EMORY, Va. - Last season, the Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team made a statement in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Coming off back-to-back 4-22 seasons, the Wasps were picked to finish last in the league. However, E&H posted a 12-14 record and finished in a tie for seventh in the conference regular season and hosted a first-round game in the ODAC Tournament.
Emory & Henry is picked to finish in a three-way tie for ninth place by the league's head coaches along with Bridgewater College and Roanoke College. Virginia Wesleyan College earned 11 of the 12 first-place votes while Hampden-Sydney College and Randolph-Macon College round out the top three with the Yellow Jackets taking home the 12th top nod.
With sixth-year Head Coach Paul Russo at the helm, the Wasps now understand the importance of preparation and have bought into what it means to play hard and are ready to reap the benefits. Emory & Henry returns four players that played significant minutes, all of whom were starters at one point last season. The Wasps also have five other returners that are in a position to help the program make a big jump forward.
The offseason was busy for the Wasps as they found out what success and winning tastes like last year. They worked hard both on and off the court to put them in a spot to continue the climb up the ladder in the ODAC standings. All this combined with the addition of six freshmen will make E&H a force to be reckoned with when the conference regular season rolls around in January.
Leading the backcourt for Emory & Henry this year will be 2011-12 All-ODAC Third-Teamer Malcolm Green (Marshville, N.C.). The senior averaged 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last year en route to all-league honors. Watch for Green to continue to be the go-to player on offense and possibly become the next member of the Wasps' 1000-point club.
Also returning for Emory & Henry at the guard position are juniors Onell Gibson (Sicklerville, N.J.) and Stephen Brown (Charleston, S.C.). Both players saw limited action as sophomores, but will be counted upon this season as upperclassmen who know the E&H system.
Joining the Wasps as freshmen this year are Daniel Ginsberg (Charlottesville, Va.), Myles Turner (Richmond, Va.) and K.J. Lett (Manassas, Va.). All three had successful high school careers in the always tough districts of Northern Virginia and will make an immediate impact in the lineup. Junior Brett Pearman (Chesapeake, Va.) rejoins the Wasps after taking some time away from basketball and will also have a role in the team's success this year.
Emory & Henry's frontcourt is loaded with talent and players ready to have a breakout season this winter. Senior Armando Murrell (Brooklyn, N.Y.) adjusted well as a transfer last year, leading the team in field goal percentage (56.8 %) while averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Murrell has the ability to be a dominant force down low in the ODAC both on the offensive and defensive end of the court as he led the team in blocked shots in 2011-12.
Juniors Tyler Mullins (Hazard, Ky.) and Charles Smith (Fayetteville, N.C.) are both primed to continue their success a year ago. Mullins is the second-leading scorer returning from last year (8.8 ppg) and led the Wasps with 5.5 rebounds per contest. He is also a threat from the outside as he made 20 three-pointers in addition to having 39 assists to lead all E&H post players. Smith split starts with Murrell at the center spot and will be a key piece when the Wasps want to go to a big lineup this year. He averaged 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds as he shot over 50 percent (64-of-126) from the field as a sophomore.
Junior Jorel Terrell (Port Saint Lucie, Fla.) was recovering from an injury early last season, but became a go-to reserve for Russo and the Wasps down the stretch, averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in just less than 15 minutes per game. Junior Cameron Coles (Charlottesville, Va.) played in 16 games last season mostly late in the first half. His ability to come off the bench as a rebounder will be counted on again this year.
Also returning are junior Russ Lyons (Richmond, Va.) and sophomore Jordan Schwartz (Louisville, Ky.). Both of these players will add depth to the frontcourt and their size will help prepare the Wasps for some of the taller players in the conference during practices.
Newcomers in the post for Emory & Henry are Kevin Anzenberger (Concord, N.C.), Austin Cooper (Hurley, Va.) and Christian Wiltshire (Hanover, Va.). Anzenberger will compete early for playing time as he has the ability to play both in the post and on the wing. Both Cooper and Wiltshire have the ability to make an impact for the Wasps as they become more familiar with the speed and complexity of the college game.
Emory & Henry is set to open the 2012-13 season with an exhibition game on Saturday, November 3 as it hosts King (Tenn.) College at Bob Johnson Court and the John Rutledge King Center at 7:00 p.m. The Wasps will open the season at Covenant College on Friday, November 16 with a 7:00 p.m., game and will host Ferrum College on Tuesday, November 20 at 5:00 p.m. E&H's first ODAC test will come at Hampden-Sydney College on Saturday, November 24 with tipoff scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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