Bowling Green State University Athletics
2000 Men's Basketball Summer Preview
December 27, 1999 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 1, 1999
The 1999-2000 Bowling Green State University men's basketball team has many of the needed ingredients to continue the steady improvement the program has shown the last two seasons under head coach Dan Dakich and make a run at division and league tournament honors this season.
Last year's squad won eight more games than in Dakich's first season. A similar improvement this season would put the Falcon program among the best in the league.
Bowling Green ended last season with a flurry winning seven of eight games in February to finish in a tie for third in the East Division, then earning an 80-74 overtime win at Akron in the quarterfinal round of the league tournament before losing in the semifinals in overtime to Miami. Bowling Green failed to make the conference tournament in Dakich's first season.
Even though the Falcons were not rewarded with a postseason invitation following a fine season, another brick in the building process had been placed to set the stage for this season.
"There are a few keys this season for us to continue to make strides in the program," Dakich said. "We need to stay healthy - we have lost an all-conference caliber player the last two seasons. We need to continue from where we left off last season in terms of being a tough-minded team in all phases of the game. And, everyone has to get better."
The Falcons lose five players from a year ago, two of which played significant roles as starters and a third who would have if not for an injury.
Center Kirk Cowan was the top rebounder the last two years and finished his career #4 on the BG career list in blocked shots. Guard DeMar Moore finished his career just shy of 1,000 points and had 112 more assists than turnovers for his career. He also ranks third on the BG career list with 131 three-pointers. Forward Tony Reid was a pre-season all-league pick before injuring his back in December and playing in only 11 games. He averaged almost 17 points a game as a junior dropping to 8.8 points in his limited time last season.
Offensively, Dakich feels they must improve their perimeter shooting and assist-to-turnover ratio this season.
"We recruited kids who are shooters, one area which I think we need to improve," said Dakich. "We need to improve our perimeter shooting, and we addressed that a little with our recruiting. We have a number of returning players who are pretty good shooters who need to become very good shooters.
"And for us to be as good as we are capable of being, we have to have a much better assist to turnover ratio than last season.
"There are going to be be two keys for us as I see it - one of the keys will be how well we are able to rebound and play inside. The other is how many easy baskets we are going to be able to generate, especially by getting the ball down the court quickly."
Defensively, Dakich feels that as long as they maintain the tough-minded attitude which was the key characteristic of the squad in their late-season run, they should be a good defensive team.
"The reason we were able to play well down the stretch last year was because of our defensive play and the toughness that came along with that," Dakich said. "Anthony Stacey and Dave Esterkamp should be our leaders in the rebounding area. Hopefully, rebounding will not be an issue for us this season."
A look at the Falcons follows:
BACKCOURT: The Falcons have experience, depth, and talent here and should be able to put a number of combinations on the court maintaining their productivity.
A trio of sophomores - Keith McLeod, Brandon Pardon, and Graham Bunn - are joined by two juniors - Dubrey Black and Trent Jackson - comprising the returning contingent in the backcourt.
"We have five experienced players in the backcourt," Dakich said. "We are going to try and get the ball down the court, because I think, McLeod and Pardon, in particular, can get it down the court."
McLeod joined the team at the semester break without ever having practiced with the team and in his first game came off the bench to play 31 minutes and lead the team in scoring. He went on to have four games of 20 or more points and 11 contests in which he scored in double digits. He was the only player other than Stacey to average in double figures last season. He should be one of the top players in the backcourt in the MAC this season.
"Considering the difficult situation he came into last season - basically without practice or conditioning - Keith did as well as he could possibly do," Dakich said. "Now he needs to become more comfortable with not only his play, but making other players better. We need to get him to the point where he does all the things that talented players do to win games."
Pardon will become eligible to play at the end of the first semester this season (Dec. 18) after transferring from Wright State in December last season. Pardon practiced with the team after transferring so he does have a grasp of the system and the players. He averaged 6.1 points and 4.0 assists starting 24 of 28 games as a freshman at Wright State after finishing third in the Mr. Basketball voting in Ohio as a prep senior.
