This is the second of our four part preview of the 2009-2010 Men’s Basketball Season.
Part I: Recapping last season and the offseason
Part II: Frontcourt Players
Part III: Backcourt Players
Part IV: Season Outlook/Predictions
Drake Reed is gone. That means there is 36.7 minutes per game up for grabs down low. Kyle Duncan is gone. There’s 28.3 more minutes per game. Ernest Fields is out, maybe for the season. That’s 18.6 more. That’s a grand total of 83.6 minutes per game that has to be filled. From a production standpoint, there are 35.1 points and 14.9 rebounds per game that is gone from last season. Who is going to fill the void down low for the Govs?
#21 John Fraley – 6’8”, 220 lbs, Sophomore
John Fraley appears ready to answer the call. John has had a strong preseason, averaging 17.5 points and 12.5 rebounds a game in the two scrimmages. He also added 10 points at Reigning Red. In the exhibition game against Oakland City, Fraley again posted a double-double, with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Last season he appeared in 23 games, only starting 2. Though Fraley was used sparingly, but still managed to average 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in just 10 minutes a game. John will have to improve his free throw shooting. He averaged just 56% last season on 25 attempts.
#4 Marcel Williams – 6’6”, 235 lbs, Sophomore
Marcel Williams also seems ready to shoulder some of the scoring and rebounding load. Marcel has been inconsistent this off-season. After being almost none existent in the Reigning Red event and first scrimmage of the season, he exploded for 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. In the first exhibition game, he had 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He appeared in 33 games last season, starting 12. He averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Like Fraley, Marcel needs to improve from the line. He shot a feable 47% in the 2008-9 season.
#25 Anthony Campbell – 6’6”, 185 lbs, Sophomore
Anthony Campbell is a player poised for a breakout season. Although he is more of a perimeter-orientated player, his height and Austin Peay’s lack of depth in the backcourt will probably force Campbell into some minutes in the post, at least on defense. He posted 20 points, 15 in the first half, and 3 assists in the game against Oakland City. He posted 11 points in the Govs first scrimmage of the season. Last season, Campbell average 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds. He shot 50% from the field, and almost 38% from three. Big things are expected from Campbell. Last season he was named the December 15th Freshman of the Week.
#12 Chris Reaves – 6’5”, 200 lbs, Freshman
Freshman forward Chris Reaves has steady as a rock this preseason. Reaves has scored 10, 12, and 14 points in the Reigning Red and first two scrimmages respectively. He is a good shooter and has played a large role on state tournament teams. Chris should be a big contributor for four years in Coach Loos’ system. “In my opinion, he could be an all-Conference player someday,” says Charles Clark, who coached against Reaves as an assistant with Dyer County.
#42 Duran Roberson – 6’8”, 215 lbs, Redshirt Junior
Duran Roberson should be called on to contribute more this season. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 6.9 minutes a game last season. Duran has been inconsistent, but did perform well in the team’s scrimmage when he posted 15 points and 8 rebounds.
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