2007-2008 Season Outlook
After capturing the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship last spring, Head Coach Chuck Hammond knew he had plenty to be excited about for this upcoming season. Coming off their second consecutive winning season for the first time in school history, the 2007-2008 Goldey-Beacom College Men’s Basketball team will be led by three year captain, Derek Savage. The Lincoln, Delaware native is back for his senior campaign after garnering second team all conference awards in 2006-2007. After leading the Lighting in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots last season, Hammond has great expectations for Savage. “Derek is most importantly a great kid; he has helped our program in so many ways on and off the court. I truly expect Derek to be one of the top players in our conference this year. His work ethic and maturity have influenced the younger guys in our program and he is a great leader.” The 6’4 Cape Henlopen Graduate is only 100 points shy of becoming the fourth player in school history to break 1,000 points. Last season, Savage average 15 points per game while grabbing over 7 rebounds. For his efforts, Savage was voted to Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) second team.
In addition to Savage, Hammond will return two other starters from last years team, Steven Cooper and Adrian Miles. Miles, who last season was voted as the CACC Rookie of the Year, finished first on the team in steals and was third on the team in scoring and rebounding. Miles, who came to Goldey-Beacom College from the basketball powerhouse, DeMatha High School in Maryland, is a versatile guard that can play both guard positions. Hammond, who is assisted by Preston Burroughs, Justin Dussault and Jasen Maciey (’07), was impressed by Miles improvement throughout last year. “Adrian made significant strides last season thru his hard work and if he continues working hard he has the ability to become a great player. He has a high basketball IQ and is extremely physical for someone of his size. He is a very versatile player who can help our team in many ways.”
Steve Cooper is a 6’6 forward from Wilmington, Delaware. The Glasgow High School graduate started in every game for the Lightning last season as a freshman and was second on the team in rebounding while averaging over 9 points per game. Hammond stated that “Steve had a very good season for us last year, he has excellent footwork and has both perimeter and inside skills. I was very impressed by his ability to step in as a freshman and contribute the way he did and we expect even bigger things from him this season.”
Rounding out the returnee’s from last years ECAC Champions include Miroslaw Babiarz, Devon Valentine and Anthony Parham. Babiarz, a native of Stalowa Wola, Poland, is returning for his senior season. Selected as Co-Captain with Savage, Babiarz is expected to help sure up the point guard position with the loss of former All-Conference guard DJ Stanberry. Shooting 47% from three point range last season, Babriarz led the team in three point shooting percentage. A graduate of Mercer County Community College, Babriarz was a two year starter for their basketball program. Hammond believes “Miroslaw has worked as hard as anyone that I have ever been around. He has a terrific work ethic and a great attitude; I know he will do a great job as one of the leaders of this team.”
Devon Valentine is back for his third and final season with the Lightning. Appearing in 22 games last season, Valentine often was a much needed spark off the bench. “Devon has provided us with so much energy over the past couple of seasons. Coming off the bench, he has hit some really big shots that have helped us win some games.”
As a freshman, Anthony Parham appeared in all 28 games for the Lightning last season and started in 7 of them. The 6’5 Dover, Delaware native will be expected to provide help in middle this season for the Lightning, “Anthony is extremely strong and athletic, he has so much ability. We are hoping that he can create mismatches for our opponents on the offensive end and be a presence in the middle on the defensive end.”
Joining the returnees from last years team are the pair of red-shirt freshman Sam McDuffie and Preston Russell. McDuffie scored 1290 points in two seasons at Bordentown High School and led his team to the Central New Jersey League Championship. Averaging 27 points during his senior campaign, McDuffie was awarded a spot on New Jersey’s Group 1 first team. “Samuel can hurt a defense in so many ways. He has a terrific mid-range game and can run the floor. What really has impressed me is how hard he has worked to become a more complete player on both ends.”
Providing depth to the guards this season will be Preston Russell. “Preston has worked very hard on his game and has really come a long way,” Hammond stated when talking about Russell.
There are several newcomers for the Lightning this season which include a college transfer and five freshman. Maurice Maxwell is a 6’5 guard who played three seasons at the University of Massachusetts (UMass). Over his career at UMass, Maxwell played in 67 games, starting in 54. He averaged 9.2 points per game and grabbed 3.3 rebounds while shooting 40% from the floor. “Maurice had a good career in his three seasons at UMass and I am hoping for him to have a great season here at Goldey. He sees the floor very well and has great instincts,” said Hammond. “He is a versatile player who can play both guard positions. We are very excited to have him joining our team.”
Leading the freshman are Azeez “Manny” Ellegood and Darnell Cephas. Ellegood is a 5’8 point guard from Sanford High School. As a senior, Ellegood led Sanford to the Delaware State Championship game and was named second team all-state. Leading the state in assists last season, Ellegood was considered one of the top point guards in the state. “Manny is one of the quickest guards I have seen at this level. We’re looking for him to contribute right away,” Hammond noted. “He is a very good on the ball defender and knows how to run an offense because he was well taught by his High School Coach Stan Waterman.”
Another freshman with local ties is former Delaware first team all state, Darnell Cephas. Last season, Darnell led the state in scoring, averaging over 28 points per game. Cephas, 6’1 guard from Smyrna High School is known for his perimeter skills. As a senior, Darnell had two games in which he had 10 or more three’s. “We are hoping the Darnell will be able to come in and help us from the perimeter. Last year we didn’t shoot the ball well from three and we believe that Darnell can really help us out in that area. As he continues to get stronger, I believe that he can also become an effective slasher,” said Hammond.
Rounding out this years recruiting class are freshman Jon Crawford, Ido Yehuda and Dave Curlett. Crawford is a 6’4 forward from Leap Academy in Camden, New Jersey. As a junior, Crawford helped lead Leap Academy to a New Jersey Group 1 Championship. The versatile forward will help strengthen the Lightning’s frontcourt. Hammond believes “Jon was a late pick up for us this spring. He will be able to help us in a couple of different ways with his perimeter shooting and ability to finish strong around the basket.”
Ido Yehuda is coming to Goldey-Beacom College from Hod Hasharon, Israel. The 6’2 is an experienced combo guard that was a key player on his senior club team Maccabbi Patach-Tikva. As a junior, he led his Club and High School team in scoring and assists. “Ido has come a long way to be here at Goldey-Beacom College. We are hoping that he will be able to help at both our guard spots. He is very athletic and has a quick first step,” stated Hammond. “On top of being a good basketball player, Ido is an excellent student who had a 4.0 GPA in high school.”
Lastly, Local product David Curlett is a 6’6 center from Red Lion Christian High School. After sitting out last season due to injury, Curlett will add some much needed size to the Lightning roster. “David is a great kid; he is working extremely hard everyday in practice. As he continues to get better, David will be someone we can rely on for the next four seasons.”
The Lighting will open up their season against Bloomsburg University in the Wilmington College Tournament on November 16th. With a tough schedule that includes contests against at NCAA tournament teams Bentley, Bridgeport, Caldwell and Philadelphia University; the Lightning will be tested early and often. “We are playing one of our most difficult schedules since I have been here,” said Hammond. “I hope that with this schedule we will be prepared to reach all of our goals that we have set for ourselves.”