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Men's Basketball 2008-09 Season Outlook

            The Highlanders will bring an exciting, hardworking team to the hardwood this season, complete with returning veterans and quite a few new faces to add to the mix. The team lost eight contributors from last season and will showcase five freshmen along with the seven key returners, all following the lead of Head Coach Brad Zarges, entering his tenth season.

            The Highlanders worked hard both on and off the court in preparation for the season. This group of players competes hard every day and plan on changing the expectations of Houghton basketball. The focal point of this year’s team, and its main goal, is to become a great defensive team and win games by shutting down opponents. With the maturation of the returners as well as the addition of an exceptionally talented group of incoming freshmen, the team will be exciting.

            Junior for­ward Yannick Anzulini (Ot­tawa, Canada/ Garneau) leads this cast of talented players. The 6’8”Anzulini may have been the most exciting forward in the American Mideast Conference (AMC) last year. His 14.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and two steals per game earned him All-AMC honors last season and he expects to build on that. As one of the most versatile players in the conference look for him to have a big year and be the “go-to” guy for the Highlanders.  He will attract a lot of attention defensively and his vision and passing ability should create open opportunities for his teammates.

            Seniors Bruce Mourhess and Billy Evans have become the vocal and spiritual leaders of the team, both on and off the court. Mourhess (Campbell, NY/Campbell-Savona) is a hardworking and gifted defender who will generally have the assignment of guarding one of the opponent’s best players, regardless of position. Evans (Watertown, NY/Copenhagen Central) will run the Highlanders’ offense from the point guard position, He has made great strides since last season and has worked hard to end his career at Houghton on a high note. Evans may also see some time at shooting guard because of his strength and defensive abilities.

            The junior class adds two other key players to the Highlander lineup. Bryce Ireland (Panama, NY/Panama Central) looks to step up his role from last year and be a key contributor on both ends of the floor. At 6’4” and with a summer of intense strength training, Ireland will be the “man in the middle.” Zarges expects Ireland to take on the challenge of guarding the opponent’s post man while grabbing rebounds and spreading defenses with his soft touch from the perimeter. Dan Tomlinson (Bloomfield, NY/Homeschooled) brings a level of energy on both ends of the floor that will be important to this season’s success. He has developed into one of the best screeners for the Highlanders and is always looking to get his teammates open.

            The Highlanders expect a couple of sophomores to have a role at the offensive end due to their ability to fill it up. Filling in at shooting guard will be 6′2″ sophomore Devin Paige (Upper Mar­lboro, MD/Grace Brethren Christian), who brings a solid shooting touch as an accomplished scorer. Paige is a triple threat who can score from the perimeter and off the dribble. Look for him to push for major playing time as he continues to improve at the defensive end of the floor. Sophomore Ryan Shay (Andover, NY/Andover) has developed both his shooting touch and his ability to finish at the basket and will push for minutes at three positions because of his versatility and strength.

            This year’s freshman class may be the most talented group in Zarges’ ten-year tenure. At 5’11” Kenan Etale (Hamilton, Ontario/Academie Mere Teresa) is an athletic point guard who will bring an aggressive, up-tempo style of play. He can push the ball and finish at the rim and is relentless on the offensive glass. The 6’4” Jaanai Beckford (Rochester, NY/Northstar Christian) has the ability to play three positions for the Highlanders and will be looked to for big things this season. He has worked hard to develop his outside shot and should create some real matchup problems for opposing teams since he can score both inside and out or go around defenders with his quickness.

            Rounding out the team are three freshmen from Schenectady Christian. At 6’1” Bryan Bishop (Schenectady, NY) is the purest shooter on the team and has become a team and fan favorite as a result. Petar Serafimovski (Skopje, Macedonia) is a 6’3”, athletic, hardworking international-style player who continues to work hard and improve. Unfortunately, key freshman Jacob Bowman will be unable to compete this year due to injury. The 6’1” crafty guard has a high basketball IQ and would have pushed for major minutes.

            Zarges is optimistic about the season, and his optimism reaches beyond the basketball.  He says the team is fun to be around because they work hard, compete, enjoy being around each other and have grown so much in such a short period of time. They head into the season with a good mixture of experience, leadership, youth and skill. Add in the defensive focus and this could be a breakout year for the Highlanders. They will have their work cut out for them in the tough American Mideast Conference. This year the AMC has dropped its two divisions and every team plays every other team in the conference. Expect the competition to be strong and for the Highlanders to be competitive and exciting.