Bunn played in all but one game last season as a freshman earning five starts. The scrappy player averaged almost five points a game and won the season opener with a shot at the buzzer. Black played in 19 games averaging just over seven minutes a game, but his role is expected to expand this season. Jackson played in 18 games after joining the team at the semester break averaging 2.4 points. He is one of the top defensive players on the team.
Newcomers Seth Doliboa and Cory Ryan are excellent shooters and will look to work their way into the rotation as the season progresses. Ryan averaged over 22 points a game last season and set school records for career points and points in a season.
FRONTCOURT: The forward position is the strength of the team with seniors returning at both spots while the center position is a mild question mark.
The only two seniors on the roster will comprise the two forward spots, Stacey and Esterkamp, while a trio of players, sophomores Len Matela and Brent Klassen along with freshman Kevin Netter, will battle for the playing time in the middle.
"Our inside is a bit of a concern between Matela, Klassen, and Kevin Netter," Dakich said. "They are going to have to play a lot. They are going to have to produce - rebounding, scoring, not making turnovers, and being able to defend players who are going to be stronger than they are."
Stacey is probably the top returning player in the MAC this season after earning first-team all-league and second team NABC all-district honors a year ago in which he ranked among the league leaders in five categories, including scoring (18.5 ppg, 4th), rebounding (5.6 rpg, 15th), and steals (2.3 spg, 2nd). He is also one of the top shooters in the conference ranking sixth in field goal percentage and ninth in free throw percentage.
"In my mind, Anthony is an old-school player," said Dakich. "He plays hard, he leads, he practices hard, he does everything you want a player to do. We have tried to increase his game, and I think he has done that. The final step in Anthony's development is to be able to make people better with his passing because he is such a focus. That is the final piece to his game offensively."
Stacey should become the career scoring and steals leader during the course of the upcoming season. He is the type of player who wants the ball with the game on the line as evidenced by the numerous times last season he made shots to win or send contests to overtime. He converted field goals in the last five seconds of both the MAC Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal games to send both contests to overtime.
Esterkamp is expected to have a big final season having been a steady player throughout his career. He proved he could score if called upon averaging almost 13 points a game as a sophomore and last season averaging 8.0 points when his offensive role was reduced. He has started 49 of the 54 games his has played the last two seasons.
Sophomore Jeremy King, who sat out last season to concentrate on his academics, is expected to be a member of the team this season and is the other forward on the roster. He did not practice with the squad last year after averaging over 18 points as a prep senior.
Matela played a much more significant role in his first season than Klassen. Matela played in all 28 games last season, starting 12 contests, and was third on the team in rebounding while averaging over six points per game. He had five double-doubles (pts.-reb.) during the course of the season with highs of 20 points and 16 rebounds.
"I would think, with increased strength, that Len should be as good as any rebounder around, whether that is this season or sometime in the future," Dakich said.
Klassen played in 12 games seeing only 76 minutes of action, but is expected to be much improved this year.
Newcomer Kevin Netter is expected to push the two returning players after averaging almost 18 points a game last season in the high school ranks.
1998-99 MAC Standings
(top line - MAC games, second line - all games) East W L Pct. Pts Opp 1. Miami 15 3 .833 1297 1102 24 8 .750 2163 1933 2. Kent 13 5 .722 1304 1207 23 7 .767 2156 1905 3. Akron 12 6 .667 1366 1279 18 9 .667 2031 1905 Bowling Green 12 6 .667 1251 1182 18 10 .643 1980 1824 Ohio 12 6 .667 1371 1225 18 10 .643 2127 1896 6. Marshall 11 7 .611 1309 1238 16 11 .595 2075 1906 7. Buffalo 1 17 .055 1046 1356 5 24 .172 1711 2141 West 1. Toledo 11 7 .611 1248 1144 19 9 .679 2008 1774 2. Ball State 10 8 .555 1198 1198 16 11 .595 1798 1760 3. Central Michigan 7 11 .389 1274 1331 10 16 .385 1824 1879 4. Western Michigan 6 12 .333 1265 1369 11 15 .423 1823 1924 5. Eastern Michigan 5 13 .278 1052 1216 5 20 .200 1490 1739 6. Northern Illinois 2 16 .111 1043 1177 6 20 .231 1560 1719
Player Notes
Dubrey Black, Junior, Guard Started two games last season and six for his career...averaged 7.1 minutes in 19 games last season after averaging 15.5 minutes as a freshman...has his top two scoring games against Akron - 16 last season on the road, and, 14 in 1997-98 at home...has scored in double digits seven times...was the first recruit signed by head coach Dan Dakich.Graham Bunn, Sophomore, Guard Scrappy player who averaged just under 14 minutes seeing action all but one game last season...started five times with a high of 14 points vs. Western Michigan in a season-high 29 minutes...had a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left to ice the game at Marshall and won season opener over Northern Iowa with shot at the buzzer.
