Originally posted by Ship69
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* Three of their top players are back -- Samuel Tabe, Drew Green and Sean Dillon.
-- Tabe and Green are both 6'5" senior guards. They've played a lot of D2 basketball.
-- Dillon caught my eye last year at point guard. He's a pretty solid player. He's a junior -- also with a lot of experience.
* Jimmy Moon has always been full of potential, but has battled injuries his whole career. He's a house at 7'0, 240 lbs. He can shoot outside, too. He looks like he had a total transformation this offseason and looks to be in really good physical condition. He's also a senior.
* Their next two top scorers are both juniors. They also seem to have found a legit player in freshman Gabe Gillespie (6'6", 215 lbs).
* Schedule: Granted, Notre Dame, Alderson Broaddus and Salem aren't world-beaters, but they also don't get blown out of the gym very often. That happened in all three games. Last year, the Griffins couldn't hit the side of a barn shooting the ball. So far this year they are hitting 53% from the field and 40% from deep along with 68% from the FT line. They are also forcing 23 TOs per game while turning it over just 13 times per game. They are also playing much better defense. Last year they gave up 81 ppg. Through three games this year that has been cut to just 63.3 ppg.
* Perhaps most importantly, their new HC, Ben Wilkins, seems like he has totally flipped the switch on the culture of the program.
I've long thought they've had 'sleeping giant' potential in men's basketball. Their home gym, when engaged, is one of the toughest venues in the league to play inside. It's claustrophobic. Loud. Very small. I know first-hand IUP hates playing there. They can max out scholarship money yearly. They are obviously a long way from becoming a power, but the right coach can win big there (in my opinion).
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