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Presidents relying on defense, inside game
Staff writer
jmontecalvo@observer-reporter.com
Wahab Owolabi doesn't want to forget how he felt after a tough two-point loss in the championship game of the Presidents' Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament last year.
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"I look at that every day," Owolabi said. "It serves as a big motivation."
After 11 games last year, there probably weren't many who believed W&J would be hosting the final game of the PAC tournament. The Presidents were 1-10. But they rebounded to win 13 of their last 17 games.
In order for W&J to have a chance to win the PAC title this season and receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament, Owolabi and fellow forward Josip Lucic-Jozak, a junior, must play integral roles.
Owolabi averaged 11.5 points per game and was third in the conference with 7.5 rebounds last season. The 6-8 Lucic-Jozak averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds.
"Those two guys will be key for us, but I don't know that they'll have to put us on their backs and carry us each night," second-year head coach Glenn Gutierrez said. "It's important for us to establish a perimeter game around them so people can't sit on their backs."
It will take some newcomers to create a quality outside game. Jon Koch and Brandon Studer, two of the school's most prolific scorers, graduated. Koch was the PAC Player of the Year last season and started every game over the last four years. Studer only missed one start in that period.
"You don't replace those guys. You're talking about trying to replace (W&J's) all-time and fourth-leading scorers," Gutierrez said. "That's the bad news. The good news is these guys haven't played with them, so they don't know what they're missing."
Trinity graduate Matt Drakeley, a sophomore who saw time as a reserve last season, will be counted on to step in at guard along with juniors Nathan Burton and Derek Syrylo. Burton started 21 games as a freshman but battled injuries last year.
In the Presidents' first two games, sophomore guard Albert Varacallo started and scored in double figures.
"We're still trying to figure out the top eight or nine in our rotation," Gutierrez said. "We're tying to find an identity and who we're going to be. We have so many new guys."
One thing the Presidents do know is they'll be playing in-your-face man-to-man defense.
"It will take more of a team effort this year," said Owolabi, who was a starter most of last season. "Jon (Koch) is the all-time leading scorer and you can't replace that. We'll have to work together as a team. We're going to play man-to-man defense and play hard and get after it. That's what we'll rest our hat on, playing defense."
W&J split a pair of games at the Juniata tournament last weekend to start the season. The Presidents' first conference game is Dec. 8 when they host Grove City.
"I'm looking forward to that game," Owolabi said. "Overall, we're in pretty good shape, but we can still get better. My goal is to win the PAC championship. If you ask anyone on the team, that's their goal. We came within a couple shots or a couple rebounds of winning it last year."
Gutierrez sees the conference as very competitive and wide open. The Presidents, who have seven freshmen and no seniors on the team, were picked fourth in a close preseason poll.
"Early on, we just want to keep getting better," Gutierrez said. "Good teams play their best basketball in February. Hopefully, that translates into an opportunity to play into March."
Notes
Trinity graduate E.J. Morascyzk and South Fayette's Nick Zedreck are freshmen guards for the Presidents. ... Gutierrez has a new assistant coach. Jeromy Yetter enters his first season after serving as the assistant men's basketball coach at Division II Tusculum the past two years.
