Let the games begin
SLIPPERY ROCK — How good is the PSAC West in men's basketball?
"Edinboro has the third-winningest coach in all of Division II and they're picked to finish seventh," said third-year Slippery Rock University coach Kevin Reynolds.
"You have to step up and be willing to compete every night in this league. We didn't do that at times last year," he added.
The Rock is coming off a 15-12 season and Reynolds is 36-20 in his two years at SRU. That marks the program's best two-year run since 1989-91.
"This is a program that won 14 total games in the three previous years," Reynolds said. "We're happy with the improvement, but we want more."
Picked fifth in the preseason coaches poll, The Rock has a good nucleus in preseason All-PSAC West players Maron Brown and Jabril Bailey.
Both seniors, Brown averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds as a 6-foot-5 forward and Bailey netted 14.6 points and 7.4 rebounds as a 6-4 guard.
"How we build around those guys will be the key," Reynolds said.
Other returning players are junior guard Tommy Kelly, 6-foot-7 Butler graduate and SRU graduate student Jade Burka, senior guard Rashiid Coleman and 6-8 senior center R.J. Rush.
Joe Vines, a 6-5 senior center who hasn't played since 2007, is back with the squad. He averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 rebounds as a starter three years ago.
As is his norm, Reynolds has brought in a number of junior college transfers. Three guards, 5-9 John Bossle Jr., 6-7 Tabari Perry and 6-1 William Sanborn, are from Cecil College, where Rock assistant coach Jareem Dowling previously coached.
John Bayardelle is a sophomore guard from Northern Virginia who redshirted at SRU last year. Jon Valeriano is a 5-11 guard from CCAC and 6-5 Torrance Timothy is from Blinn College.
"Timothy is a former starter at Howard University and Sanborn has hit 10 3-pointers in a game twice," Reynolds said. "He owns Cecil's 3-point shooting records.
"Perry can play all five positions on the floor. We have a number of versatile guys like that. We can do some mixing and matching on the floor."
For Reynolds, long gone is his debut season of 21-8 that landed The Rock in the PSAC semifinals.
"We can't sneak up on anybody anymore," he said.
2010-11 scheduleNov. 12-at Shepherd, 7 p.m.; Nov. 13-vs. Alderson-Broaddus (at Shepherd), 5 p.m.; Nov. 19-OHIO UNIVERSITY EASTERN, 7 p.m.; Nov. 27-at Chestnut Hill, 2 p.m.Dec. 3-at Nyack, 7 p.m.; Dec. 4-vs. Dominican (at Nyack), 2 p.m.; Dec. 11-at Seton Hill, 3 p.m.; Dec. 19-at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, 2 p.m.; Dec. 29-OHIO UNIVERSITY EASTERN, 3 p.m.; Dec. 30-GROVE CITY, 7 p.m.Jan. 3-at East Stroudsburg, 8 p.m.; Jan. 4-at Kutztown, 8 p.m.; Jan. 8-BLOOMSBURG, 3 p.m.; Jan. 9-MANSFIELD, 3 p.m.; Jan. 12-CLARION, 8 p.m.; Jan. 15-at Indiana (Pa.), 7 p.m.; Jan. 19-at Lock Haven, 8 p.m.; Jan. 22-MERCYHURST, 3 p.m.; Jan. 26-CALIFORNIA (Pa.), 8 p.m.; Jan. 29-at Edinboro, 3 p.m.Feb. 2-GANNON, 8 p.m.; Feb. 5-at Clarion, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 9-LOCK HAVEN, 8 p.m.; Feb. 12-INDIANA (Pa.), 3 p.m.; Feb. 16-at California (Pa.), 8 p.m.; Feb. 19-at Mercyhurst, 3 p.m.; Feb. 23-at Gannon, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 26-EDINBORO, 3 p.m.
