The Bears look to challenge for the league title

2000 - 2001 SEASON PREVIEW

SUNY Potsdam Men Poised for Strong Season Coming off its most successful season in recent history, the men's basketball team at SUNY Potsdam should once again be a top contender for the SUNYAC Championship Title. With the return of four of their previous five starters, Coach Bill Mitchell and the Bears will field a very competitive Division III squad for the 2000-2001 season.

The Bears are ready to compete for a league title not only this year, but for several years to come. Potsdam's starting line-up will probably consist of two sophomores, two juniors, and a senior. The success of the current Bears' team rests heavily on the leadership of its senior captains Jason Lang (New York/ LaSalle Academy), Rex Ratliff (Syracuse/ East Syracuse-Minoa) and Brian Resnick (Merrick/ Bellmore JFK). The commitment of returning core players and the development of newcomers will also be important for team development.

BACKCOURT

The backcourt looks to be one of the Bears' strengths this season as they return all three starters from the 1999-2000 season. Returner Lang, who received first team all-conference honors for the second straight season, was also named to the Second Team All-East District last year. "We anticipate that Jason will spend more time off the ball this year. At the off guard position, it will be easier for him to score within the flow of the offense, while we will continue to utilize his quickness to wreak havoc on opposing ball-handlers," noted Coach Mitchell.

Resnick returns from his best season ever as a Bear where he led the league in three-point shooting percentage. Ratliff was also a significant contributor to last season's effort with his ability to make things happen defensively. These three will not only be asked to provide leadership both on and off the court, but also knock down their shots from beyond the three-point arc.

Sophomore point guard Dave Cunningham (Fairport/Fairport) will once again be needed as a leader on the court. Dave is a true lead guard who knows how to get others involved offensively. Cunningham started all but one game last season and finished second in the league in assists.

Grant Valentine (Chestnut Ridge/ Archbishop Stepinac), a sophomore, and freshman Kurt Larson (Riverside, CA/ Arlington) will spot Cunningham at the lead guard position. The Bears will also look to sophomores Greg Snyder (DeWitt/ Jamesville_DeWitt) and Andy Healey (Schenectady/ Schenectady) to provide an offensive spark off the bench.

FRONTCOURT

Potsdam also returns four key front line players from last year's team. All-Conference junior forward, Andre Peterson (Monticello/ Monticello) led the team in both scoring and rebounding last season. The team will look for Andre to be a consistent player again this season. While Peterson led the conference in field goal percentage, sophomore Dan Munson (Plattsburgh/ Beekmantown) finished third only .003 of a point behind. Dan is a prolific scorer who will play a much larger role this season.

Junior Jon Guida (Brewster/ Trinity Pawling) followed a successful sophomore year with another great season where he averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Bears also return sophomore Paul LaBarre (Corning/ Corning West) a physically athletic forward that has worked hard to become an offensive threat. LaBarre will play an important role off the bench if the Bears are to be successful

In addition to the returning front court, sophomore Russell Johnson (Niskayuna/ Albany) will compete for a starting spot at the small forward position. Russ is a tremendous rebounder who transferred in from Iona College.

Freshman Aaron Ford (Buffalo/ Hutchinson Tech) and junior foreign exchange student Dennis Kahle (Guemmer, GER/ University of Potsdam) will provide depth at the post position as they become familiar with Potsdam's style of play

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