Head coach Andy Moore and his Pitt-Bradford men’s basketball
team can certainly relate to the trials and tribulations of the 2-6
defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
After winning Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference titles in
2002 and 2003, the Panthers lost in the first round of the
tournament the following two years and then last season fell from
grace when they failed to qualify for the first time in the 10-year
history of the AMCC.
“We lost a ton of close games last year,” said Moore, who begins
his 14th year (212-139) on the Pitt-Bradford bench. “We obviously
put ourselves in those situations and we have to learn how to win
those close games. We had plenty of opportunities and didn’t take
advantage of them.”
Many times poor foul shooting can be blamed for such narrow
defeats, but that wasn’t the case last season. The Panthers ranked
fifth in the country in NCAA Division III marksmanship at 77.7
percent, which nearly equaled the school record of 78.7 percent set
in 1984-85.
The Panthers should be in better shape this year in returning
five players who logged more than 20 games apiece including 6-3
senior forward Ryan Race of Bradford, 5-9 senior guard Dan Thomas
of Perth (Australia), 6-3 senior forward Sean DePue of Wellsville,
N.Y., 6-2 junior forward Jon Hannon of Bradford and 6-foot guard
Shawn Spindler of Bradford.
Race was named Second Team All-AMCC last year and led the
Panthers in scoring (19.7 points per game), Thomas was second on
the team in points per game (15.0) and led in assists (88), DePue
started 14 games (4.3 ppg), Hannon started 17 (6.8 ppg) and
Spindler led Pitt-Bradford in steals (33) a year ago.
“We have a corps of returnees who have a lot of experience,”
Moore boasted. “They haven’t experienced the success we’re use to,
so we’ll have to learn how to win with those guys.”
Race and Thomas are vying to be the 23rd and 24th additions to
the men’s and women’s 1,000-point banner hanging proudly in the
Sport & Fitness Center arena. Race needs just 71 points and
Thomas requires 167 to reach the milestone.
“They (Race and Thomas) have had solid careers here and both
would like to have good senior years,” Moore stated. “I don’t think
they really care about the scoring. It’s more important to them to
go out as winners.”
The duo should have plenty of help as the Panthers will go to a
16-man roster in 2006-07.
“This (big roster) is great,” Moore declared. “We didn’t have
that kind of depth last year. At the end of the year we were down
to 12 guys and were only playing seven. The competition this year
at practice has been great and we have more options. We’ll probably
play nine or 10 guys. I’m happy with the depth and it should make a
huge difference.”
Probable starters at this time are Race and 6-5 freshman Joe
Coppola of Orchard Park, N.Y., at small forward, 6-3 junior Mark
Austin of Bradford at center (8.4 rebounds per game in eight games
last year), Thomas at point guard and 6-3 freshman Bobby McFadden
of Erie at the shooting guard. Spindler, Hannon and DePue will also
figure heavily in the rotation.
“Race has been hurt (ankle) and will start when he is healthy,”
Moore explained. “He’s made himself into a true perimeter player
and could be a solid three-point shooter this year. Dan Thomas has
trimmed down and is in great shape. He is shooting the ball really
well. Bobby McFadden is a real smooth athlete. He is a good
defender and takes the ball to the basket well. Joe Coppola is a
good perimeter shooter. He is getting better defensively and as a
rebounder. Mark Austin has played well in the preseason and is in
great shape. He is strong and gets the job done in there
rebounding-wise. Jon Hannon will play a ton and start some games.
He is our best defender and getting better offensively.
“Shawn Spindler will also start some games for us. He is very
good defensively and has gotten a lot stronger in the weight room
over the summer. Sean DePue is a fifth-year senior who is a solid
shooter and is much better defensively.”
Other members of the team are 6-2 freshman forward Aaron Stang
of Hamburg (NY), 6-2 freshman forward Mike Ridge of North Tonawanda
(NY), 6-foot sophomore Justin Elmore of Olean, N.Y., 6-foot
freshman guard Matt Ewings of Olean, N.Y., 5-11 freshman guard
Cameron Hubbard of Wellsboro, 6-2 freshman guard Rick McCulloch of
Romulus, N.Y., 6-5 freshman forward John Swartz of Rochester, N.Y.,
and 6-3 junior forward Flynn O’Hagan of Genesee.
“Aaron Stang is strong and plays much bigger than 6-2,” Moore
noted. “Mike Ridge is solid in the post. Justin Elmore will give us
help off the bench. Matt Ewings will get some minutes because he
plays so hard and is an animal defensively. Cameron Hubbard can
give us some minutes as a backup point guard. Rick McCulloch is a
good shooter. John Swartz has good size. Flynn O’Hagan is a big
body and can help us.”
The Panthers will play seven non-conference contests on their
25-game slate, beginning Nov. 17 at the Brockport State Tournament.
Pitt-Bradford will also host Elmira College and Geneseo State, and
travel to Westminster College, Fredonia State and Nazareth
College.
“Our first game is with St. Lawrence University, who was 13-12
last year with everybody back,” Moore offered. “That will be a big
challenge for us. Then we play Brockport, who has been in the NCAA
Tournament quite a few times in the last eight years.”
Pitt-Bradford finished in seventh place (8-10) in the AMCC last
year and is predicted for the same slot in the AMCC preseason
coaches’ poll. Penn State Behrend, who returns AMCC Player of the
Year Kevin Buczynski, is the favorite followed by defending
champion Lake Erie College and Hilbert College.
“Behrend will be good with Buczynski back,” Moore admitted.
“Lake Erie lost (Reggie) Richardson, but will bring some good guys
back. Those will be the top two, but Hilbert will be much-improved
with everybody back. We can be right there if we learn how to
finish games. Going into the last week of the season we still had a
chance to be the fourth seed and host a playoff game. We went from
that to not getting in. That’s how close it was and it was our own
fault because we lost seven games by three points or less.
“Rebounding will be a huge key because we’re small,” Moore
continued. “We have decent size all over the floor, but we don’t
have that huge post player. Defending the post will be another key.
The third key will be how we handle late-game situations, and take
those close games and turn them into our favor.”
Moore will once again be assisted by former Panther Matt
Durbin.
“He (Durbin) has been with me for four years and the kids really
respect him,” Moore concluded. “He is growing and maturing as a
coach.”
