preston, Jeremy McAvoy from Dartmouth, Peter Leighton of Halifax and Jumol Mullings of Toronto. Leighton averaged 12 points per game for Acadia in 2008-09.

Sam Williams from Vancouver and Alex Arthur of Toronto will also provide depth up front.

The Tigers have acquired former Acadia standout Casey Fox, the 2008-09 conference top rookie. He will red-shirt this season.

Acadia Axemen (9-11): Acadia lost Fox, their leading scorer, and a workhorse in all-star centre Alex Traikov.

But Steve Baur’s team was well stocked with youth last season.

Returning for the Axemen in the backcourt will be fourth-year Tyler Lutton and sophomore Anthony Sears (13.5 ppg.) in the backcourt.

Sears was one of the league’s top rookies last season and should start to emerge as a focal point. Dustin Poirier, and Alex McLaughlin are the other returnees at guard.

Up front, Owen Klassen (10.4 ppg.) was the AUS rookie of the year and should be one of the league’s top front court players.

Justin Boutilier (10.4 ppg.) should be a force after an injury plagued 2009-10.

Senior Sinclair Brown, a six-foot-seven forward from Capilano University, joins in. Thomas Filgiano provides depth at point guard.