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Saturday, June 13, 2009

Recruits anxious to fill UF's voids
By BRIAN LESTER

STAFF WRITER

When the University of Findlay men's basketball team won its NCAA Division II national championship, a new standard was set for being an Oilers' performer.

The five members of the 2009 recruiting class understand that.

Aaron Robinson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard out of Trotwood Madison couldn't hide his excitement as he talked about his future at UF. He shrugged off Division I offers to play for the Oilers, who finished 36-0 to become only the fourth unbeaten D-II national champion in history.

“My goal is to win a title,” Robinson said. “I wanted to go to a place where I could win a championship. I know the bar has been raised at Findlay, but I will come in ready to compete.”

UF's success played a huge role in Greg Avery's decision to transfer from Western Carolina after his freshman year.

The 6-4, 185-pound forward played at Newark High School and led the Wildcats to a state title as a senior, scoring 33 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the final.

At Western Carolina, Avery averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

“Going to Findlay was the closest thing to being at home,” Avery said. “Findlay has a tradition of winning and I love their style of play. I know the expectations are high, but I'm looking forward to having a chance to win a championship.”

The Oilers made the transition from NAIA to NCAA D-II in 1997 and have a 238-46 record, the best among Division II teams, since 2000.

UF is regularly ranked nationally and has made eight consecutive NCAA tournaments, three appearances in the Sweet 16 and two trips to the Elite Eight.

Coach Ron Niekamp is confident with newcomers Robinson, Avery, forward Jack Smith (6-5, 190, Cincinnati Hughes), point guard Jovaughn Brown (5-11, 170, Bedford Chanel), and center Chris Baldwin (6-8, 220, Edison).

“It's a tall order to replace players who played a lot of minutes and accomplished so much,” said Niekamp, who is 550-174 in 24 seasons. “But the guys coming in are very talented and have a chance to be very good over time.”

Longtime UF assistant Charlie Ernst said the success of the program is a double-edged sword.

“Recruiting has become easier because of our reputation but at the same time, our fans expect more,” Ernst said. “That means we have to find players good enough to help us meet those expectations.

“But we look at the positives. The profile of our program is high and the community has embraced us. We're in a great position.”

Ernst noted that the Oilers found exactly what they were looking for with this recruiting class.

“In my opinion, this class has great athleticism. It's as good of a class as we could have gotten had we won the national title or not. The players are a good fit for our team,” Ernst said.

Still, adjusting to the college game takes time.

“Players come in more ready for college basketball than they used to because they play so much in the summer, but there is always an adjustment period,” Niekamp said.

Avery can't wait to use his collegiate experience to his advantage. He is known as an excellent defender and drew the assignment of guarding Davidson star Stephen Curry during a game last season.

“It gave me a lot of confidence and an understanding of what it takes to play at a high level,” Avery said. “But I'm not looking to come in and be a big-time scorer. I want to be a team player and do anything I can to help us win games.”

Lester: 419-422-5151,

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