Complete Game Notes (.PDF)
GAME OVERVIEW
• The future is now for the Millersville men's basketball team.
Casey Stitzel enters his second season of a complete rebuild and roster overhaul in 2017-18. In 2016-17, Stitzel boosted Millersville's win total by five despite inheriting a team that won the fewest games (4-22) in Millersville basketball history. The only four transfers he brought into the program during the summer of 2016 are the only returners back for 2017-18. Stitzel brought in 10 new players including nine freshman, so the roster is young. While the Marauders were slated to return four starters, they lost one in the preseason with
Amadou Kaba suffering a season-ending injury. Guards
Marcus Adkison,
Jordan Greene and
Conrad Chambers were three of the team's four leading scorers in 2016-17 and all return.
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Marcus Adkison looks to build upon a strong first season in Black and Gold. Adkison scored in double figures 18 times with six 20-point games and a pair of 30-point games. He made the seventh-most 3-pointers in Millersville history. His 15.4 points per game average was the best by a Marauder since 2007-08
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Jordan Greene saw marked improvement from the start of 2016-17 to the finish. After averaging 4.9 points per game through the first eight games, Greene scored double-figures in 14 of the final 18 games including 31 against West Chester. He showed a knack for rebounding, leading the team for the season. He averaged 14.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his final 18 games.
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Conrad Chambers started 24 games last season, shooting a team-best 81.7 percent with a team-high 94 made free throws. Chambers also shot 37.4 percent from three. He scored in double-figures in 14 of the first 16 games but his scoring slipped in late January. His scoring averaged reached 14.7 after scoring 27 at West Chester, but it dropped to 12.5 at season's end.
• Millersville lost six games by eight points or fewer last season. Even with the close loss, the Marauders missed the PSAC Tournament by just one game. The Marauders finished the season ranked third in the PSAC in fewest turnovers committed and third in turnover margin.
• One area in which the Marauders are different is size. Last season, the tallest Marauder on the roster was
Amadou Kaba at 6-6. The lack of size was evident in rebounding where the Marauders were out-rebounded by 9.6 per game. Now, the Marauders have two players in the starting lineup who are 6-8, and the overall average of the roster is an inch taller than last season.
• From the start of the PSAC Tournament in 1984 to 2008, Millersville played in 20 of 25 of the tournaments, winning five league titles. Millersville has missed the postseason in each of the last two seasons. It is only the second time that Millersville has missed the postseason in back-to-back seasons. Millersville also reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times between 1985 and 2008 but has not qualified since.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
• Heading into 2017-18, the spotlight is on Will Vorhees. Vorhees was an All-America Second Team pick last season and a preseason All-America selection this season. He averaged 26.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field.
• Notre Dame is a veteran club featuring four seniors and three juniors. All five starters return. Kyauta Taylor averaged 20.8 points per game last season, giving Notre Dame a pair of 20-point per game scorers.
• Head coach Tim Koenig is just the third coach in the history of the program and is entering his fifth season. His teams have won at least 16 games in each of the last three years.
SCOUTING FAIRMONT STATE
• Fairmont State reached the NCAA Division II Championship game in 2016-17 before falling to Northwest Missouri State, 71-61. But the Falcons will look far different in 2017-18 after saying goodbye to five seniors as well as head coach Jerrod Calhoun, who left to become the head coach at Youngstown State at season's end. Local icon Joe Mazzulla now takes over the job after spending five years as an assistant in Division II, including three at Fairmont State. Mazzulla also coached for the Boston Celtics' G League affiliate Maine Red Claws. Mazzulla was was a four-year player at nearby WVU, helping the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances including a Final Four in 2010.
• The core for the 2017-18 club looks to be senior D'Ondre Stockman and juniors Vonte Montgomery and Jason Jolly. Jolly started 34 games and averaged 12.5 points per game. Stockman and Montgomery also averaged double figures last season.
