GWU Men's Basketball Tips Off 2006-2007 Season Friday With First Practice
October 13, 2006 | Men's Basketball
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - Gardner-Webb's men's basketball team hit
the practice courts for the first time Friday night at 7 pm ET
sharp, officially tipping off the 2006-2007 season.
The Runnin' Bulldogs (17-12 in 2005-2006) are coming of consecutive
top-4 finishes in the Atlantic Sun Conference race, but welcome
just one starter - senior Chris Gash (10.0 ppg) - and only three
more letterwinners from last year's squad.
That lack of experience led the league's coaches to pick the 'Dogs
eighth in the recently released Atlantic Sun Conference preseason
poll - out of 10 teams. GWU was picked sixth by the league's
media.
A recruiting class ranked as high as No. 49 nationally by Hoop
Scoop should help fill out the roster effectively, as 11 newcomers
will suit up for the 'Dogs when the season begins on November 13 at
Texas Tech - part of the CBE (College Basketball Experience)
Classic.
Center Samba Fall (6-8, 215, So.) was tabbed the A-Sun's Newcomer
of the Year by CBS Sportsline's Preview Magazine this month after a
year at Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College and Pepperdine. He
will be joined by junior college transfers Jake Sims (6-5, 210,
Jr.) and Thomas Sanders (6-3, 210, Jr.), who each considered offers
from larger schools - Sims at Colorado State and Sanders at both
Tennessee Tech and East Carolina - before deciding on
Gardner-Webb.
The true freshmen expected to make an immediate impact are point
guard Wes Mincey (5-9, 165, Fr.), who led Dunwoody (Ga.) High to a
pair of state titles by averaging 8.0 assists per game and
high-flying forward Jesse Wheeler (6-5, 205, Fr.) - who should be
one of the favorites in the Bulldog Madness dunk contest on
Thursday, October 19 in Paul Porter Arena. Rookies Auryn MacMillan
(6-8, 235, Fr.), Matt French (6-7, 215, Fr.), Matt Maden (6-10,
271, Fr.), Grayson Flittner (6-0, 190, Fr.) and Selden Edwards
(6-2, 185, Fr.) each have bright futures in store as well.
Two-sport man Brandon Jackson (6-0, 178, Fr.), a running back on
the Bulldog football team, will join the team after that season
ends - and could compete for time at point guard.
Returning players Ricky McPhee (6-1, 175, So.) - who scored a
career-high 21 points in last season's opener at North Carolina -
and Takayo Siddle (5-11, 180, So.) will likely be in the starting
lineup when the season begins and last year's experience will be
very important to the Bulldogs' potential success in 2006-2007. GWU
also has the luxury of veteran Clint Graham (6-8, 210, Jr.), a
versatile post player who can step out to the perimeter with an
accurate jump shot.
A schedule that features road games at North Carolina, Texas Tech,
NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia and Wisconsin - with two of those
squads in most preseason top-10 rankings - will be challenging. So
will the 18-game Atlantic Sun Conference slate that begins in
January.
Fans interested in catching a glimpse of this year's Bulldogs
should plan on attending Bulldog Madness, the third annual fan fest
that is scheduled for Thursday, October 19, in Paul Porter Arena.
Admission is free for all ages, and will begin at 6:30 pm ET.
