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2006-07 Season Preview

Head Coach Robert Sanicola hopes a combination of seasoned veterans and talented newcomers can prove to be the right blend for success for the Saint Joseph’s College men’s basketball team in 2006-07. Sanicola enters his fourth season at Saint Joseph’s with a team that returns seven lettermen, including three starters.

Slowly, but surely, the coaching staff has injected the legacy and tradition of excellence of years past into the current Saint Joseph’s College basketball program on this small campus in Southern Maine - a tradition that includes three conference crowns, including two in the past six years, and four postseason appearances. Things can still be better, though, and the first step begins with never being satisfied with what has happened before, but always wanting more.

As a program, there is still some work to do, but it’s evident that things are moving in the right direction. And with each new season, there are different expectations and personnel, so comparisons from one year to the next are seldom done on “The Lake.” The goal is always the same, however: to play hard, play smart, and play together, and if this is done each passing day, they will find themselves playing when it matters most, in March and in the NCAA tournament.

“We were very pleased and excited about the success of last year’s team,” stated head coach Rob Sanicola. “They performed well throughout the year, made a great run at the end of the year to propel us in the National Association of Division III Independents tournament and played hard into the postseason.”

“But, this is a new season, and the one thing we don’t want to do is make any comparisons from one year to the next. This is going to be an entirely new group in 2006-07, and we will have new leaders and new faces who have to dedicate themselves to working at being the very best we can be this year.”

Indeed, Saint Joseph’s College will have a different look from last year’s team, especially with the graduation of starting point guard and senior captain Noah LaRoche. Sanicola has the unenviable task of attempting to duplicate - or even improve upon – the team’s best season under the 4th year head coach going 19-8 a year ago, finishing with the second best overall record in the last seven years, including a trip to the finals of the NCAA Division III Independent Tournament.

Lofty numbers to be sure. However, with six seniors, Sanicola and his staff must lead a seasoned, but young and talented, group of individuals, including five returning sophomores and three newcomers, onto the court in the hopes that they can continue to build upon the success of past teams.

“We will focus on continuing to instill our pressure defense and ability to make plays in transition with this group. This is our third year of recruiting, and the second year of recruiting the type of individuals we need to be successful in this system,” said Sanicola.

“We understand limiting yourself to one style of play can be dangerous,” said Sanicola when asked about how his team this year will play. “I think we will have the ability to play at whatever pace is necessary to get the job done. We should be able to step it up and run at a pace that produces many fast break points, but we should be disciplined enough to play at a slower pace when time and circumstances dictate."

FRONTCOURT – A Blend of Experience

Marcus Alexander (Niceville, Fl.), Matt Plummer (Naples, Me.) and Mitch Ouellet (Fort Kent, Me.) anchor the Monks frontcourt. Senior Alexander, an Honorable Mention All-Independent selection, started 28 games last year at the small forward position. Alexander led the team in scoring at 12.7 points and rebounds with 5.2 per game. He finished third on the team in field goal percent with .474 from the floor.

Plummer, the second of six seniors, has shown steady improvement throughout his career. Last year he led the team in three-point field goal percentage (.459) and averaged a career-best 11.7 points. He also is led the team in rebounding at 5.2 rebounds per game.

Ouellet, a second year player, saw considerable time, starting every game as a freshman. He finished in the top two on the roster with a .530 field goal percentage while grabbing a third best 4.9 rebounds per game.

Senior Pat Mileski (Cape Elizabeth, Me.) was one of the team’s most improved players over the last couple of years. After walking on as a freshman, he has appeared in a total of 69 games and started an impressive 43 games in his three years, played in 20 games off the bench in 2005-06 and should see considerable action this year as well.

Bernard Castor (Mattapan, Mass.), senior captain, is a candidate to see time at both inside positions. Castor will be looked upon to add a spark off the bench and provide leadership in the locker room.

Colby Emmons (Portland, Me.) returns fully healthy after spending the majority of his two years in a Monks uniform battling a wide variety of knee problems that limited his play to just 8.4 minutes a game two years ago in the 22 games he played. During his time on the floor he averaged 1.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest. It is his toughness and scoring ability that will make him a threat his senior season. With only three returning forwards on the roster, Emmons figures to get minutes and will be looked to for contributions during that time on the court.

