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LOCATION: New York, NY
CONFERENCE: Ivy League
LAST SEASON: 10-16 (.385)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 5-9 (6th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 4/1
NICKNAME: Lions
COLORS: Columbia Blue & White
HOMECOURT: Levien Gymnasium (3,400)
COACH: Armond Hill (Princeton '85)
record at school 34-70 (4 years)
career record 34-70 (4 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Paul Lee (Columbia '86)
Bill Johnson (Nebraska '88)
Lyman Casey (Santa Clara '93)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 4-7-6-11-10
RPI (last 5 years) 299-279-284-239-265
1998-99 FINISH: No conference tournament.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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The 1998-99 basketball season at Columbia can be summed up with three words: Coulda, woulda and shoulda. With an experienced team that had raised expectations the previous season, the Lions struggled through the year, mustering a sixth-place finish in the league and a 10-victory season. The experience just didn't help them when it should have in close games. Columbia lost six games by six points or fewer last season. This year could be a disastrous one as the Lions look to fill in after losing half of their lettermen from last season to graduation. Gary Raimondo, the team's leading scorer and rebounder (17.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg), and Justin Namolik (11.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg) were able to keep Columbia in games last season. Now they are gone and someone will need to step up. Of the returning players, only 6-8 sophomore Mike McBrien (5.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) saw a significant amount of playing time last season. McBrien played mostly center, but will move to power forward, a spot he is more accustomed to playing. The coaching staff hopes he'll be stronger this season after getting knocked out by mononucleosis midway through last year's season. His spot at the five will be filled by 6-7 junior Michael Merley (2.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg) and 6-9 freshman Chris Wiedemann (San Ramon Valley HS/ Pleasanton, Calif.). Merley started 10 games last season, all of them during the stretch when McBrien was out with mono. A strong player, Merley knows where his shots should come. He made more than 54 percent of his field goals last season, including an amazing 62 percent at home. Wiedemann is a bit more athletic than McBrien and much more than Merley. He averaged more than four blocks a game in high school.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT D BENCH/DEPTH D
FRONTCOURT D+ INTANGIBLES D
There is really no easy way to put this: Columbia will struggle mightily this season. With almost no experience returning and very little taking the place of those who left, the Lions could be in real trouble almost every time out this season. They will struggle to keep up with the Yales and Browns of the league, let alone the Penns and Princetons. One positive thing is the fact that Columbia will be young. There are no seniors on the squad and just four juniors, and only one of them plays all that much. That could provide some hope for Lion fans, but unfortunately not much. |
Also vying for time at center will be 6-6 junior Zach Schiller and 6-8 sophomore Tongo Eisen-Martin, both of whom played in just one game in 1998-99. Backing up McBrien at power forward will be 6-8 sophomore Joe Case (2.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg), who struggled getting used to the forward spot after playing mostly center in high school. The small-forward spot will be anchored by 6-5 sophomore Craig Austin (6.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg), the team's leading returning scorer. Austin will probably slide between the two-guard position and small forward. Also at forward will be two little-used returnees in 6-4 junior Ty Ugolyn (2.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg), who played in just four games, and 6-6 sophomore Marc Simon, who grabbed a rebound in his two games last season. The backcourt is going to be another mystery for Columbia. Six-foot sophomore Victor Munoz (1.9 ppg, 0.5 rpg) returns from last year. Munoz was just a spot player who averaged just eight minutes a game. He will play point guard, but has a terrible turnover-to-assist ratio (3-1). One other returnee, 6-1 sophomore Derrick Mayo (0.4 ppg, 0.5 rpg), was a walk-on who saw action in just five games. He will be pushed by five newcomers for playing time at guard. Treg Duerksen (Neosho County CC/Hillsboro, Kan.), was touted as the program's best newcomer. The 6-4 junior was an academic All-American in community college and is a tough defender. Egan Hill (Roosevelt HS/ Des Moines, Iowa) was a two-sport athlete in high school. The 6-3 freshman is also competing on the track team as a high jumper and part of the sprint medley relay. Another high school high jumper, 6-1 freshman Brad Johnson (Cardinal Gibbons HS/ Raleigh, N.C.) makes the Lions the best track team to play basketball in the Ivy League. Rounding out the squad will be two freshmen with basketball genes. Forward Jaime Irvine (Notre Dame Prep/Virginia Beach, Va.) is the son of Detroit Pistons assistant coach George Irvine and had an outstanding offensive career in high school. On three different occasions, Irvine, a 6-5 freshman, had more points than the other team combined. Also joining the Lions is 6-3 freshman guard Billy Raftery (Delbarton School/ West Orange, N.J.), the son of national television basketball analyst and former Seton Hall coach Bill Raftery.
 | The 19th edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook is on sale now. To order, call 800-828-HOOP (4667), or visit their web site at
http://www.collegebaskets.com
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