IT'S OFFICIAL
FARMVILLE, Va. -- It's official ... the time has come ... Longwood University will compete as one of three new members to NCAA Division I during 2007-08, along with UC Davis and Northern Colorado. The Lancers of fifth-year head coach Mike Gillian have completed the four-year reclassification process and are excited to officially begin their new era of Division I basketball. Longwood returns two starters among eight letterwinners from last year's team that finished 9-22, while Coach Gillian and his staff of assistant coaches Bill Reinson, Doug Thibault, and Tim Fudd have added six talented newcomers to the program. The new era begins November 9 on-campus in Willett Hall when the Lancers host Navy at 7:30 p.m..
RETURNING STARTERS (2)
Longwood returns two starters from a year ago in seniors Lamar Barrett/Providence, R.I. (St. Andrews School) (6-6, forward) and Brandon Giles/Gaithersburg, Md. (Magruder) (5-10, guard). Barrett has started 90 of 92 games during his career, and begins his final season with 694 career points and 420 career rebounds; ranking sixth in career blocks (68). He averaged 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds during 2006-07, adding 55 assists, 29 blocks, and 26 steals. Giles has started 49 of his last 51 games, and ranks eighth in career assists (265) and 11th in career three-point field goals (64). He averaged career-bests of 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists (108) a year ago, adding 28 steals and 21 three-point field goals.
“Lamar and Brandon are our two captains this year,� said Gillian. “To put them in this leadership role was as easy a decision as I’ve made since coming to Longwood. They are both fine players with outstanding character; who exemplify what Longwood Basketball and Longwood University are, and should be, all about.�
TOP RETURNING LETTERMEN (2)
The Lancers return a pair of top lettermen from last year, including redshirt-junior Dana Smith/Woodbridge (C.D. Hylton) (6-5, guard-forward) and junior Kirk Williams/White Plains, N.Y. (Woodlands) (6-6, forward). Smith received a medical hardship waiver after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the third game of last season at Norfolk State. Two years ago (2005-06), he averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, adding 44 assists, 26 steals, 21 blocks, and 21 three-point field goals. Smith started 15 games that season, and posted averages of 13.4 points and 6.1 rebounds over the final nine games. Williams is a high-octane player who is ready to become a full-time starter this year after averaging 10.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while starting seven of 28 games last year. He has led the team in field goal percentage during each of his first two seasons (.527, 207-393), and in dunks (38) as well while also contributing 30 assists, 25 steals, and 16 blocks during 2006-07.
“We are certainly going to count on Dana and Kirk providing a lot of what we need on the court for this year’s team to be successful,� explained Gillian. “Both of them have proven to be capable, and significant, contributors to winning games at the Division I level. These two guys both show the type of improvement that leads you to believe they, and the fans, are in for some exciting things this season.�
OTHER LETTERMEN (4)
Longwood returns four other lettermen from last season in senior Danny Wilson/Pantego, N.C. (Louisburg JC) (6-8, center) along with sophomores Kevin Swecker/Baltimore, Md. (Mount Saint Joseph) (6-1, guard), Billy Robinson Jr./Columbia, Md. (Hammond) (6-7, forward), and E.J. Dawson/Ft. Belvoir (Mount Vernon) (6-2, guard). Wilson played in 15 games last year and averaged 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds. Swecker earned four starts in 31 games as a freshman with an average of 4.8 points, and is the top returning perimeter shooter from last year after making 27 three-point field goals. Robinson played in 25 games and averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds, adding 12 three-point field goals. Dawson, a walk-on, played in all 31 games, averaging 1.4 points along with 29 assists and 12 steals.
“I’m very excited for what lies ahead for these four players,� stated Gillian. “Each of them brings a unique talent to the team. They all had an opportunity to experience what playing at the top level of college basketball is all about last year. They have done a great job of using that experience to prepare themselves for the 2007-08 season. They now need to step forward and utilize their distinct abilities in a way that will help the team continue to achieve success.�
NEWCOMERS (6)
There is much optimism surrounding this year’s group of five recruited newcomers as several are expected to challenge for significant playing time, if not immediate starting roles. They include highly-touted junior college transfer Ryan Bogan/Oxford, Pa. (Harcum JC) (6-1, guard), sophomore juco transfer Beno Jaekel/Jussara, Brazil (Western Nebraska CC) (6-9, center), as well as true freshmen Durann Neil/Pleasantville, N.J. (Leap Academy) (6-1, guard), Jeffrey Ryan/Beacon, N.Y. (Newburgh Free Academy) (6-7, forward), and Brandon Evans/Roanoke (Roanoke Catholic) (6-9, forward).
“All five of the players who are going to begin their Longwood career this coming year are fantastic additions to our basketball program,� said Gillian. “These five guys will certainly provide a lot of tough, internal competition that will only help our team get better. All of them are capable of earning significant playing time immediately and how that plays out will be determined by how quickly they can adapt to the college game.�
Bogan averaged 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.8 steals while leading Harcum College in Philadelphia to a record of 30-3; earning NJCAA Division II Region 19 Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors. He is also Harcum’s all-time leading scorer with 1,106 career points in two seasons.
Jaekel arrives from Western Nebraska Community College with three years of eligibility and lots of upside after a season (8.7 minutes, 2.9 points, 2.4 rebounds) playing behind Texas Tech’s top juco recruit and fellow Brazilian Ricardo De Bem. Neil brings much-needed size (6-1, 195) to the point guard position and played his senior year at Leap Academy in New Jersey. Ryan led Newburgh Free Academy (21-2) to the New York Class AA State quarterfinals while receiving All-State honors and averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. Evans posted 10.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 5.0 blocks as a senior at Roanoke Catholic, earning Virginia Independent Schools (VIS) Division II All-State honors.
