Local Sports

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Men's Basketball: Parker, Hyde expected to lead young Oilers' squad

By BRIAN LESTER

STAFF WRITER

When the University of Findlay men's basketball team last played a game that counted, it was for the NCAA Division II national championship.

The Oilers survived a grueling defensive battle against Cal Poly Pomona at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., when senior Tyler Evans drilled a fade-away 3-pointer as time expired in overtime to lift the Oilers to a 56-53 win.

It was the perfect ending to a pressure-filled season in which UF finished 36-0 and became only the third team to go wire-to-wire as the top-ranked team in the country. The Oilers set a record for wins by an unbeaten champ and became the fourth unbeaten titlist in D-II history.

Fast forward from that memorable March afternoon to an October evening at Croy Gymnasium. A new season is on the horizon, and while the Oilers will never forget their perfect run as No. 1, they understand that last season guarantees nothing.

UF is ranked fourth in the preseason poll and opens its 2009-10 campaign against Concordia (Mich.) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Croy Gymnasium, a building where it has won its last 73 regular-season games.

"I left my championship ring at home," senior point guard Marcus Parker said before the team's Orange and Black Scrimmage in late October. "You can't focus on the past. We want to go out and try to win another one."

Parker is one of two returning starters on a team that lost five seniors, including D-II Player of the Year Josh Bostic, a two-time All-American.

Parker is the preseason Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year after a junior campaign in which he averaged 10.7 points and 4.1 assists per game while tallying 50 steals.

He ranks 38th all-time at UF in scoring 1,023 points, but isn't concerned with individual honors. He is focused on leading a young team through the challenges of being a defending champion.

"I'm a team guy," Parker said. "Part of the key to our success is me being a leader. I just want to go out and push us to be a great team. I have talent around me and won't be afraid to share the ball."

Junior guard Nathan Hyde should get his share of scoring opportunities. The former Liberty-Benton standout and averaged 10.4 points and drained 77 3-pointers in his first year as a starter.

Senior guard Nick Coon, junior forwards Michael Agunga and Jason Wehri and sophomore guard Justin Schomaeker have experience as well.

Junior forward Tyler Sparks injured his knee last March and is expected to be back by January. His return will also provide depth as will redshirt freshman forward Rob Marsden.

Ron Niekamp (550-174 record) is entering his 25th season as the Oilers' head coach. He will rely heavily on his veterans but understands it will take time for this team to reach its potential.

"The experience of our returning players is going to be crucial to our success. We need those players to show the way," Niekamp said. "This team needs time to find its own identity. We will make mistakes and have tough nights, but we have the components to be a very successful team."

Greg Avery will help soften the blow of losing so much talent. The sophomore transfer from Western Carolina played in all 30 games a year ago and averaged 6.6 points per game for the Division I Catamounts.

"Greg is a great addition to our team," Niekamp said. "He has played college basketball for a year and his experience will be a big plus."

The other newcomers are freshmen Aaron Robinson, Jack Smith, JoVaughn Brown, Chris Baldwin and Keith Zeigler.

"It will take time for those guys to mature and adjust to college basketball," Niekamp said. "But all of them have competed at a high level, whether high school or AAU ball, and I don't think they will be overwhelmed by playing at this level."

The Oilers averaged 79.1 points a year ago and expect to attack with the same balance that has resulted in eight consecutive 20-win seasons.

"We are a very athletic team, especially on the perimeter," Hyde said. "Hopefully, we can break down teams and get kickouts and easy layups, all of the stuff that comes with being quick."

As good as the Oilers have been offensively, the heart of their success is defense. UF allowed only 59.8 points per outing last season. The Oilers held 30 teams to 70 points or less and forced 595 turnovers. UF registered 315 steals.

"We aren't always going to shoot the ball well, but our defense is something that can be consistent every night," Hyde said. "If we give a good defensive effort, we are going to have a chance at the end of the game."

The Oilers are favored to win their eighth GLIAC South Division championship. They won their fourth conference tourney title last March and UF ran its streak of NCAA tournament appearances to eight.

"Our goal is to win the South again. By setting our sights on that goal first, we stay focused on every conference game," Niekamp said. "Can we achieve that goal? I don't know. This might be one of the toughest years to take a look at the league and say who is going to finish where."

Parker understands the importance of not looking past any team, and he hopes success in the always rugged GLIAC is a springboard to something bigger.

UF has already been tested in exhibition games against Duke and Utah. The Oilers lost 84-48 to the ninth-ranked Blue Devils and fell 83-70 to Utah.

"We have high expectations and we have to work hard to meet them," Parker said. "We know we are only going to get better every week and hopefully we can make a run at the end of the year."

UF Men's Schedule

Nov. 17 Concordia (Mich.), 7:30

Nov. 19 Malone, 7:30

Nov. 21 at Indianapolis, 7:30

Nov. 24 Lake Erie, 7:30

Dec. 3 at Saginaw Valley State (x), 8

Dec. 5 at Lake Superior State (x), 3

Dec. 10 Ferris State (x), 7:30

Dec. 12 Grand Valley State (x), 7:30

Dec. 17 at Hillsdale (x), 8

Dec. 28 Toronto, 7:30

Jan. 2 Hillsdale (x), 3

Jan. 7 Wayne State (x), 7:30

Jan. 9 Northwood (x), 3

Jan. 14 at Northern Michigan (x), 7:30

Jan. 16 at Michigan Tech (x), 2

Jan. 21 Tiffin (x), 7:30

Jan. 23 Ashland (x), 3

Jan. 28 Lake Superior State (x), 7:30

Jan. 30 Saginaw Valley State (x), 3

Feb. 4 at Grand Valley State (x), 8

Feb. 6 at Ferris State (x), 2

Feb. 11 at Northwood (x), 8

Feb. 13 at Wayne State (x), 3

Feb. 18 Michigan Tech (x), 7:30

Feb. 20 Northern Michigan (x), 3

Feb. 25 at Ashland (x), 7:30

Feb. 27 at Tiffin (x), 3

(x) -- Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games.

Lester: 419-422-5151,

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