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2007-08 Season Outlook by Coach Shilts "Five players return from last season's 18-12 team. Three of them, Shawn Carter 6'3", Michael Tilmon, Jr. 6'6", and Nick Neal 5'11" logged significant playing time and have been selected as Tri-captains for this year's squad. Gone are All Conference performers, Kevin Ludwig (Spring Arbor) and Daniel Gay (Tennessee State), and 6'7" center, Kyle Laker (Goshen College). Several freshman newcomers and one transfer will provide the nucleus for this season. Heading the list is 6'3" Brendan Birchmeier from Corunna High School. Brendan underwent ACL surgery last season, ending his prep career only five games into his senior year. Brendan has recovered nicely and has shown signs of being versatile enough to play point guard, shooting guard, and small forward. Holland West Ottawa High School has provided another standout recruit for the Cougars in 6'4" Nick Watts. Nick is a solid fundamental player who should improve his perimeter skills rapidly because of his excellent work ethic. Jason Cockrell, 6'6" center from West High School in Traverse City, has shown signs of being able to help significantly in the rebounding department this season. He has a nice touch from 15' as well, and as his defense improves should see valuable playing time. Tommie Carter, shooting guard from Detroit Northwestern, appears to be one of our better perimeter shooters, and when he gets more comfortable with our offensive and defensive expectations, should develop into a key contributor. Ryan Sisson, Thornapple-Kellogg High School in Middleville, MI, is a 6'4" swingman who could also become a top rebounder before the season is over. Bobbie Patton, 6'3" swingman from Comstock High School has been a pleasant surprise with his energy and hustle. As he improves his shot selection and his ball handling, his minutes could also increase. Transfer, Jovon Mosley 6'2" guard from Warren Lincoln High School, is returning to Michigan from Pinola Junior College in Texas. Although Jovon did not see much playing time at the Division I NJCAA school, the development of his consistency and his intensity could make him a key factor in our season. He can shoot and drive the ball well, and he has good passing instincts. As his defense improves, I become more and more encouraged. Point guard, Derek Turtle, from Marcellus High School, has suffered a painful knee injury and has missed several weeks of practice. When he recovers completely, he should be able to contribute from the point position. Other returnees, Ryan Chambers, 6'7" from Schoolcraft, and Jeremy Hunter, 5'9 point guard from Pinckney, have great attitudes and have improved their games from last season. They are a joy to coach and will contribute no matter how many minutes of action they actually see. Mark Casterman, 6'4" swingman from Grand Rapids Central High School, possesses lots of raw athletic ability and could be the 'sleeper' on this year's squad. He must learn to harness his quickness and leaping ability; when he does, he could surprise! I am pleased that he has decided to play basketball instead of football in college. Dominique McKinney, 5'11" point guard from Battle Creek Central High School, has sustained a knee injury but at this time remains in the battle at the quarterback position. Anthony Nash, 6'7" center from Detroit Crockett, has decided to red-shirt this season. Andrew Glascodine, 6'4" exchange student from Aberdeen, Scotland, by way of Portage Northern High School rounds out the new faces. Andrew is working hard to adjust to the quickness of the college game. This new group has had training for the Kalamazoo Public Library's Ready to Read program, and will be visiting Chime Elementary School in Oshtemo on a regular basis to read to kindergarten students. In previous years, this program has proved to be beneficial to both the children and our players. We look forward to this service experience again. I like what I see on this squad. The classroom effort has been solid, and the desire to learn as a group has impressed me. We have lost our first three scrimmages against four-year institutions, but each time I have felt that we returned to practice with better focus and determination to improve. I see three keys to success this season: 1) chemistry and communication, 2) leadership from our sophomores, especially the captains, and 3) our ability to defend and rebound as a team. The extent of our day-in and day-out improvement will determine the degree of our success on the court." [2007-08 Player Sketches] [2007-08 Roster] [Basketball Home Page] [2007-08 Schedule] [Athletic Home Page] |
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