After claiming its best finish in the NEWMAC (7-5/2nd) since 2002-03, the Clark University men’s basketball team went on to post the most wins in a season in four years with a 12-13 overall mark.
The Cougars won five of their first seven conference games in dramatic fashion, earning three of the victories by a margin of three points or less, en route to being named the league’s runner-up. Clark had a chance to share the top spot in the NEWMAC, but fell to eventual regular-season champs WPI (87-74) with four conference games remaining. However, CU won its last two games of the regular season to secure the second seed in the conference tournament. After coming out on top in two tightly contested contests against Wheaton College (76-73 & 92-90) during the year, the Cougars fell to the Lyons (78-74) in the NEWMAC quarterfinal round.
Other season highlights included a pair of tournament title appearances with a season-opening championship game versus Roger Williams University in the Roger Williams Tournament and a winter break title match against Carroll College (Wi.) in the Cactus Jam Hoop Classic.
Sophomore Mark Alexander was named to the All-NEWMAC second team for the second straight season, while the team earned their first-ever conference Sportsmanship Award. Additionally, senior D.J. Brinn was presented with Clark’s Russ Granger award for academic excellence and athletic achievement by a male athlete.
The Clark University men’s basketball team enters the 2007-08 campaign with one clear goal in mind – overachieve. Although the Cougars finished the year with an 11-14 (5-7 NEWMAC) mark and return just eight players and two starters, the team has high hopes for the upcoming season.
One of the biggest challenges for head coach Paul W. Phillips will be blending the talents of five newcomers with the veteran players, including three seniors. “We want to give the seniors their first winning season in four years,” said the tenth-year head coach. “It would be a nice compliment to the guys who have worked hard throughout their career if we could achieve an above .500 record and advance to a postseason tournament. Hopefully, the seniors will be apart of something special; that’s getting back to winning ways.”
The backcourt – where there is no shortage of talent – will aid in that effort. Headlining the list of returnees are seniors D.J. Brinn and Pat Ochoa. Brinn, a co-captain, will take over as the team’s starting point guard, while Ochoa, a tenacious defender, is expected to give the squad an offensive boost at the two spot. Gunnar Hagstrom will also be in the mix. The graduate student and consummate team-player will provide veteran presence and a pass-first mentality. Coach Phillips can also tap the talents of newcomer Chris LoPiano, a quick point guard from Merrimack College, and a pair of smart, physical freshmen in Chris Vitulano and Ben Kosinski. Freshman Kyle Bean rounds out the list of backcourt candidates.
NEWMAC All-Star Mark Alexander (13.5 ppg) leads the list of returning forwards. The team’s top returning scorer is a multifaceted player who can handle and distribute the ball, drive to the hoop or pull up for the jumper. Alexander, who will also be utilized as a combo guard, will be joined by senior Pat Landers, junior Sal DeMarco and sophomore Slader Lyell. Landers is a power forward with all of the skills to make an impact, while DeMarco and Lyell will contribute inside and on the perimeter, respectively. Sophomore transfer Jack Minister’s size and three-point range also makes him a viable frontcourt option. Coach Phillips is counting on junior Peter Normandin (11.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg) for production in the middle. Normandin, who will also serve as captain, is a mobile big man who will be a force on the boards.
Playing in a conference that is stacked with talent from top to bottom, Clark, whose last NCAA tournament berth was in 2003-04, will have to defend their right to return to postseason play.
“We have a tough schedule,” said Phillips. “We’ll play in a strong tournament in Tempe, Ariz., over the winter break, and then go right into our conference slate, where one of our goals is to finish higher than fourth.”
“It won’t be easy,” he said, “but we are teaching our team to over-achieve, be more defensively-minded, and start gaining respect back, first and foremost, in our own backyard in Worcester, our league and then in New England.”
The Clark University men’s basketball program’s rich tradition is decorated with twelve 20-plus win seasons, an unprecedented 11 consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances from 1977 to 1988, not to mention one of two schools from New England to reach the national championship game twice. Additionally, the Cougars own an impressive 510-306 (.625) record in the last 31 years and have also had the distinction of producing six All-Americans, including three-time All-America Kevin Clark '81, two-time All-Americas Kermit Sharp '88 and Jason Qua '90, and most recently, Sean Fleming '03.
Under the direction of 11th-year head coach Paul W. Phillips, back for his second term at the helm, the Cougar men’s basketball team looks to claw their way back to the top of the NEWMAC standings. In his first stint at Clark, Phillips guided the squad to four NEWMAC championships (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003) in the conference’s nine-year history, including four NCAA Tournament berths (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003) and consecutive trips to the Elite Eight (2001, 2002).
Coach Phillips encourages an up-tempo and high-energy game in his players. He pushes the team to, “play every moment like it is their last,” while embodying a respect for the game and the Clark basketball tradition. The 2008-09 campaign promises to be an exciting one to watch. The Cougars will play four NCAA Tournament teams, including a pair of national contenders from their own highly-competitive NEWMAC conference, and compete in a Winter Break tournament at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.