Seth Doliboa, Freshman, Guard Newcomer who will likely see action off the bench at the shooting guard spot...was a second-team Div. II All-Ohio pick.
Dave Esterkamp, Senior, Forward Is the only other senior on the roster other than Anthony Stacey...broke his left wrist early in the summer, but is expected to be at full strength for the opening of practice...should improve on his career numbers of 8.0 points and 3.9 rebounds...has started all but five games the last two seasons averaging over 31 minutes per contest with 28 games scoring in double figures.
Trent Jackson, Junior, Guard Started playing last season at the end of the fall semester after transferring from Ohio State...averaged just over 10 minutes per game playing in all but one of the possible 19 games...had his high of 15 points in the first game he played which was against Western Michigan...started one game.
Jeremy King, Sophomore, Forward Newcomer who sat out last season to concentrate on his academics...did not play or practice with the team...talented, athletic player who should see playing time this season.
Brent Klassen, Sophomore, Center Will battle with sophomore teammate Len Matela and newcomer Kevin Netter for playing time in the middle...played in 12 games last season averaging just over six minutes and 1.7 points...should continue to improve and play more and more as his career progresses.
Len Matela, Sophomore, Center Had a solid first season playing in every game averaging almost 19 minutes...likely to be the starter in the middle...had seven games scoring in double figures and was third on the team in rebounding...started 12 games...had five double-doubles (pts.-reb.) with a high of 20 points and 16 rebounds...shot 54.0% from the floor...if he continues to improve like he did in his first season will be one of the top players at his position in the near future.
Keith McLeod, Sophomore, Guard Joined the program after fall semester after achieving the needed test score in late November...played in all 20 possible games starting nine times averaging just under 30 minutes per game...was second on the team in scoring with four 20+-point games and a total of 11 double-figure efforts...second on the team in three-point field goals while shooting almost 80% from the charity stripe...capable of being one of the top players in the conference this season.
Kevin Netter, Freshman, Center Will look to earn some playing time in a reserve role this season in the middle...averaged almost 18 points helping team to regional level of state tournament.
Brandon Pardon, Sophomore, Guard Will become eligible after the first semester...came to BG in December and practiced but did not play after transferring from Wright State...averaged 6.1 points and 4.0 assists starting 24 of 28 games as freshman at Wright State...was third in the Mr. Basketball balloting his senior season of high school averaging over 21 points and nine assists.
Cory Ryan, Freshman, Guard Newcomer who was honorable mention all-state averaging 22.9 points...set school record with 1,445 points for career and 480 his senior season.
Anthony Stacey, Senior, Forward All-American candidate...will be the team leader again this season as the most experienced player on the squad...ranked in the top ten in the MAC in five individual categories and was 15th in rebounding...should become the BG career leader in points and steals this season...needs 384 points and 29 steals to reach those milestones...was probably the #2 player in the MAC last season behind Wally Szczerbiak...was a first-team All-MAC selection while also being named to the second-team district squad picked by the coaches...was on the MAC Tournament and Indiana Classic all-tournament teams...sent the MAC Tournament quarterfinal and semifinal games to overtime with baskets in the last five seconds, just a couple of several times he played a key role in winning or sending games to overtime...had 13 games of 20 or more points last season with two contests of 30 markers.
