2009-10 Season Preview has spent the better part of two years playing behind Tim Lang, Eric Diaz and J.J. Hirst. The 6’10” Radford from Victoria is one of three Australians on the team. “Graeme has not been given a legitimate chance to flourBrandon Williams ish yet in his Stetson career. We need him to be an imposing defensive presence for us”, said Waugh. “He has bulked up and has the frame and quickness to be a warrior on the defensive end and under the glass. Offensively, he has made some strides and is definitely an option”. Stetson’s fourth junior is Phil Bassan, a walk-on from Memphis, Tennessee. “Phil is the type of person who would walk on hot coals if it would help us win. He is a great part of the program and a very hard worker”, said Waugh There are no sophomores on this year’s team, yet the freshman class is huge and talented. Ridge Graham (Stuart, Fla.) and J.R. Weston (Morral, Ohio) are both redshirt freshman who should benefit from a year in the program. Graham, the Treasure Coast Player of the Year in 2007 from Martin County High School, is a slippery quick forward with very long arms. He can play multiple positions and is most effective when using his quickness and leaping ability. “Ridge has come a long way in one year. I think that he can be a match-up problem for people because he is so quick and he plays like he is about 6’7”. I anticipate him going to the line a lot. His defense and strength have improved and with more improvement, he can become a really good player on both ends of the floor,” said Waugh.
lined last year with a broken foot after leading the state of Ohio in scoring as a high school senior. An excellent student, Weston managed a 3.98 GPA last year as a freshman. “J.R. is a great shooter who can also utilize the shot fake. If he displays the technique and toughness to guard some beefier guys, we could use him at guard, and at forward where he would be a match-up nightmare for opponents. We look forward to having him healthy”, said Waugh. The four true freshmen are Liam McInerney and Joel Naburgs from Melbourne, Australia, Tyshawn Patterson from Orlando (Orlando Christian Prep) and Aaron Graham from Ft. Lauderdale (Westminster Academy). McInerney and Naburgs both played for well respected Australian coach, Rod Popp and should be more college ready than most foreign players. McInerney, a 6’8” forward, was one of four Australians selected to participate in Adidas camps in both China and Dallas and was a two time All-League performer in the Big V Youth League. “Liam needs to get stronger, but he will. He has a great work ethic, good anticipation skills and a soft touch. He will be a good player for us,” said Waugh. Naburgs was the Big V Youth League MVP and while slowed by a couple of injuries has been impressive in early season practices. He was invited to the prestigious Australian Olympic Track tryouts while a prep. “Joel will be very good for us. I think his acumen and savvy will allow him to contribute immediately,” said Waugh.
Mark Lohuis
Weston, the son of former Hatter Randy Weston and the cousin of former Hatter Gabe McMillan, is a dead eye shooter with a dash of toughness. He was side-
Aaron Graham is a 6’5” point guard who burst on the scene late and could end up being a recruiting steal before it is all over. “Aaron must adjust to college intensity, but once he does, I think he will have a great career. There is really nothing he cannot do, he just needs to do it all with more intensity,” said Waugh.
Patterson was rated as one of the top players in Florida and led his OCP team to an overall #1 ranking in the state of Florida. “Tyshawn makes a team better with his sheer will and enthusiasm. He loves to play and compete and that is infectious.
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I look forward to having him on the court. As soon as he is able to harness all of his energy and sharpen up his defense, watch out,” said Waugh. Overall, Waugh feels that this has been a fun group to coach and is probably his quickest team to date. “Our older players have been great examples and our younger players have kept up, and have shown very good ability. I am sure we will have a couple of bumps in the road with blending so many new faces and new roles for our more experienced players, but this season should be fun, successful and exciting for our fans to watch”, he said.
The Schedule This season’s preconference schedule is challenging, but what else is new. An early season road trip to the University of Florida and Florida State make for a tough early sled. The Hatters visit Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals on December 2nd and Graeme Radford welcome the University of Miami Hurricanes to the Edmunds Center on December 16th. A road game against Charleston Southern and a home and home with Savannah State round out the Division I portion of the schedule. “Overall, we are judged by how we play within the conference. Right now, we are not getting much attention, but that is not surprising. I think we are a true wildcard in the league and if we are rebounding and shooting well, we will have the ability to beat anyone, anywhere”, said Waugh. With a young roster due to the loss of four key seniors from last year’s team, Stetson has been picked to finish seventh in the Atlantic Sun Conference in both the head coach and the media polls. “Over the last four year cycle, we played .500 basketball in the league, which is not where we want to be. With what is going on in the program, I think this next cycle can be fantastic, and I look forward to competing for championships starting this year.”
2009-10 Men’s Basketball