EMU Basketball Media Guide • 2005-06 - Eastern Michigan Eagles ...

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Eagles Eager to Enter 2005-06 Season
Senior John Bowler (42) enters his final year as a
preseason All-Mid-American Conference selection.
Bowler finished eighth in the league in rebounding
(6.3) and 15th in scoring (13.1) in 2004-05. He is
tied for 32nd on the all-time EMU scoring list with
864 points and his 500 career rebounds is good for
11th in the school record book.
throw percentage at 94.1 percent.
The junior class will be counted on to
provide some inside help to Bowler, in the
presence of Craig Cashen (6-8, 210, Jr.-
Jr.) and junior-college transfer Chris
Knaub (6-10, 225, Jr.-Jr.).
“Both Craig Cashen and Chris Knaub
give us stability at the four spot,” Ramsey
said of his junior class. “Both players have
good range on their shots and can knock
down some outside jumpers to take the
inside pressure off John Bowler. Craig is a
real energy guy, and Chris gives us stability.
We look for those two guys to do well.”
Cashen played in all 30 games last
year and averaged 2.5 points and 1.9 rebounds.
He made 84.4 percent of his foul
shots and hauled down 58 rebounds.
Knaub played last year at Jacksonville
(Texas) Junior College where
he averaged 3.5 points and
4.0 rebounds while earning
All-Region Academic Team
selection.
The sophomore class will
provide both muscle,
athleticism and ball handling
to the mix as big man
James Matthews (6-8,
240, Jr.-So.), will join
swingman Nick Freer (6-6,
195, So.-So.) and guard
Derek Van Solkema (6-1,
175, Jr.-So.) in the battle for
playing time.
Matthews transferred to
EMU from Marquette University
and played his first season
of competition for the
Eagles last year after becoming
eligible in the second
semester while sitting
out his transfer year. He
played sparingly, averaging
0.6 points and 0.6 rebounds.
Matthews was awarded an
extra year of competition
from the NCAA after playing
just one game at Marquette
and he will be considered a
sophomore eligible in 2005-
06.
“James (Matthews) has
been a pleasant surprise
since I took the job,”
Ramsey said. “He has been
tremendous in the weight room as well as
in conditioning and he is doing everything
we ask of him. James is definitely going to
bring us some muscle and toughness.”
Another player that has caught
Ramsey’s eye because of his athleticism
is Freer.
“The most pleasant surprise in the
sophomore group is Nick Freer,” Ramsey
explained. “He is the best athlete on the
team and is tremendously talented. Nick
can do a lot of things and the most challenging
thing to him will be developing confidence.
We’re going to let Nick go out and
make plays.”
Freer averaged just five minutes a
game as a freshman last year while averaging
0.8 points and 0.4 rebounds.
Van Solkema sat out the 2003-04 sea-
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son as a redshirt and went on to play in 19
games last year as a backup guard. He is
a talented three-point shooter who averaged
2.4 points and 0.7 rebounds.
“Derek (Van Solkema) should be a
good combo guy for us. He is someone
that can give us some good backup minutes
at both guard spots,” Ramsey added.
Perhaps the largest question mark on
EMU’s horizon is the addition of a talented
group of six freshmen who have unlimited
potential to give the Eagles a great base
for the future.
The six frosh: Carlos Medlock (6-0,
170, Fr.-Fr.), Zane Gay (6-4, 195, Fr.-
Fr.), Gino Smith (6-7, 215, Fr.-Fr.), Kyle
Dodd (6-11, 210, Fr.-Fr.), Desmond
Young (6-1, 180, Fr.-Fr.), and B.J. Ford
(6-1, 170, Fr.-Fr.) will provide depth at
every position on the court.
Point guard Medlock will be the lone
newcomer to move immediately into a
starting role.
“We all know that we needed a point
guard and Carlos Medlock will get the ball
right off the bat,” Ramsey explained. “If I
had to compare him with someone it would
be a player like Lorenzo Neely, who was
a four-year starter at the point in the late
80’s. Carlos is a consummate team guy
who knows how to make his teammates
better and goes out of his way to do that.
We’ll give him the ball and go with it.”
Gay was an all-stater in both basketball
and football at Olivet H.S. as a senior
and like, Freer, brings an extra dose of
athleticism to the squad in his first intercollegiate
season.
“Zane (Gay) is a tremendous competitor
who was runner-up for the Mr. Basketball
honor in the state, he played on a state
championship basketball team that went
33-0 and he was also an All-State football
player so you know that he will be a strong
addition to our team,” Ramsey said.
Smith gives the Eagles a player that
can go up front to help on the boards or
move into a swing spot to add depth in the
backcourt.
“Gino (Smith) may get the nod at one
of the wing spots because he can shoot
the 17-18 foot jumper and he can also put
the ball on the floor,” Ramsey explained.
“We’ll get him into the fray right away.”
Another big man that Ramsey and his
staff will be working on to prepare for the