Season Preview - Brown Bears

Projected Finish: 3rd Place

Last Season Conference Record: 11-3 (2nd)
Last Season Overall: 19-10 (.655)
RPI Last 5 years: 209-229-273-230-106

Review & Outlook:

Lets make no bones about it, the Bears lost the best 1-2 punch in the league to graduation in first team All-Ivy guards Mark McAndrew and Damon Huffman. Together, they accounted for 47% of all the team’s points scored last year. As if that’s not enough of a blow, Brown will be under the helm of a new head coach Jesse Agel, previously the first assistant.

Although all is not lost, infact, far from it. Agel will begin his tenure with the benefit of three returning starters, including second team All-Ivy guard/forward Chris Skrelja, and a bunch of underclassmen that played decent minutes.

While Agel plans to keep much of the “modified Princeton offense” that the Bears ran so effectively last year, they got a little extra practice time this summer during a 10-day team trip to Europe. They played 4 games while they were there, and with Skrelja and Friske on the sideline with minor injuries, the 10 other returning players got a chance to gel as a team. Sullivan, Gruber, and Williams all impressed the Euro fans with their American game.

The Bears have a dangerous mix of size and speed at all 5 positions, with Sullivan and Skrelja able to bring the ball up the court and defend the point at 6′5 and 6′6 respectively. If either of the 6′9 Freshman centers can step up and provide quality defensive minutes in the paint, this team will be one to reckon with, and could easily spoil Cornell and Penn’s bids for the championship.

BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: A-

Starters Returning:
Peter Sullivan, So., F, 6-5, 210 8.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.8 apg
Chris Skrelja, Sr, G, 6-6, 220 8.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.1 apg
Scott Friske, Sr., F, 6-7, 235 4.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
Starters Lost:
Mark McAndrew, G, 6-2, 190 16.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.2 apg
Damon Huffman, G, 6-2, 185 15.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg
Others Lost:
Jelani Floyd, injured most of last year, left team.

Projected Starting Lineup:

PG. Adrian Williams
SG: Peter Sullivan
SF: Chris Skrelja
PF: Scott Friske
C: Matt Mullery

Key Reserves:
Steve Gruber Jr G,

Digging a little deeper

Strengths:
• One of the most frustrating players in the league on both offense and defense in 6′6 utility man Chris Skrelja. Last year he averaged 8.4 points, 6.7 rebounds (3rd in the league), and 4.2 assists per game (2nd in the league). He can shoot and defend at 19′9″ as effectively as in the paint.
• Don’t underestimate the teambuilding value of a 10 day European basketball trip, or the jumpstart it will give Agel’s Bears as they adapt to a new offensive system.
• 6′8 Matt Mullery isn’t the biggest center in the league, but he is an intimidating figure in the paint and lead the league in blocks last year.

Weaknesses:
• Replacing 32 points per game from their graduated guards will be a tall task, considering many of those points came in the form of clutch end of game shots.

Key Factors:
• How well and how quickly with Brown be able to put together the pieces of a new Coach, new system, and new backcourt?
• What will the best lineup be? Brown has a lot of interchangeable parts, and could start an entire lineup of 6′5 and above. The trouble will be finding out who is going to step up and earn the minutes.

Incoming Class:
• Jean Harris 6′2 PG - averaged 27 points per game as a senior at LA High School, and will see time early as a reserve
• Marques Coleman - 6′3 PG - was injured his senior year, but is a slashing scorer
• Stefan Kaluz 6′9 C - lanky west coast center, two-time Pacific Coast League MVP at Carona Del Mar High School, scoring 1,600 career points
• Noel Hollingsworth 6′9 C - big man, may need time to develop, but the Bears could use his size inside

Brown Roster

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