New Rock coach seeks new start

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

November 14, 2006 Last Updated: November 14, 2006 12:47 PM College

Palmer

SLIPPERY ROCK— First-year Slippery Rock University men's basketball coach Jamal Palmer wants to forget the past.

Good choice. It's pretty ugly.

Palmer inherits a Rock basketball program that finished 2-25 last season, is coming off six consecutive losing campaigns, has only one winning record in the past 15 years and eight last-place PSACWest finishes during that time.

So forget the fact The Rock has four starters returning from a year ago.

"Our lineup is going to look different,"Palmer said. "It may look different from game to game until we find out who is going to bring what to the table.

"These guys are all going to be competing for playing time in practice. I want to see them work. I want our practices to be intense. We're going to make each other better players."

Of SRU's 14 players, 10 are freshmen or sophomores. The lone senior, 6-foot-7 post player Glenn Reepmeyer, sat out last season to concentrate on water polo.

Reepmeyer averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 2004-05.

"He expressed interest in coming back and I told him we'd have to talk things over,"Palmer said. "We got on the same page. Glenn's excited about resuming his career and he'll definitely help us inside."

So will Joe Vines, a 6-5 sophomore power forward. He is a likely starter, along with junior guard Jamar Scales, sophomore guard Errol Robinson and sophomore point guard Matt Schaefer.

Kenny Smith, a junior guard and transfer, may break into the lineup as well.

Scales was The Rock's leading scorer last year with 12.3 points per game.

Brandon Thompson, a 6-4 junior guard who netted 10.6 points per game while shooting 82 percent at the free-throw line, will be coming off the bench this season."I like Brandon as our sixth man,"Palmer said. "He will be a lot more effective for us in that role."Robinson averaged 8.8 points per game a year ago while Vines averaged 7.5. As a team, SRUaveraged 66.4 points per contest and surrendered 78.6."Our scoring is going to get up around 75 points per game,"Palmer said. "We've got to improve defensively, and that's top priority with me."Our guards are more athletic this year and we'll take advantage of that. We're going to run a lot more, get up and down the floor. That will require a lot of depth, and we're building that."The Rock is picked to finish last in the PSACWest by the preseason coaches poll.Palmer isn't buying it."Not at all," he said. "The fourth spot in our division should be wide open and we're contending for it."Palmer recruited more size and strength inside, adding 6-9, 235-pound freshman Brian Campuzano, 6-8 sophomore Troy Yonkers and 6-6 freshman Lonnie Perry to the roster."Campuzano could see minutes right away and so might (guard) Joe Marzullo from Burrell,"the coach said.SRUmen's basketball 2006-07 scheduleNov. 11-at Youngstown State, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 21-at Glenville State, 7 p.m.; Nov. 27-at Ashland, 7 p.m.; Nov. 30-at W. Va. Wesleyan, 7 p.m.Dec. 2-WESTCHESTER, 3 p.m.; Dec. 3-MILLERSVILLE, 3 p.m.; Dec. 5-at Ohio Valley, 7 p.m.; Dec. 16-at Northwood, 6 p.m.; Dec. 17-at Mercyhurst or Columbia Union, 6 or 8 p.m.; Dec. 19-KUTZTOWN, 8 p.m.; Dec. 20-EASTSTROUDSBURG, 8 p.m.; Dec. 30-at Mercyhurst, 3 p.m.Jan. 7-at Cheyney, 3 p.m.; Jan. 10-LOCKHAVEN, 8 p.m.; Jan. 13-at Bloomsburg, 3 p.m.; Jan. 14-at Mansfield, 3 p.m.; Jan. 17-at Edinboro, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 24-INDIANA (Pa.), 8 p.m.; Jan. 27-at Shippensburg, 3 p.m.; Jan. 29-at California (Pa.), 8 p.m.; Jan. 31-CLARION, 8 p.m.Feb. 3-at Lock Haven, 3 p.m.; Feb. 7-EDINBORO, 8 p.m.; Feb. 14-at Indiana (Pa.), 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 17-SHIPPENSBURG, 3 p.m.; Feb. 21-CALIFORNIA (Pa.), 8 p.m.; Feb. 25-at Clarion, 3 p.m.

Slippery Rock University senior Glenn Reepmeyer left the team to concentrate on water polo, but he's back to help The Rock improve on its 2-25 record.