2006-07 Men's Basketball Preview: Fighting Scots Seek Recipe for Third Straight PSAC Crown
October 12, 2006

Greg Walcavich enters his 25th season as a head coach with a recipe for success. He knows a thing or two about mixing a little bit of this and a little bit of that to come up with just the right ingredients for a winner.

Walcavich enters the 2006-07 campaign with the most career wins of any PSAC coach, and like a fine wine, he’s getting better with age. Edinboro has finished either first or second in the PSAC West each of the last six seasons, with a 51-21 record during that period.

After leading the Fighting Scots to a 24-7 record in 2004-05, Walcavich was bold enough to predict he could bake up another big winner in 2005-06. All he did was lead Edinboro to the 21-10 ledger. More importantly, the Boro became the first team to win back-to-back PSAC championships since Cheyney in 1982 and ‘83, and made its second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs. That had never previously happened at Edinboro.

Now Walcavich is ready to step back into the kitchen, don the apron, and cook up another winner. “We feel good about the ingredients, we just need to know what temperature to cook it at,” referring to his 2006-07 Fighting Scot edition.

For starters, every successful team needs a good big man, and Edinboro has that in Daren Tielsch. The 6’8” forward was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA this summer, in effect providing the Fighting Scots with a recruiting bonanza. Tielsch averaged 18.7 ppg. and 9.5 rpg. in ’05-06.

Next, you need a standout in the backcourt. Enter Curtis Ingram, a 6’3” senior who joined the Fighting Scots a year ago after transferring from Wofford. Ingram averaged a modest 13.1 ppg., but gained a quick reputation as a defensive standout.

Now here comes the tricky part, mixing in a group of returnees with an additional year of experience with a recruiting class that can hopefully provide immediate dividends.

“It’s a step-by-step process,” admitted Walcavich. “You look to go forward and get better every day. That’s the most fun part of the job.

“I feel as optimistic this year as I did last year. I think that we have a chance to be a very good basketball team. We have two very good players back. You hope you have players in the program who can grow. We have that. You hope you have recruits who can help. We think we have that.”

The Fighting Scots return two starters and five letterwinners, adding a pair of transfers and two freshmen to the mix. Walcavich likes what he sees in the early going.

“I think we have good athletic ability,” Walcavich related. “We’re quick enough at all the positions that we can successfully defend. We have good enough size at the perimeter spots that we should be a pretty good rebounding team. I don’t think we’re going to be consistently overmatched from a size standpoint. I don’t think we’ll be at a disadvantage from an athletic standpoint.”

What does concern Walcavich is the large turnover in the roster over the last two years. Tom Grabill is the lone player who was with the Fighting Scots prior to 2004-05, and over the last two years they’ve lost the likes of Jakim Donaldson, Rob Sims, Torry Mitchell, Chris Ravello, and Dan Grabill.

“I have some concerns in regards to us being able to come back from what we’ve lost in the last two years,” he pointed out. “We’ve had to replace three first team all-conference players, the MVP of the conference, and a former Rookie of the Year, along with some players who were part of the team for four or five years. We lost people from last year on the heels of the year before. We have some real voids there.

“We’ve almost gutted the team in the last two years. When you look out there this coming year, only Daren (Tielsch), Devin (Knight), Ryan (McLemore) and Tommy (Grabill) have been there. So that is a concern. That becomes the team-building aspect, which is the fun part.”

Edinboro will open the 2006-07 campaign on November 15 against West Virginia Wesleyan. The Fighting Scots then play six straight games at home, including contests against local rivals Gannon and Mercyhurst.

“It will be pretty taxing and demanding,” admitted Walcavich. “I dislike the fact it is so out of balance in terms of home and away. You play four in a row at home, then four in a row on the road. The month of December we’re at home, the month of January on the road.”

Edinboro’s schedule includes a pair of games against PSAC West regular season champion Shippensburg, along with games against Alderson-Broaddus and Charleston(WV), all nationally-ranked. Walcavich also pointed out that the Fighting Scots not only have 19 games against PSAC teams, but also face fully-funded programs such as Gannon, Mercyhurst, Charleston and Alderson-Broaddus.

“I think our schedule will be challenging and a good indication of what type of team we’ll have,” Walcavich concluded. “It’s conceivable we could be pretty good and not have as good a record.”

Here’s a look at the 2006-07 Fighting Scots:

BACKCOURT
In recent years Edinboro has gone with a three-guard alignment. Unfortunately, they must replace two of last year’s three starters. The duo of Torry Mitchell and Chris Ravello accounted for 753 points and 123 three-pointers. Mitchell may well have been the PSAC’s best one-on-one player, and was named a first team All-PSAC West performer after averaging 14.3 ppg. and leading the Boro with 129 assists.

“We have to find somebody to replace the minutes Torry Mitchell player,” admitted Walcavich. “That’s a huge loss. He was so experienced, and so explosive in big games. He didn’t pad his average against lesser opponents. That’s a huge void.”

Devon Knight and Dan Walsh will battle for the right to replace Mitchell at point guard. Both will likely see plenty of action. Knight is a diminutive 5’9” junior who was one of the stars of Edinboro’s 2005 postseason run and an explosive player in his own right. After getting off to a fast start a year ago, scoring in double figures in six of the first nine games, he failed to score in double figures the rest of the year while battling several injuries. He ended up averaging 5.0 ppg.

“Devin has been capable in the past,” noted Walcavich. “I feel he’s really ready to take a big step, and he’s been good previously.”

Walsh is a 6’2” freshman who has impressed the coaching staff with his toughness and maturity for a first-year player. He earned third team All-State honors at Moon Area (Pa.) High School as a senior, leading the Tigers to a 24-6 record.

