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DONNELLY, EAGLES SEEK REPEAT OF LAST YEAR'S SUCCESS

November 14, 2007

Courtesy of ROGER CLEAVELAND - WATERBURY REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

The Post University men's basketball team hopes to break tradition in several respects this season.

While the Eagles were 17-12 last season and tied for the regular season title in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC), the program's history over the last couple decades has been one of inconsistency and losing.

The Eagles have had difficulty building off their successful seasons to create momentum within the program, but head coach Mike Donnelly believes he has the talent, focus and determination to do so this year.

Returning 11 of 12 players from last season's team, including the top four scorers, Donnelly hopes the seniors who suffered through 6-21 and 11-17 seasons their first two years will get a chance to go out in style.

If they do so, however, it will likely be in a non-traditional way. Without a point guard.

The lone player who graduated from the program last season was point guard Gary Shick. Donnelly said that while he can play last year's backup point guard, Mike Brockington, or promising freshman guard Garvin McAlister, he plans on starting wing AJ Reitter in place of Shick.

"It is not going to be a traditional lineup with a prototypical point guard," Donnelly said. "We will have guys coming off the bench who can run the point, but if things are going well we will be looking for our 6-foot-5 guys to make good decisions with the ball.

"We have a versatile team so we are always looking to manipulate matchups. There are times we will post up our guards and have the 6-5 guys on the wings get the ball inside."

The team's two leading scorers a year ago were 6-1 senior swingman Arthur Robertson (13.1 ppg) and 6-5 junior AJ Reitter (11.9 ppg). Robertson also led the team in rebounding with 7.0 per game. The other swingman, 6-4 junior James Lee averaged 6.8 points last year and was second on the team in assists with 51.

The two starting post players will be 6-5 forward Peter Lawal (10.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and 6-8 center Jesse Iyalekhue (8.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg).

"We play well together," Donnelly said. "These guys have been together 3-4 years, and because of that we have good team chemistry that allows us to play well at both ends of the court. They have been through the wars together and hopefully now are ready to take it to the next level."

Last year, the Eagles tied Philadelphia and Holy Family for the regular season championship but then lost in the CACC tournament semifinals to the University of Sciences in Philadelphia.

Caldwell won the tournament championship before losing by three points in the NCAA Tournament to Bentley, which was undefeated at the time and ranked No. 2 in the country. Caldwell also returns 11 of its 12 players from a year ago as well as two-time All-Conference 6-7 forward Manny Perez who missed last season due to injury.

As a result, Caldwell is the preseason pick of the league coaches to win the conference this year with Post being picked second.

"Last year we matched up well with Caldwell and beat them by eight at their place and then by 17 at our place," Donnelly said. "We like our chances against Caldwell as well as the other teams in the conference. We have a veteran group and with experience and maturity, and we should be at the top of the league.

"Our kids have been through the battles and know what it's like not to be successful. Last year they got a taste of what it's like to be successful, and they don't want to go back to their losing ways. They are a determined group that wants to start a new winning tradition."