“We are extremely excited that Colby is healthy for his senior season. He has worked extremely hard on his conditioning and body to help this year’s team. We understand Colby will make more of an impact as the season goes on as he has not seen competitive action for almost 1½ years. His knowledge and competitive spirit will be a welcome addition to our roster,” said Sanicola.

Freshman forward Raymond Eatmon (Huntington, N.Y.) will try to step in and make a contribution right away to the frontcourt. Eatmon comes to “The Lake” after prepping at Walt Whitman High School in New York. At Walt Whitman he averaged 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and 4 steals as a senior.

“Ray is the type of person that will succeed at Saint Joseph’s College. He is a great kid on and off the court. He has a tremendous work ethic, toughness, and basketball I.Q. for a first-year player. Once he gets comfortable with our system and physically stronger, it will be hard to take him off the court,” said Sanicola.

Freshman Mark Sirois (Madawaska, Me.) rounds out the forward roster spots for the Monks this year. He will need to adjust to the speed and quickness of the college game before seeing the court.

BACKCOURT

Senior Captain Chad Pulkkinen (Windham, Me.), an honorable mention All-Independent selection, started 28 games last year at the two guard and returns as the leader of the backcourt. He finished fifth on the team in scoring last year with 8.7 points per game. His 43 three-pointers elevated him to 6th most in a single season in Monks history, and his 30.7 minutes per game led the team.

“Chad has an opportunity that most players dream of, a fifth year, after gaining a medical hardship waiver for missing a majority of his first two seasons on “The Lake,” said Sanicola.
“He has worked harder than any player in the program and it shows. Chad looks unbelievable; he is another step quicker and has the lift back on his jump shot. His new body should bring confidence to his game and we are excited to get him back on the court for his last go-around.”

Sophomore Elbie Murphy (Loudonville, N.Y.) made an immediate impact in his rookie year, earning the team’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. He led the Monks in steals (77) and field goal percentage (.540) while averaging 10.4 points per game. Murphy accomplished all of this while averaging only 20.7 minutes per game.

“Elbie has the quality that most coaches at the Division III level want, but can’t get, and boy are we grateful he is suiting up with the Monks! He is a tremendous defender with quick hands and a nose for the ball. He is a “stat-stuffer”; he helps you win games in a variety of ways. The program will be counting on Elbie to improve upon his contributions as a first year player, but more importantly inject his emotion and energy throughout the program.”

Sophomore R.J. Mattison (Hamden, Ct.) showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie year. While averaging only 12 minutes per contest, Mattison’s contribution was what the Monks needed. His high energy and relentless ball pressure made it difficult for opposing point guards to get into their offense. Look for R.J.’s numbers to increase from the 12 minutes, 3.3 points, and 1.3 rebounds per game in his second year with the Royal Blue and White.

“R.J. adds a different dimension to the backcourt. He is arguably our fastest player and one of the best on-the-ball defenders we have. His minutes will continue to grow as he grows in our system. He really has worked hard to be more consistent with his outside shot, and it should show this season,” said Sanicola.

Sophomore Scot Vachon (Guilderland, N.Y.) will likely see the starting point guard responsibilities. Vachon appeared in 22 games last year as a freshman, spending most of the time as an understudy to three-year starter captain Noah LaRoche.

“Scot will give you a hard night’s work every time out,” said Sanicola. “He is a leader who will play his tail off and impact the play of others. He might not be the biggest influence on the stat sheet, but he will certainly factor into how our team is playing.”

Several newcomers will be looked upon to add depth and challenge for playing time at the guard positions. Freshman Vince Micucci (Yarmouth, Me.) will add some depth at the point guard and shooting guard positions, respectively, but will need time to adjust to the college game and to understand the Monks system.

We added depth to the backcourt with the addition of Vince,” Sanicola said. “Along with our returning players, I feel our group is as strong as any we’ve had since I have been the head coach. Chad Pulkkinen is our leader, and we will look to him to set an example for this group.”

“It has always been my thought that championships at any level are won with excellent guard play,” Sanicola said. “We have a group that has experience and youth. If our young kids are able to provide depth and our upperclassmen show leadership, this group could be very special.”