Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

Troy Trojans

Probable Starters:

PG. Michael Vogler 6’1” 180 Sr.
(10.4ppg, 4.0rpg, 5.8apg)

SG. Brandon Hazzard 6’2” 185 Sr.
(16.2ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.7apg)

SF. Richard Delk 6’4” 185 Sr.
(13.9ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.5apg)

PF. Antwyan Jones 6’6” 190 Sr.
(4.5ppg, 2.9rpg, 1.0apg)

C. Yamene Coleman 6’9” 230 Sr.
(3.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 0.2apg @ Alabama)

Troy Certainties:

A steady stream of 3s.

Don Maestri teams shoot… A lot. Typically, from about 20 feet away from the basket.  Last season’s team attempted 732 three point shots, tops in the Sun Belt. With the return of Hazzard and Delk, and the presence of gunners Travis Lee (5’9” 180 Sr.) and Regis Huddleston (6’0” 191 Sr.), expect a similar number in 09-10.

Troy Questions:

Can they continue to do anything besides jack up 3s?

Last season’s 732 3pt attempts?  Lowest for a Troy team since 2001-02.  Troy’s 10 game winning streak seemed to coincide with a conscious effort, especially from Hazzard and Delk, to attack the basket more, rather than just settling for jump shots.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

Solid post play.  The unsung hero of last year’s success was center Tom Jervis. The 7’0” Aussie gave Maestri the ability to load the floor with perimeter scorers, knowing that he had Jervis to rebound (6.5rpg) and defend the inside (67 blocks).

Coleman and Bernard Toombs (6’9”  222 Jr) will attempt to fill that void, but neither has shown too much at this point in their careers.

This Team is Special if…:

It wasn’t just a one year wonder.

Save for Jervis, the key pieces of last season’s surprise success return. But this year, they have targets squarely on their backs.  The Trojans won’t be overlooked, and now they have to prove that last year was more than just a case of an extended hot streak.

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com