MEN'S BASKETBALL: Riley speaks on upcoming season
By Rob Hoffman
Apache staff
Men's basketball coach Mile Riley is predicting a good season, as long as his team can stay intact.
Riley sees a number of strengths in his team despite the fact that this season's 15-man roster has only two veterans. The two are: Sam Beyer, a 6'9" 235-pound center who averaged 10 points per game last season, and Jeremy Woodward, a 6'3" 172-pound two/three guard who averaged 17 points per game last season.
The coach expects this year's team to be more athletic and much quicker.
"We've still got good size like last year, but more athletic," Riley said. "Their speed and quickness is much improved this year. I think we'll be able to show a little more attack up and down the floor, where last year we couldn't run as much."
IVCCs guard play is expected to be much stronger this year with highly regarded point guards Jeremy Jones of Thornwood and Shawn Bunch of Springfield SE.
Chad Tungate of Lincoln and Andrew Hoscheit of L-P give IVCC two good men at the forward position, and Woodward returns to provide offensive experience.
Steve Sawyers of Thornwood gives the team an all-around two/three man, and Sawyers can go to the point guard if necessary. Sawyers is 6'4", so IVCC can go really big if they have to.
Terrance Gladney, a 6'6" 220-pound graduate of Harland H.S., is an exceptional athlete who Riley thinks is going to bring a lot of excitement to the floor.
The team's biggest weakness is their inexperience.
"Being freshmen, they haven't gone through a whole college season yet," the coach said, explaining that they are working on coming together and playing as a team.
Riley predicted the men could be anywhere from challenging for first through third place in the Arrowhead Conference at the end of the season. The strongest competition could come from Kishwaukee and Highland.
"Highland is going to be very strong again," Riley said. "We've seen them a couple times this summer and preseason and they are very talented."
The coach also said Black Hawk beat some good teams in the IVCC jamboree. IVCC coaches have seen much of Sauk Valley and Carl Sandburg yet.
The deciding factor may be academic eligibility.
"You have got to have your big men that you recruited available (to play)," Riley said. "A lot of this depends on, for the conference, what everybody does academically for eligibility."
Injuries also affect availability. So far the only IVCC injury has been Beyer's severely broken finger, an injury that has required a pin.
"It makes it kind if tough without that senior leadership there and without our big man (Beyer) being in the middle like that for us," Riley said.
"On the positive side, it makes our freshmen step up. Now they are going to get their feet wet right from the beginning. They are going to dive right into the deep end and see if they can dog paddle or sink."
As for Beyer's replacement, Riley said it would probably be by committee. He mentioned Lee Moran, a 6'8" freshman from Mendota and Dave Miller, a 6'6" freshman from Ottawa.
The season opens at home at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 when the men face College of Lake County.