Jacket Basketball ready to construct a winning 05-06 season

DEFIANCE, Ohio—Whether you are building a basketball program or a house one rule remains constant. You have to start with a good foundation. The Defiance College men’s basketball team has the footings securely anchored for a climb up the Heartland Conference standings.

The 2004-05 season saw the young Yellow Jackets defeat nationally-ranked Hanover College 67-61, after beginning the season 7-2. First-year point guard C.J. Johnson combined with Curt Croy, Matt Laudick, and fellow newcomers Matt Muratori and Bryan Post to build an attitude and style of play based on pushing the ball on offense and working for critical stops on defense.

Johnson (Toledo, Ohio- St. Francis DeSales) enters his sophomore season at point guard after leading the Jackets with 3.2 assists-per-game and earning HCAC Freshman of the Year honors. The 5-11 Toledo native tied an HCAC record with 14 assists in an 81-72 win over Anderson one year ago. He also ranked second on the team with 11.5 points-per-game, including an 85% clip from the free throw line. Johnson will look to build on his freshman year numbers as he, again, joins Croy in the DC backcourt.

Croy (Ottawa, Ohio- Ottawa-Glandorf) is Defiance’s 17th all-time leading scorer with 1283 career points and is on pace to finish second on that list. In 04-05, the Ottawa native was named All-HCAC for the third-straight year, scoring 17 points-per-game and also pulling-down 3.6 boards from his shooting guard spot. The senior has constructed a solid legacy through three seasons and will mentor the underclassmen with fellow senior Matt Laudick.

Laudick (Ottawa, Ohio- Ottawa-Glandorf) shoulders much of the responsibility on the block. In his senior season, the forward will work in the pivot to both move the ball and create his own scoring chances. Through his first three seasons, Laudick has averaged 7.3 points-per-game and 3.9 boards-per-contest. His 6-6 frame and shooting touch create match-up problems of the opposition’s big men.

Joining Laudick in the frontcourt is sophomore Bryan Post (St. Henry, Ohio- St. Henry). Post emerged as a defensive stopper for the Jackets a year ago, starting the final 13 games of the season. The St. Henry native averaged 2.5 rebounds-per-game and while working with Muratori to defend the paint.

Muratori (Clyde, Ohio- Clyde) gained a wealth of experience last season. The sophomore will build upon his 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in 2005-06. The Clyde native played in over 15 minutes per game and has the ability to out-muscle foes to gain position.

Sophomores Tyler Morningstar, Cody Anderson, and Ryan Carthage enter their second season at DC, gaining valuable practice experience a year ago. Morningstar (Leo, Ind.- Leo) has good shooting range and can create offense with athleticism. Anderson (Oxford, Ind.- Benton Central) saw a lot of time in junior varsity action in 04-05 and will add defensive intensity to the DC bench. Carthage (Southfield, Mich.- Lathrup) is a hard working forward that shares Anderson’s defensive mentality.

Coach Miller’s second recruiting class includes plenty of size in Anthony Pettaway, Robert Kisabeth, and Rob Majors, while also adding skilled players to the wing positions.

Pettaway (Toledo, Ohio- Bowsher) is a 6-8 forward with all of the physical attributes needed to contribute, while Kisabeth (Tiffin, Ohio- Columbian) and Majors (Pinkney, Mich.- Pinkney) were both all-conference big men at the high school level.

Anthony Jackson (Defiance, Ohio- Ayersville), a shooting guard, comes to DC after a stallar career for Ayersville coach Doug Flory, while fellow guard Frank Washington (Detriot, Mich.- City) was an all-regional performer at Kirtland Community College a year ago.

Andy Gerschutz (Holgate, Ohio- Holgate), Craig Weaks (Toledo, Ohio- Bowsher), Jarret Ensign (Marblehead, Ohio- Danbury) and Joe Nowak (Elmore, Ohio- Woodmore) will all look to contribute and gain experience at the guard and forward spots.

Joining Miller once again is assistant coach Scott Cutter who is entering his third year at Defiance College. Cutter and fellow assistant Ralph Ruffer, a veteran of 27-years of coaching, will be joined this year by Matt Moore, an All-American and HCAC Most Valuable Player at Hanover College.

The Jackets open up regular season play at the Anderson Tip-off Tournament on November 18th and 19th. DC will host Heidelberg College on the 22nd to begin home play and will later travel to Las Vegas to participate in the Adidas Shootout on December 22nd and 23rd. HCAC play opens for the Jackets on January 4th at home against Transylvania.