NORTH ADAMS, MA- The 2010-11 MCLA Men's Basketball season was one of the most successful in two decades; yet the Trailblazers have a bad taste in their mouth on how it ended. Coach Jamie Morrison thinks that bodes well for the 2011-12 season. "We had a great season, were 14-4 at one point; we started to struggle a bit and started to come out of it and then Jon went down."
Jon was all-conference center Jon Greenberg who tore his ACL in practice a week before MCLA was scheduled to host a MASCAC semi-final playoff game as the second seed. MCLA lost at home to Bridgewater and though the ECAC bid was a nice consolation; MCLA missed out on an opportunity to play for the MASCAC championship and the NCAA berth that accompanies it at full strength. "That was a tough way to finish the season, we felt we had the horses to win the tournament and that was a tough pill to swallow. The returners carry that with them and I think are hungry to prove that 10-11 wasn't a fluke."
MCLA did lose three starters from a year ago, but return six of its top nine scorers including three-year starter and all-MASCAC selection, senior forward Chris Harris (Dorchester, MA). Harris averaged 13ppg and 5 rebounds to go along with a career high 37% 3point field goal percentage. Junior Bilal Shabazz (Schenectady, NY) and senior Tyrell Mosley (Dorchester, MA) backed up senior starters Brendan Kordana and Benny Cuprill last season, but basically split time and Mosley was often on the floor in crunch time. Morrison says Mosley is one of the most intelligent players he's coached. Senior Michael Robinson (Springfield, OH) is also expected to be a significant contributor and is competing with Shabazz and possibly Mosley at the point-guard spot. Seniors Tim Fish (Warrensburg, NY) and Michael Young (Mattapan, MA) will add experience and depth in the backcourt.
MCLA has seven seniors but the season may come down to a pair of sophomore forwards. Ramon Viches (Boston, MA) started twenty-six games last season as a freshman and averaged 7ppg and 4 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field. His roommate Tyriq Rochester (Orange, MA) started to come on late and started for Greenberg in the playoffs scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in a quarterfinal win at Anna Maria. "Tyriq has unbelievable upside and is the best athlete in the league; he's looked great in preseason and should have a solid season." Coach Morrison added.
Rochester and Viches will get help from undersized forward Jamal Brown (Springfield, MA) and newcomers Vernon Cross (Colonie, NY) and Richard Johnson (Springfield, MA). Brown averaged 12ppg and 7 rebounds and the 6'4 Cross averaged 20ppg last season at Schenectady County CC. Johnson is a 6'6 center who runs the floor well and adds depth at center.
MCLA will also get a boost from senior Connell Brown (Boston, MA), who missed most of last season. Mitch Scace (Pittsfield, MA) is a newcomer who has impressed early and should help at the small forward and guard position.
"We really aren't satisfied with last season, we feel like we deserved better and want to finish the job this season. We know it's a tall order in this league. We lose Greenberg, Kordana, Cuprill and some real important role guys led by Kris McLaughlin. The guys at the end of the bench last year were great chemistry guys, so that's a significant loss; but we've had our best preseason since I've been here. We have a talented group, a deeper group than last year. We will look a little different and play a little different without Greenberg in the middle, but this a team that has talent and has something to prove. We don't want to be a one-hit wonder and we're going to do everything we can to stay at or near the top of the MASCAC and hopefully the ending this year will be a little more to our liking."