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2004-05 Season Outlook Cedarville University is ready to begin the long trek through the 2004-05 men’s basketball schedule with high hopes of returning to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. Recent history favors the Yellow Jackets as they’ve won 21 or more games in each of the last three years including back-to-back 27-victory seasons. They advanced to the NAIA Elite Eight last winter where they were eliminated by the eventual national champion and they reached the Sweet 16 the year before that. Despite losing five players to graduation after winning back-to-back American Mideast Conference South Division titles, CU appears to have the personnel to contend again. Many others think so, too. The Jackets received nine out of a possible ten first-place votes from the conference coaches and were chosen to three-peat as AMC South champions. They are also preseason ranked No. 4 in NAIA Division II. Fifth-year head coach Ray Slagle welcomes back three starters that feature senior guard Jason Weakley, junior center Drew Borton, and junior forward Mugabe Thomas. Also back is senior center Anthony Delimpo, who started seven games including all three at the NAIA Nationals.
"We could be really good come the end of the season,” Slagle declared. “We are more athletic than what we’ve been in the past, but we graduated players who had played four years together. It will be important to see how fast this team becomes a cohesive unit.” Weakley, a three-year starter and two-time All-AMC South Division First Team selection, will run the club from the point guard position. He averaged 11.5 ppg last year, but ramped up his scoring to 17.3 ppg at the NAIA Division II Championships where he was named to the national all-tournament team. The 6-foot-4 Thomas is the best athlete on the squad and averaged 14.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg as the team leader in both categories. He was also an all-league first team choice. Borton and Delimpo provide Cedarville a solid 1-2 punch in the post. Borton, at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, has started most every game during his two seasons in the program and was an All-AMC South Second Team pick. Delimpo, a rugged 6-7 and 230 pounds, averaged 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while usually coming off the bench.
Slagle traditionally is not shy in using most everyone on the roster and this year will be no exception. Josh Zarrilli joins Weakley and Delimpo as the only returning seniors while sophomores Eric Leininger, Guy Rathmell, and Scott Tarvin will also be seeking more time after gaining valuable experience as rookies. The list of newcomers is impressive. The quintet includes senior guard Donyo Frisco, junior guard Eric Huffer, sophomore forward Maicol Venter, as well as freshmen guards Ray James and Ryan Short. "We expect to play a lot of people as we have in the past with players getting a variety of minutes depending upon the game,” explained Slagle. “Different players will impact different games. Our style will continue to be an up tempo game with the ability to press on defense. I also think we have the potential to be a great rebounding team. “We will let this team slowly evolve and see how we’re best. Many players have improved which only adds to the depth of our club.” The schedule will again be a challenge which Slagle believes can only better prepare his team for the demanding 18-game AMC South Division slate. The road schedule features tough non-conference encounters at Campbellsville, Central State, Huntington, Taylor, and Wittenberg just to name a few. | ||||||||
