Steve Finkernagel

WILKES MEN’S BASKETBALL SET FOR DAYS INN TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND

11/18/2011 2:52:00 PM

(Complete Game Notes)

WILKES MEN'S BASKETBALL SET FOR DAYS INN TOURNAMENT

Wilkes Colonels (1-0) vs. Dickinson Red Devils (0-1)
Friday, November 18, 2011 - 8:00 p.m.
Carlisle, Pa. / Kline Center

Live Stats

Live Audio (Play-by-Play: Trevor Turner)

AT A GLANCE
Wilkes enters the 2011-12 Days Inn Tip-Off Tournament Friday night with a matchup with host Dickinson College at 8:00 p.m. in the Kline Center. Catholic University will face Penn State Harrisburg at 6:00 p.m. in the other contest. The consolation and championship games will take place Saturday.

LAST TIME OUT
The Colonels opened their 2011-12 season Tuesday with a home win as they cruised to an 89-51 victory over the Nittany Lions of the Penn State Hazleton branch campus. In the process, Wilkes captured their fourth straight win over PSU Hazleton.

Wilkes saw five players reach double figures in a balanced attack. Sr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) led the way with a game-high 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in 30 minutes of action. Senior G Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) followed with 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. Fr. G Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) didn't disappoint in his Wilkes debut finishing with 12 points and three assists. Jr. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) and Sr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) added 11 and 10 points respectively.

The Colonels defense was equally as impressive as its offense causing 25 PSU Hazleton turnovers while also outrebounding the Nittany Lions 31-24.

WHO'S GONE
Chris DeRojas (Dallas/Bishop O'Reilly), who finished sixth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,535 points, has graduated. He led the team in scoring (17.7 ppg), made three-pointers (54), and assists (73).

WHO'S BACK
The Colonels return 12 players, including four starters, from last year's squad. Three of those will return as starters, Sr. G Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley), Sr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional), and Sr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) as Wilkes will prove to be a very deep team in 2011-12.

Sr. G M. Mullins            Jr. G T. Breznitsky         So. F P. Furst
Sr. F P. Huch                Jr. G S. Blish                So. G C. Thomas
Sr. C K. Hinze               Jr. G C. Richardson       So. G M. Boylan
So. G M. Hayes            So.F B. Sheldon           So. F N. Wilkins

THE CAPTAINS
The trio of captains for the Colonels this season will be Mullins, Huch and Hinze. The top three returning scorers for Wilkes, Mullins, Huch, and Hinze are the senior leaders of this year's squad.

Stepping up their leadership roles for the team this season are Huch and Hinze, who have both earned valuable playing time during their three years on campus. Starting all 25 games last season, Huch was 4th on the team in scoring (9.9 ppg) and 1st in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and added 26 steals and 47 blocks.
Hinze started all 25 contests last season and 19 times scored in double-figures, including a team-high six double-doubles.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Hinze enters his second year as a full-time starter in 2011-12 and will anchor a Colonels frontcourt loaded with experience and depth at all positions. Hinze topped the conference in field goal percentage (61.4 %) last season, and figures to be the premier big man in Freedom play. His best game in a Wilkes uniform came last year in a loss against Delaware Valley last year when he poured in a career-high 32 points and grabbed five rebounds and three assists. He went 9-of-12 from the floor and 14-of-18 from the charity stripe in the contest.

VERSATILITY RULES
At 6-5, Huch is a matchup problem for opposing defenses every night as the senior guard-forward can play on the perimeter as well as with his back to the basket. He provides productivity in three different categories for Wilkes scoring points, grabbing rebounds, and blocking shots. Huch averaged 9.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg (team-best), and 1.8 bpg as a junior last season. He's off to a hot start this season filling the stat sheet with 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four blocks on Tuesday.

BACKCOURT RESERVES
Jr. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) saw his minutes increase as last season went on, providing a spark off the bench. He averaged 6.3 ppg, hitting on 47.5 percent (19-40) of his three-point attempts. Fellow Jr. G Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) will continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt. Richardson played 10.7 mpg averaging 1.3 ppg and 1.2 rpg.

THE FRESHMEN
The Colonels welcome in seven true freshmen this season, including G Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley), G Trevor Gilliam (Powhatan, VA/Blessed Sacrament Huguenot), G Cameron Hinkel (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood), F Mike Sharpe (Saylorsburg, PA/Pleasant Valley), F Jeremy Hartman (Little Egg Harbor, NJ/Pinelands Regional), C Rodney Hill, and C Lee Strause (Port Carbon, PA/Pottsville Nativity). Wilson is penciled in as the starter at point-guard while Hartman is an Albright transfer that will enter the mix in the lineup.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 347-152 (.695) career record. He has taken the Colonels to the conference playoffs 16 times, including 10 straight from 1992-93-2001-02. He has also led Wilkes to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-95-1998-99), including four Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights and one Final Four appearance. He's also a four-time NABC Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and a three-time Freedom/MAC Coach of the year.

SCOUTING THE RED DEVILS
Dickinson fell 69-67 in their 2011-12 season opener at home to ODAC competitor Washington and Lee University Tuesday. The Red Devils trailed by as many as 23 points but the rally fell short in the non-conference home opening defeat. Gerry Wixted led the way with 24 points and eight rebounds. Adam Honig followed with 21 points and a team-high six assists. Chris Barsanti and Tucker Landy contributed six points and five points respectively for Dickinson.

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