The Chance to Dance
Chris McCarty
After the first-ever worst to first turn around, in the Mid-American Conference history, the CMU basketball team off its 2001-02 schedule 7 p.m. today in an exhibition game against Canada GT Express.
The Chippewas are predicted to win the MAC West Division (270 points, 30 first place) and received 10 votes to win the tournament.
“Expectations are high for us this year. They are also different because we have never been in this position before,” said CMU Head Coach Jay Smith.
Kent State is predicted to win the MAC East (313 points, 31 first place) and are favored to win the MAC Tournament with 19 votes.
“I truly believe that any one of 10 teams could win the conference this season,” Smith said.
The Chippewas were 20-8 overall and 14-4 in the MAC last season return eight players, including last year’s “MAC Player of the Year,” senior David Webber. He is a 2001-02 “Preseason All-MAC,” team member.
“I really like this group of players. I love them, they are like sons to me,” Smith said.
Webber, a shooting guard, avearged 18.4 points per game (ppg), including a team high 5.2 rebounds is back for his senior campaign.
“We have so many weapons on the court that I am going to have to take a back seat. I am willing to do whatever it takes to win. I only care about us winning,” Webber said.
Joining Webber is returning forward Chad Pleiness. Pleiness a second team All-Conference selection, returns for his junior year. Last year he scored 11.7 ppg while also grabbing 5.2 boards.
At the center position, seven-foot sophomore Chris Kaman and sophomore Gerrit Brigthia are back. Both were named to the MAC All-Freshman team last year.
Kaman averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.8 boards while blocking 45 shots. Brigthia started all 28 games last season while scoring 5.8 ppg and pulling down 2.7 rebounds.
“Kaman could be the best player in the MAC if he wanted to be,” Webber said.
At the other forward spot a healthy Mike Manciel will play. Manciel has been hampered by foot problems for the past two years. He was redshirted in 1999-2000 with a broken foot, while playing last year with pins in his foot. The pins have since been removed and he is ready to go.
“I don’t remember what it feels like to be 100 percent but I would say that I’m as healthy as I can be,” said Manciel who averaged 9.7 ppg last season.
CMU also returns, guards J.R. Wallace, a junior who will be able to give Webber a break and sophomore T.J. Meerman who will see action at the point guard position.
Forwards Dan Quinn, and Adam Dentlinger will also look to contribute. And senior Jon Woods will add depth at the center position for the Chippewas.
Central also has four new-comers to the team.
Leading the way is junior transfer from Eastern Kentucky Whitney Robinson. Robinson averaged 11.7 ppg during the 1999-2000 season, while dishing out 101 assists and 34 steals.
“We are really excited about having him on our team,” Smith said.
Robinson was a former AAU teammate of Webber and Manciel.
Also joining the team are redshirt freshmen, forward Tom Pantlind and guard Tony Bowne. True freshman Herb Goliday will see time at the forward and guard positions this season.
“I am looking to just help the team in any way that I can,” Goliday said.
A concern of Webber’s is, with all the Chippewas weapons, they may play selfish at times.
“In order for our team to win we can’t have everyone playing for themselves,” Webber said.
The team will have to play together to handle its non-conference schedule that consists of nine games, six of those teams made it to postseason play last season.
“It is a difficult schedule, no doubt about it. We could be a better basketball team than last year with a worse record,” Smith said.
The non-conference schedule should help Central tune up for the MAC. Conference play kicks off Thursday Jan. 3 with Miami, the team that knocked the Chippewas off in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament last year.
“It will defiantly help us prepare for the MAC,” Brigthia said.
CMU hosts Basketball Unlimited in its final exhibition game, Tuesday Nov. 13 before opening up Sunday Nov. 18 with Tri-State.
“We are real excited to open up the season,” Brigthia said. “A lot of people have high hopes for us.”
Webber wants to win and he wants to win now.
“I feel like I am the only one with a sense of urgency. I have only got one more year left to win,” he said.
High school team Manciel understands.
“We feel it but not as much as him. We take for granted that we have years left here,” he said.
It may only be November but hopes of dancing in the NCAA Tournament are on the teams’ minds.
“It would be amazing. I have always wanted to go to the tournament,” Webber said with a tear in his eye. “I just think some of my teammates don’t understand that they have to be unselfish and not think about themselves but think about the team sometimes.”
