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LOCATION: Boone, NC
CONFERENCE: Southern (North Division)
LAST SEASON: 21-8 (.724)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 13-3 (1st)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Mountaineers
COLORS: Black & Gold
HOMECOURT: Varsity Gymnasium (8,000)
COACH: Buzz Peterson (North Carolina '86)
record at school 56-30 (3 years)
career record 56-30 (3 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Houston Fancher (MTSU '88)
Lavell Hall (Western Carolina '79)
Kerry Keating (Seton Hall '93)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 9-8-14-21-21
RPI (last 5 years) 274-259-152-109-89
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference final.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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The biggest recruiting battle won by Appalachian State last summer was the one for coach Buzz Peterson. After last season, Peterson, who has been nothing short of brilliant in three years in Boone, received flirtations from several high-profile schools with head-coaching vacancies. In the case of Southwest Missouri State, that flirtation turned into downright obsession. Several reports had Peterson actually accepting an offer to become the Bears' coach. Ultimately, Peterson ended up back at Appalachian State, which could be bad news for the rest of the Southern Conference. At the turn of the millennium, Peterson is definitely ushering in a brand new era of success at ASU. The only thing missing from his resume at this point is a Southern Conference Tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Those goals could be realized this season. The Mountaineers will head into this season as one of the league's favorites after back-to-back 21-8 records. With three starters returning and perhaps the league's most heralded incoming recruiting class, Peterson will have plenty of options regarding the construction of this year's team. Appalachian State has perhaps its most important base covered with the return of 5-9 senior point guard Tyson Patterson (11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 154 assists, 75 steals, .385 3 PT), who should be a candidate this season for the Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award given annually to the nation's top player under 6-0.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT A BENCH/DEPTH B
FRONTCOURT B INTANGIBLES B
The Mountaineers appear to be poised to make a serious run at the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Appalachian State finished in the top three in the conference in almost every team statistical category, a definite sign of a talented and well-coached team. This year, the Mountaineers have the conference's best and deepest backcourt, led by league player of the year candidate Tyson Patterson. The team's perimeter game should be better than ever with the emergence of Matt McMahon and the expected development of Alexander. It would be nice if another low-post threat could emerge to take some of the pressure off of Cedrick Holmes; however, Appalachian State already has several players capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket. "We've got a backcourt that is very experienced and a frontcourt that is lacking experience," said Mountaineers coach Buzz Peterson. If any among the group of Brian Boxler, Corey Cooper, Buddy Davis or Josh Sheehan steps forward, it will probably be enough to put the Mountaineers over the top. "The quicker the frontcourt guys can develop, the more success we can have as a team this year," said Peterson. "You've got a blend. It's a season I'm looking forward to, a season with a lot of anticipation." If ASU's returning talent weren't enough, the Mountaineers will have added incentive this season to close out Varsity Gymnasium on a high note. ASU will be playing its final season in that venue before moving into the 9,040-seat Holmes Convocation Center next year. Pencil in ASU for first place in the North Division. |
"This is his team," said Peterson. "He's making everybody around him better. I've often said, 'As Tyson goes, we go'. He loves to push the ball and we love to keep the ball in his hands. I really trust Tyson that if we keep the ball in his hands, he will get it to the right person and make things happen." Patterson finished third in the conference in assists (5.3) and steals (2.6) and also scored in double figures in 19 of the Mountaineers' last 22 games. His quickness and ball-hawking ability was a key component to a defense that forced a school-record 556 turnovers in 1998-99. A complete point guard, Patterson can knock down shots from the perimeter, penetrate and create in traffic and see the floor. He enters this season needing just 23 assists to become the school's career leader in that category. Patterson's backcourt mate is impressive in his own right. Matt McMahon (8.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 43 assists, .455 3 PT) became the team's starter at off-guard midway through last season. The former walk-on did so by emerging as one of the conference's best three-point shooters. His 60 three-pointers were tops on the team. "I can't believe that someone like Matt just walked in and asked for the opportunity to try out for our team," said Peterson. "It didn't take long for us to realize that this young man could help us a lot. He just works so hard. He worked his tail off this summer to pick up some quickness and some speed." McMahon, a 6-1 senior, should be a consistent double-figure scorer this season. He reached that plateau in eight of the team's final 10 games. McMahon is also a tough man-to-man defender and is fundamentally sound. "We're going to try to get him the shots he needs to take and that should open up our post game," said Peterson. "We're going to look for him. But, at the same time, he can guard the opposing team's best offensive player." The frontcourt has a large statistical and spiritual void to fill after the departure of Marshall Phillips (15.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 49 assists, 63 steals, 13 blocks, .531 FG), last season's leading scorer and rebounder and the MVP of the league tournament. "The leadership the seniors provided last year, especially Marshall, was very important," said Peterson. "That's the one thing we really need this season strong leadership. Tyson respected Marshall so much that some of that should rub off." Much of Phillips' offensive production might be replaced by 6-2 sophomore swingman Shawn Alexander (6.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 42 assists, 20 steals, .448 3 PT), who as a freshman saw approximately 20 minutes of playing time per game. Alexander is a gifted offensive player who needs only to harness his various talents to become one of the top scoring threats in the conference. Alexander can shoot consistently from the arc and has the kind of athletic ability that allows him to create his own shot and play much taller than his height. Alexander is not afraid of the big shot or the big game. He scored 16 points and had seven rebounds in the Mountaineers' 94-91 double overtime victory against Chattanooga in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Returning at the power-forward slot is 6-4 senior Cedrick Holmes (9.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 34 assists, 35 steals, 26 blocks, .567 FG). Like Alexander, Holmes' athleticism allows him to succeed inside despite being undersized. He was the team's leading shot blocker and third-leading scorer last season. Holmes could emerge is a consistent double-double threat. He turned that trick five times last season, including a 20-point, 11-rebound effort in the double-overtime win over Chattanooga. The post position is the most unsettled spot, where 6-6 sophomore Buddy Davis (4.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .534 FG) is the returnee with the most experience. He played in all 29 games last season. Davis reached double figures just once, a 15-point game in a blowout win over VMI on Jan. 9. However, Davis possesses good offensive skills and should be more productive with increased playing time. Corey Cooper (Allen County (Kan.), CC/Wilson, N.C.), a 6-8 junior, should see plenty of action after averaging 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and hitting nearly 59 percent of his shots from the field in his final season in junior college. Cooper also has plenty of bulk, 275 pounds of it to be exact, to throw around in the middle. Three freshmen 6-7 Mike Patten (Gaither HS/Tampa, Fla.), 6-11 Brian Boxler (Northern Durham HS/Durham, N.C.) and 6-9 Josh Sheehan (West Forsyth HS/Clemmons, N.C.) might form the Mountaineers' future frontcourt. Backing up Patterson at the point is 5-10 senior Seneca Fritts (0.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 31 assists) and 5-11 sophomore Jonathan Butler (0.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 16 assists, 13 steals). Fritts played in 28 games last season and Butler appeared in 17. Four players who can contribute at the off-guard or small-forward positions round out the roster. Rufus Leach (Sante Fe (N.M.) CC/Maxton, N.C.), a 6-2 junior, sat out last season but possesses a nice perimeter game. Nick Huge (Charlotte Christian HS/Charlotte, N.C.) is a 6-4 freshman who will compete for time at the perimeter positions. Returning from last season's team are 6-6 senior Kent Phillips (0.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg) and 6-5 sophomore Micah Hill (2.0 ppg, 0.8 rpg), who saw time in just eight games but went six of nine from the field and four of four from the free-throw line.
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