Bowling Green's Rank In MAC Statistics
Individual
Scoring: Anthony Stacey 4th 18.5 ppg
Rebounding: Anthony Stacey 15th 5.6 rpg
Assists: DeMar Moore 7th 3.9 apg
Field Goal %: Anthony Stacey 6th .500
Free Throw %: Anthony Stacey 9th .763
3-Pt. FG %: none
3-pt. FGs: none
Steals: Anthony Stacey 2nd 2.3 spg
DeMar Moore 10th 1.6 spg
Blocked Shots: Kirk Cowan t-7th 1.0 bpg
Asst./TO Ratio: DeMar Moore 6th 1.62
Team
Offense: 6th 70.7 ppg
3 pt. FG%: 9th .325
Defense: 4th 65.1 ppg
Scoring Margin: 6th (+5.6)
FG % Offense: 3rd .459
Rebound Margin: 4th (+1.3)
FG % Defense: 6th .426
FT%: 4th .726
3 pt. FG% Defense: 4th .322
Rebounding: 10th 33.6
Blocked Shots: 7th 3.0
Reb. Allowed: 3rd 32.3
Assists: 5th 13.6
Steals: 3rd 9.0
TO Margin: 6th +1.9
Asst./TO Ratio: 6th 0.89
Off. Reb.: 12th 10.3
Def. Reb.: 6th 23.3
3-pt. FG Made: 12th 4.7
Personnel Breakdown
LETTERMEN RETURNING (8) Dubrey Black, G, Jr., 6-3, 185, Mansfield, Ohio/Senior, 3.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg Graham Bunn, G, So., 6-1, 170, Raleigh, N.C./Wake Forest-Rolesville H.S./New Hampton (N.H.) Prep School, 4.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg +Dave Esterkamp, F, Sr., 6-7, 220, Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle, 8.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg Trent Jackson, G, Jr., 6-4, 205, Rochester, N.Y./Franklin H.S./Ohio State , 2.4 ppg, 1.3 rpg Brent Klassen, C, So., 6-8, 220, Kimball, Neb./Kimball H.S./New Hampton (N.H.) Prep School, 1.7 ppg, 0.8 rpg Len Matela, C, So., 6-9, 220, Merrillville, Ind./Andrean, 6.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg +Keith McLeod, G, So., 6-2, 185, Canton, Ohio/McKinley, 12.4 ppg, 2.9 apg +Anthony Stacey, F, Sr., 6-4, 235, Elyria, Ohio/Grafton Midview, 18.5 ppg, 5.6 rpgNEWCOMERS (3): Seth Doliboa, G, Fr., 6-7, 185, Springboro, Ohio, 17.5 ppg, 11.2 rpg Kevin Netter, C, Fr., 6-10, 195, Richmond Dale, Ohio/Southeastern, 17.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg Cory Ryan, G, Fr., 6-5, 205, Fountain City, Ind./Northeastern, 22.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg
RED-SHIRT (1): Jeremy King, F, So., 6-6, 200, Toledo, Ohio/Scott, 18.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg
TRANSFER (1): Brandon Pardon, G, So., 6-1, 185, Van Wert, Ohio/Lincolnview, 6.1 ppg, 4.0 apg
LETTERMEN LOST (5): +Kirk Cowan, C, Sr., 6-7, 190, Brooklyn, N.Y./Madison, 9.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg Javier Crespo, F, Sr., 6-8, 220, Madrid, Spain/Cardinal O'Hara (Pa.), 0.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg Dave Furlin, G, Sr., 6-4, 195, Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso H.S./Gulf Coast (Fla.) C.C., 0.8 ppg, 0.5 rpg +DeMar Moore, G, Sr., 5-11, 185, Sandusky, Ohio, 8.0 ppg, 4.0 apg Tony Reid, G/F, Sr., 6-3, 190, Gahana, Ohio/Lincoln H.S./Edison (Ohio) C.C., 8.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg + 1998-99 starter (statistics for Jerremy King are for 1997-98 season at Scott High School) (statistics for Brandon Pardon are for 1997-98 season at Wright State)
