Lander Basketball 1 - Lander University

Bearcats add depth, are more athletic in 2011-12
Asked what the Lander men’s basketball team needs to improve
on the most in the 2011-2012 season, Bearcats thirdyear
head coach Jeff Burkhamer gave a one-word response.
“Offense,” he said.
Lander has more experience, depth and versatility this season
than last. The Bearcats hope this will translate into more scoring
and more victories.
“We have to do a better job scoring,” Burkhamer said. “We
have guarded people pretty well. We have stayed in games with
our defense. We just haven’t been
good enough offensively.”
“This year, we have added some
proven scorers,” said Burkhamer
“If we are able to score more points
and continue to guard well, it’s going
to help us in those close games.
“We will be better able to finish
some of those close games instead
of losing by one or two possessions,
now we can win by two or
three possessions.”
The Bearcats have seven returning
players this season and six new
players, most of whom also have
significant college playing experience
including several with All-
Conference honors at their previous
schools.
The seven returning players are
seniors Jermel Kennedy (Malton,
Ontario) and Darion Canty
6 Lander Basketball
Coach Jeff Burkhamer’s Prospectus
2011-12 Coaches’ Preseason Poll
(fi rst place votes in parenthesis)
1. Georgia Southwestern (10) 141
2. UNC
Pembroke (1) 118
3. Augusta State (1) 115
3. Clayton
Statete (1)
11515
5. Montevallo 97
6. USC
Aiken
90
7. Georgia College 84
8. Francis
Marion 64
9. Columbus State 58
10. Armstrong Atlantic 50
11. Lander 35
12. North Georgi
a 34
13. Flagler 13
(Summerton, S.C.), junior David Pruett (Sugar Hill, Ga.), and
sophomores Darius Carrier (Charlotte, N.C.), Stefan Tabasevic
(Belgrade, Serbia), Mac Mitchell (Charleston, S.C.) and Cody
Waterworth (Snellville, Ga.).
Newcomers include seniors Dwight Tolbert (Tifton, Ga.) and
Dennis Rumph (Lake Worth, Fla.), juniors Corey Wright (Harlem,
N.Y.), Patrick Powell (Columbus, Ga.) and Michael Lowe
(Greenwood, S.C.) and freshman Scott Elder (Perth, Australia).
“We are excited about the seven guys we’ve got back, and we
are excited about the seven new guys we’ve brought in,” Burkhamer
said. “We have experience coming back in all the positions,
because the returning players played valuable minutes last
year. And we have a lot of experienced kids who played at other
places joining our returning players.
“We have a good group to work with, we have depth this year,
and we are going to be able to do some different things on both
ends of the floor. There is not a lot of difference in talent from top
to bottom, so we will be able to play more people. We are long,
quick and athletic. We aren’t extremely big, but the league (Peach
Belt) is probably a little smaller than it has been in the past.”
With the exception of Elder, 12 of Lander’s 13 players have
college experience.
Last year, the Bearcats only had one returning player in senior
Tovi Bailey.
“We started over last year and decided to build from the
ground up with a solid foundation of young players,” Burkhamer
said. “We got a lot of experience. We lost a lot of close games
with those young kids. That experience will pay off this year,
with knowing how to prepare, battle and win in this league.”
Pruett and Kennedy were Lander’s statistical leaders last year
and will be relied upon heavily in 2011-2012, as will former All-
Peach Belt transfer Dwight Tolbert, who last played at Armstrong
Atlantic State three seasons ago.
“Pruett, Kennedy, Tolbert … you
start with those three because they have
been successful in the league, and you
build around them,” Burkhamer said.
Pruett, a 6-foot-4 wing, led the
Bearcats in scoring (15.5 points per
game), 3-point shooting (64-of-164,
39 percent) and free-throw percentage
(89-of-107, 83 percent) last year. He
ranked fourth in the PBC in three pointers
made per game and was seventh
in scoring and free throw percentage.
The sharp shooter scored 25 or more
points in a game six times, including a
career-high 34 points versus Southern
Wesleyan. The two-time PBC Player
of the Week also finished the season
strong, averaging 23 points over the
last five games.
“David has got to be one of the best
shooters in the country,” Burkhamer
said. “He is a really good catch-and-shoot guy, and he has added
being able to get his own shot off the dribble.”
Kennedy, a 6-6 post, was a double-double machine for Lander,
scoring and rebounding in double figures in the same game nine
times last year. He totaled 10.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per
game, scoring a career-high 22 points at Francis Marion. Kennedy
was was third in the PBC in rebounding and led or shared the
team high in rebounds in 20 of 26 games, including 36 rebounds
in a two-game stretch (19 versus Clayton State and 17 against
Armstrong Atlantic) in February.
“Jermel Kennedy is a real athletic, active post player,” Burkkhamer
said. “He is not real big weight-wise, but his ability to be
quick and play against bigger guys has been good for us. He had
a great summer. I think he is getting better offensively and we
know he will be active on the boards.”
A member of the last Armstrong Atlantic State team that
Burkhamer coached three years ago (2008-09), Tolbert led the
Pirates to a 23-7 record and an NCAA Tournament berth when
he averaged 15.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and was the
PBC Player of the Week once. The first-team All-Peach Belt
selection scored in double figures in 22 games.
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