“We think Dan will be a very productive player for us,” commented Walcavich. “He’ll be a very big part of our team this year.”

The Fighting Scots are well-armed at the two wing positions, with a trio of former transfers leading the way. Curtis Ingram joined Edinboro a year ago after playing two seasons at Division I Wofford. The 6’3” senior battled a knee injury early in the year, missing three games. Down the stretch he was everything the coaching staff had hoped for when he joined the program.

Ingram averaged 13.1 ppg., third on the team, while making 41 of 108 three-pointers. But the most notable aspect of Ingram’s game is his defense. He regularly shut down some of the best scorers in the PSAC. And Edinboro fans will long remember his free throw with no time left on the clock to give Edinboro a 52-51 win over Shippensburg in the PSAC championship game.

“We expect Curtis to lead the way,” Walcavich stated. “He’s just been great for us. He was one of our best players last year, and excelled on both ends of the court. He’s an outstanding defensive player, and a very good offensive player. I expect him to have a terrific season.”

Kyree Brown and Joseph Jones will battle for the right to play alongside Ingram. Brown is a 6’3” sophomore by way of Division I Eastern Illinois, while Jones is a local product from nearby Cathedral Prep who spent two seasons at Roberts Wesleyan. The 6’2” sophomore now moves up a level, and figures to see plenty of time.

Brown saw limited action at Eastern Illinois, playing in 18 games and scoring eight points along with pulling down 12 rebounds. His high school credentials are quite impressive, however. At Friends Central High School in Philadelphia, he averaged 24.3 ppg. and was rated the number two “sleeper” in the metropolitan area by one on-line service.

“Kyree is someone we’re looking to do a very good job for us,” Walcavich stressed. “He will certainly be playing right away. He’s a gifted athlete who will help us.”

Jones sat out the 2004-05 season at Roberts Wesleyan, but blossomed a year ago. He averaged 13.5 ppg. with 4.2 rpg. and led the team in assists (149) and steals (56). He was a third team All-American Mideast Conference selection.

“We think Joe will really make a positive impact for us,” Walcavich assessed. “He continues to grow physically and as a player. We’re real excited to have him.”

Tom Grabill is the lone four-year player on the Fighting Scots. A frail-looking 5’8”, 140 lbs., he has improved each year. He saw action in nine contests last year.

“Tom has been a very big part of our program for three years,” noted Walcavich. “He’s a good player who has hit some big shots for us. He knows what we want to do, and can come off the bench and hit shots.

Giuseppe Barone, a 5’10” freshman, is a walk-on who will provide further depth at guard. He was a senior at Franklin (Pa.) High School in 2004-05, helping the Knights finish 27-2 and win the PIAA Class AAA District 10 Championship before losing in the western semifinals.

FRONTCOURT
Edinboro received a huge boost with the news that Daren Tielsch would be back. The 6’8”, 230 lb. forward is a creative offensive player who was healthy for the first time a year ago. The results were impressive – team-leading figures of 18.7 ppg. and 9.5 rpg., ranking seventh in the PSAC in scoring while leading the league in rebounding. He shot 55.4 percent from the floor and attempted a school-record 210 free throws, although he shot just 57.1 percent from the line.

Tielsch added 81 assists and 42 blocked shots, both second on the team, while leading the Fighting Scots with 37 steals. He was accorded first team All-PSAC West honors and was the Most Outstanding Player at the PSAC Championships. He was even selected to play in the inaugural Division II All-Star Game, a point not lost on the NCAA. His appearance in the postseason event will force him to sit out the season opener against West Virginia Wesleyan. In two seasons at Edinboro, Tielsch has scored 914 points.

“We’re fortunate to have him back,” admitted Walcavich. “We didn’t plan on it, but we’re happy and grateful he is. We’ve played quite well with him. He can play all over the court, and stuff the stat sheet.”

The rest of the frontcourt is young and somewhat untested. However, if enigmatic Ryan McLemore steps up, the Fighting Scots could have an imposing one-two frontcourt punch. McLemore is a skinny junior whose long arms make him appear much bigger than 6’8”.

Those same long arms have made him an intimidating force in the middle. A year ago McLemore blocked 61 shots, the eighth-highest season total, despite averaging just under 15 minutes per game. He ranked third in the PSAC and 19th in Division II. McLemore added 3.2 ppg. and 4.4 rpg. while shooting 54.8 percent from the floor.

“Ryan is now in his third year,” Walcavich stressed. “We think he will make a big step. He’s worked at it, and will get more minutes this year. I expect Ryan to step forward and have a big year for us.”

Vlad Kovalevsky will likely get a chance to see significant minutes early on. The 6’7” freshman is an import from Richmond Hill, Ontario who was rated the ninth-best power forward in Canada by HoopLife.ca after averaging 21 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists for Vaughan Secondary School. He led the Canadian team in scoring in the 2005 Maccabiah Games.

“Vlad will help us right away,” promised Walcavich. “He’s very capable as a freshman, and will only get better. There’s a certain amount of adjustment when you start playing on the college level. It’s really difficult in the frontcourt, because the game is officiated differently. There’s a lot more banging and holding. Vlad’s ready to learn.”

Redshirt freshman Rob Lowther, from nearby Villa Maria Academy, and senior Aaron Fetty, a pair of 6’5” performers, provide further depth.

“Rob has made great strides,” commented Walcavich. “He had the chance to practice with us. As a freshman he’ll go through some of the same things Vlad will go through. He has less game experience than Vlad. I’m hopeful he can continue to improve.”

Fetty has not played basketball since high school, but is no stranger to Edinboro fans after previously playing wide receiver for the Boro football team. He chose to sit out his senior season on the gridiron, and will now try his hand at hoops.