“Ryan, Durann, and Jeff are very good all around players,� explained Gillian. “They are the same type of multi-dimensional players that we have continued to build the program around. There will be an expectation that they provide us the same type of play we get out of Lamar, Dana, and Kirk. As we get into the season, we’ll be able to figure out how each of their roles on the team will evolve.
“Beno and Brandon are going to provide us with much needed depth in the frontcourt and are a pretty good compliment to each other. Beno is physically ready to play at this level right now and really a true post player. Brandon is extremely long and athletic and, we believe, just beginning to scratch the surface of his basketball ability.�
Longwood added two new walk-on team members this year as well in junior transfer Drew Norris/Richmond (Lynchburg College) (6-3, guard) and freshman Earl Gee II/Chesterfield (Manchester) (5-10, guard). Norris played his first two collegiate seasons at Lynchburg College, and will sit-out this year per NCAA transfer rules, while Gee arrives from Manchester High School where he was a three-year starter.
2007-08 SCHEDULE
Coach Gillian has once-again compiled an impressive schedule for Longwood, highlighted by it’s participation in the exempt four-game Chicago Invitational Challenge from November 18-24. Overall, the Lancers will play 12 home games, 17 true road games, and two neutral-site games.
“There has been a great deal of time and energy put into building our schedule the right way over the last three years,� said Gillian. “We're certainly continuing with that work, and as a result, we have achieved the same goals with the 2007-08 schedule. We will play some games that 'jump off the page at you' against big name opponents that will help to continue to raise the profile of our program. These games also give our team the opportunity to play in great venues against the very best competition college basketball has to offer.�
In the Chicago Invitational Challenge, Longwood will play road games at preseason Top 10 Indiana in Bloomington on November 18 at 12 p.m., a game to be televised on the Big Ten Network, and at Kent State in Ohio on November 20 at 7 p.m.. The four-game challenge concludes at the new Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois near Chicago as the Lancers will play UNC Wilmington on November 23 at 1 p.m., and either Coppin State or Southeast Missouri State on November 24 (1 p.m. or 3:30 p.m.). These four games follow a three-game stretch of home games to open the season, against already-mentioned Navy, followed by Norfolk State on November 13 at 7 p.m., and Virginia-Wise on November 15 at 7 p.m. as well.
“The start of this season will be a big test for us,� explained Gillian. “We have a three-game homestand to get things started, which we are very excited about, to be followed by the marquee event on this year's schedule, the Chicago Invitational Challenge. The opening game of the event will be at Big Ten member Indiana, who should be a Top Five team in the country, followed by a trip to perennial Mid-American Conference (MAC) title contender Kent State, and completed with two games in the brand new Sears Centre just outside of Chicago. By the end of this seven-game stretch, we will know an awful lot about our team.�
Longwood will play at Virginia for the third-straight year on December 7 at 7 p.m., and the Lancers will also play at VCU on December 15 at 7:30 p.m., the third consecutive year with a game against the Rams as well. Longwood plays at James Madison on December 5 at 7 p.m., its third game against the Dukes in four years, and are also playing another home and home series against Liberty with the home game scheduled as the season finale on February 22 at 7 p.m. after a road game against the Flames on November 27 at 7 p.m..
“All of the in-state games are huge for our program,� stated Gillian. “To continue to play well against teams in Virginia, especially with the successes that many of them have had recently, continues to show everyone that Longwood basketball has not only arrived as a Division I program, but is here to stay.�
Longwood plays at Boston College of the ACC on January 2 at 7 p.m., the Lancers’ fifth game against an ACC opponent in the past three seasons after previous games at Virginia and Wake Forest. The Lancers are also playing a road game at George Washington for the second-straight season on December 23 at 2 p.m..
The home schedule is highlighted by the three games that open the season (Navy, Norfolk State, and Virginia-Wise) as well as the Liberty game that closes the campaign. In addition, also making appearances in Farmville will be High Point (Dec. 1, 2 p.m.), Stetson (Dec. 29, 2 p.m.), Yale (Jan. 8, 7 p.m.), Campbell (Jan. 15, 7 p.m.), Savannah State (Feb. 9, 2 p.m.), and NJIT (Feb. 18, 7 p.m.). Longwood is playing three non-Division I home games, including Virginia Intermont (Dec. 17, 7 p.m.) and Southern Virginia (Jan. 31, 7 p.m.), in addition to Wise.
“Over the last two seasons, we have really started to develop a homecourt advantage here on campus while averaging nearly 1000 fans per game and going 14-10 over that time period.�
Additional road games will be played at Morgan State (Dec. 21, 7 p.m.), Navy (Jan. 5, 7 p.m.), Savannah State (Jan. 19, 2 p.m.), Stetson (Jan. 21, 7 p.m.), High Point (Jan. 24, 7 p.m.), Hofstra (Jan. 28, 7 p.m.), NJIT (Feb. 4, 7 p.m.), Florida Atlantic (Feb. 11, 7 p.m.), and at Campbell (Feb. 13, 7 p.m.). Overall, the Lancers will play eight schools that won at least 21 games last season.
“There is tremendous excitement about this year's team and this year's schedule,� added Gillian. “The schedule was built to challenge our team, continue rivalry games, and play at home as much as we can … we can't wait to get started.�
THE TIME HAS COME
It was November 12, 2002 when Longwood President Dr. Patricia P. Cormier sent a letter to The NCAA informing them of the school’s intention to reclassify from Division II to Division I. Almost five years to the day (Nov. 9, Navy, 7:30 p.m.), the Lancers officially begin their Division I basketball journey ... the time has come.
