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Men's Basketball News
2009-10 Men's Basketball Season Preview
Following a successful 2008-2009 season, the 2009-2010 basketball team is hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s squad. Centre ended last season with a 23-5 overall record, a 12-2 mark in conference play, and won the conference title for the 18th time. The Colonels returns a Division III News Freshman All-American and an All-SCAC First Team member.
Centre lost five players, including three starters, from last year’s team to graduation. The departed seniors had a fantastic four-year stint as they compiled 92 wins over that time, which is more than any other class in Centre basketball history and SCAC history. The senior class posted three straight 20-plus win seasons, as well as winning three straight SCAC regular season titles, and winning the SCAC Tournament Championship two times in three years.
Centre will be led this year by senior Danny Noll (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) and sophomore Jeff Mullaney (Louisville, Ky.). Noll was a D3hoops.com preseason All-American selection in 2008-2009 and an All-SCAC First Team member last year and led the conference in three-point field goal percentage (43.7%). Noll also averaged 15.9 points per game and had a field goal percentage of 51.4%, which were both good enough for fifth place in the conference. Mullaney was a Division III News Freshman All-American and the SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year last season. He averaged 8.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists for Centre in 24.4 minutes of action per game. Mullaney also shot 44.2% from the field, including 43.5% from three-point range, good for third place in the SCAC.
Junior Alex Lloyd (Versailles, Ky.) will also be a key player for the Colonels this year because of his experience at the center position. Lloyd was fifth in rebounding last year in the conference with 7.5 boards per game and third overall in blocked shots with 1.8 per game.
The Colonels have added five freshmen to the mix this season. In recent years, Centre has had several newcomers contribute early in their careers. Over the last six years the Colonels have had the SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year four times.
“We are looking forward to another exciting year,” Centre head coach Greg Mason said.
“This will be a team whose best basketball will be played at the end of the season as 12 of our 17 players are either freshman or sophomores. Fortunately, we have senior Danny Noll, one of our most consistent players in recent memory to help us through the early part of the season. As we have guys adjust to different roles and responsibilities, I think we’ll have a very competitive team come March,” Mason added.
Centre will open its 2009-2010 season Wednesday, Nov. 18 against Maryville College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Gym in Danville, Ky.
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