Steve Finkernagel

WILKES MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. BAPTIST BIBLE

11/22/2011 11:16:00 AM

(Complete Game Notes)

WILKES MEN'S BASKETBALL GAME NOTES VS. BAPTIST BIBLE

Wilkes Colonels (2-1) vs. Baptist Bible Defenders (0-3)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011 - 7:00 P.M.
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. / Marts Center
Internet Live Audio: ESPNWilliamsport.com (Stream 4)
Play-By-Play: Trevor Turner

Live Stats

Live Audio

AT A GLANCE
This will mark the fourth straight meeting between Wilkes and Baptist Bible as the Colonels have taken the last three contests against the Defenders by an average of 21.3 points. It will also mark the fourth straight meeting that the game will be played in the Marts Center. Last season, Wilkes grabbed an 85-55 win in Wilkes-Barre.

LAST TIME OUT
The Colonels finished 1-1 at the Days Inn Tip-Off Tournament held at Dickinson College this past weekend. Wilkes fell 68-65 against the host Red Devils before posting a 79-68 victory over Penn State Harrisburg in the third place game on Saturday.

The Colonels used a balanced attack against the Lions as five Wilkes players reached double figures in scoring. Sr. F Paul Huch (Tuckerton, NJ/Pinelands Regional) was efficient from the floor recording his second straight double-double finishing 4-for-13 from the field and 8-of-12 from the charity stripe. Huch's 24 rebounds is the second most in a single game in school history, one behind George Morgan's 25 boards against Lycoming December 4, 1947. Sr. G Matt Mullins (Binghamton, NY/Chenango Valley) followed with 16 points and four rebounds, while Sr. C Kendall Hinze (Lewisberry, PA/Red Land) added 14 points and 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the year.

Fr. PG Jourdon Wilson (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley) contributed 14 points and dished out four assists, while Jr. G Tyler Breznitsky (Freeland, PA/MMI Prep) was the fifth Colonel in double figures with 10 points.

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.

Mullins leads the offense the squad averaging 20.3 ppg (tied for 2nd in the MAC) and 3.0 rpg. The senior sharpshooter is connecting on 54.8 percent (17-31) from the field and 88.5 percent (23-26) from the charity stripe. Huch and Hinze have controlled the paint combining for 25.7 ppg and 16.3 rpg.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Hinze enters his second year as a full-time starter in 2011-12 and has anchored a Colonels frontcourt loaded with experience and depth at all positions. Hinze topped the conference in field goal percentage (61.4 %) last season, and continues to be the premier big man in Freedom play this season shooting over 52.6 percent (10-19) from the field.

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. He's off to a hot start this season filling the stat sheet averaging 16.7 ppg and 10.3 rpg (team-high). Huch has reached double figures in all three contests this season recording two double-doubles.

MULLINS FOR MAYOR
Mullins had a career performance in the loss against Dickinson pouring in 26 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the floor while grabbing four rebounds in 37 minutes of action. He also found a way to get to the free throw line all night finishing 14-for-16 from the stripe.

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 continues to provide a spark off the pine this year averaging 9.0 ppg, hitting on 60.0 percent (6-10) of his three-point attempts. Fellow Jr. G Cliff Richardson (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) and So. G Craig Thomas (Avenel, NJ/Cardinal McCarrick) continue to add depth to the Wilkes backcourt as Thomas averages 1.3 ppg in 7.3 mpg, while Richardson adds 1.0 ppg in 4.0 mpg.

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 has started in all three games for Wilkes thus far averaging 10.0 ppg and 2.5 apg in 25.3 mpg. Hinkel has one start under his belt averaging 1.7 ppg and 3.3 rpg in 12.4 mpg.

THE HEAD MAN
Wilkes head coach Jerry Rickrode enters his 20th season at the helm, compiling a 348-153 (.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.

THE FRIENDLY CONFINES OF MARTS
The Colonels have been very successful playing at home under Rickrode, putting together a 202-52 (.795) record. In 1997-98, when the Colonels advanced to the Final Four, they went 17-0 and the next year went 14-0, moving on to the Elite Eight. Last season Wilkes went 10-3, including wins over cross-town rival King's and Misericordia University.

Print Friendly Version