2011-12 Clarkson Men's Basketball Preview
Only half of the 2011-12 Clarkson University Men’s Basketball roster has any collegiate experience, but that doesn’t mean that the most recent incarnation of the Golden Knights lacks veteran leadership or talent. Three of Green and Gold returners were selected as Liberty League All-Stars last season and Clarkson is poised, after a two-year hiatus, to make a trip to the conference tournament next February.
The Golden Knights, led by third-year head coach Mark Gilbride and assistant coach Mike Hauser this season, were 12-13 overall last year and 4-10 in Liberty League contests, but the conference mark doesn’t tell the whole story. After taking out a blowout loss to Hobart, Clarkson was outscored by an average of just 3.7 points per game in the other 13 contests, including a pair of one-point losses that hurt the Knights’ chances at the post-season. With the loss of perennial conference power Hamilton College to the NESCAC and the addition of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Bard College to the Liberty League this year, the conference has received a make-over and Clarkson could easily find itself among the league’s elite in short order.
The Golden Knights are led by a pair of senior guards in Felix Llanos (Queens, NY) and Tyler Barron (Burlington, VT). Llanos was a Liberty League Second-Team All-Star last season after leading the conference in 3-point field goals, with 69, while averaging 14.9 points per game, the highest scoring average since 2003-04 for any Clarkson player. Llanos’s is 3-point barrage didn’t come from mass amounts, either, as his 41.3% from beyond the 3-point arc was fourth in the league. An active ball distributer, Llanos also was sixth in the conference in assists while finishing fourth in scoring. Barron isn’t quite the scorer that Llanos is, but he accomplishes all the little things that make teams better, and he received 24 starts in Clarkson’s 25 games last season. In just under 24 minutes per game, Barron averaged 3.6 points per contest, with the majority coming from the outside. He also ranked just outside the top 10 in the conference in assists, and did well to average 2.2 rebounds per game since he spent most of his time on the perimeter.
Joining Llanos as league all-stars last season were sophomores Nate Uline (Gansevoort, NY) and Marques Charlton (Deer Park, NY). The pair was named to the All-Rookie team for the Liberty League and did everything to justify that acknowledgement. Uline, a 6-5 forward, saw his playing time steadily increase throughout the season and his numbers reflect a marked improvement from the start of the year. The sophomore averaged 8.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, ranking ninth in the conference in that category. He paced the loop in offensive rebounds (2.5 per game) and in field-goal percentage (52.7%) while placing fifth in blocks (1.0 per game) as well. In the backcourt, Charlton provided a solid contribution off the bench, finishing eighth in the league in assists (2.5 per game), while shooting a robust 47.6% from beyond the 3-point arc, coming up just eight attempts short of qualifying for the league title, which would have placed him second overall. Charlton has added numerous moves to his already impressive game and could see a significant improvement in his 5.4 points per game average from last year.
Two juniors and a sophomore make up the rest of Clarkson’s returning veterans. Junior David Cieri (Oneida, NY) played in all 25 games last season and finished third on the team in rebounds, averaging 4.3 boards in just 14.2 minutes per game. Classmate Nigel Mitchell (Bronx, NY) played in six games, and sophomore Nick Grzymala (LaFayette, NY) participated in seven contests. Both will look to add to their resumes this season.
Seven newcomers bolster Clarkson’s chances this season, led by a pair of brothers that aren’t too unfamiliar with Alumni Gymnasium. Freshman John Coleman (Potsdam, NY) brought the local high school team to the state championship last season and provides a little bit of everything offensively and defensively. Older brother Jerry Coleman (Potsdam, NY), a standout for the baseball team for three seasons, was finally lured back to the hardwood after being tempted for the past few seasons. The senior guard was a former football and basketball star in high school and was recruited to play hoops at several other schools before deciding to focus on baseball. The two bring an old-school work ethic and style to Alumni Gymnasium, down to their Hoosiers-esque Chuck Taylor sneakers.
While the Coleman brothers will be the most familiar to Potsdam-area basketball fans, several other new faces will be vital additions to the Clarkson Basketball squad. Freshman Dylan Hodownes (Honoeye Falls, NY) and George Toyama (Altadena, CA) will spell the point guards and run the Clarkson offense at times during their first years with the Knights, while Charles McAllister (Olathe, KS) is an outstanding athlete with a quick first step that should provide offense off the bench. The frontcourt also got some much needed size up front. Freshman forward Christian Collette (Yalesville, CT) will always be recognizable even if his number is obscured, as his faceguard shows a glimpse of his rugged style of play that opponents won’t soon forget. Collette is dwarfed by classmate Scott Smith (Livonia, NY), who has the body to bruise opponents in the paint while gathering in rebounds for put backs.
