SportsLine.com report
June 11, 2000

A Glance At 2001

With the graduation of four-year starters Brian Ehlers and Stefan Ciosici, the Leopards will be markedly different. Ehlers, a 6-4 guard, and Ciosici, a 6-11 center, have captured the last three league Player of the Year awards.

But the Leopards won't be void of talent and should be Navy's primary threat to the league title. It's not out of the question to see the Leopards repeating for a fourth time, especially if senior guard Tyson Whitfield steps up his offensive production.

The Coach

Fran O'Hanlon will be a hot commodity in the off-season, especially if certain jobs open in the east. He's taken a team that went 2-25 the year before he came to Lafayette and posted a school-record 24 wins this season. In five seasons he is 83-60 with two straight 20-win seasons and three consecutive Patriot League regular-season titles.

Who'll Be Back

Tim Bieg returns for his fourth season starting at point guard. Backup Reggie Guy also return. Rob Worthington, Mick Kuberka and Greg McCleary again will share power forward duties. Seven-foot Frank Barr started last year at center but came off the bench this winter with the return of Stefan Ciosici. The key to the lineup is shooting guard Tyson Whitfield (12.5 ppg), who is expected to step up as a team leader in his final season.

Brian Burke could move into the starting lineup at shooting guard, too, but O'Hanlon may prefer to use him off the bench. As of the tournament, Lafayette had yet to receive any recruiting commitments, which is not unusual under O'Hanlon -- the man has no scholarships to offer.

Who's Gone

The school's third all-time leading scorer, Brian Ehlers, and the fifth-leading scorer, Stefan Ciosici, graduate as do reserves Nate Klinkhammer and Mike Homer. Ehlers, the league's two-time Player of the Year, averaged 18 points over the last two seasons, and Ciosici's 6-11, 260-pound frame will be difficult to replace. These two have been the cornerstones to O'Hanlon's rebuilding program.

Key Newcomers

O'Hanlon put together another outstanding recruiting class, led by 6-8 forward Mike Farrell from Father Lopez High School in Daytona Beach, Fla. Farrell finished his prep career with 1,778 points and a school-record 1,007 rebounds.

Joining Farrell in the class of 2004 are: Justin DeBerry (Tucson, Ariz./Salpointe Catholic), a 6-3 guard who earned All-State honors on the eighth ranked team in the West; Ben Saxton (Walker Valley, N.Y./Pine Bush), a 6-5 wing who led his team to its first sectional title since 1957; Paul Rorvig (Odessa, Mo./Odessa), a 6-4 guard who is Missouri's all-time leading 3-point shooter; and Sean Munson (Berryville, Va./Clarke County), a 6-8 forward who earned All-State honors.