2011-12 MBB Season Preview
The 2011-12 Mitchell College men's basketball team is primed for a breakout season under head coach Todd Peretz. The Mariners will play a fast-paced, wide-open brand of basketball that is dependent on strong perimeter play and getting out in transition.
A roster overhaul has given Peretz the task of integrating 11 newcomers into his system. The new-look Mariners will have only five returning letterwinners on the roster, a small group that ultimately will provide a bulk of the leadership. How quickly the two sides mesh into a cohesive unit will dictate the team's success.
Mitchell will rely heavily on its five seniors, a group that has played together for the past three years and will serve as leaders to the large cast of new faces. Peretz will likely start all five—Enoch Contreras, Alex Vess, Jeff Gomez, Paul Jefferson and Terrance Fisher –in the season opener against CCNY. Collectively, the seniors know each other's strengths and will put their new teammates in positions to be successful. They are a close group that wants to end their careers on a winning note.
Contreras returns to his point guard duties after leading the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and assists (2.4 apg) last season. An intense competitor who plays on emotion, he is at his best when he makes his teammates better and keeps the offense running smoothly. Joining him in the backcourt will be Jefferson, a sharpshooter with good range who has also improved his mid-range game. Last season he led the team and ranked third in the NECC with 48 three-pointers.
Fisher is the newest addition to the frontcourt that also includes Vess and Gomez. The group will need to keep opponents off the glass and limit the second-chance opportunities that hurt Mitchell last season.
Fisher joins the Mariners for his final season after sitting out a year following his transfer from Clearwater Christian College, where he averaged 9.2 points per game in limited action. The small forward has a solid mid-range game and will have to be a factor on the defensive glass to extend his minutes.
Vess struggled with injuries last season but is fully healthy for his final go-around. Possibly the most athletic player on the squad, he has a good nose for the ball and led the Mariners in rebounding (4.9 rpg) last season. His offensive game has also improved in his time at Mitchell, as he is confident with his shot from inside 15 feet.
Gomez is much improved, having gotten considerably stronger during the offseason due to his dedication in the weight room. He can play with his back to the basket or step out to drain a jumper, and as a consummate teammate he'll do anything that is asked of him for the betterment of the team.
Two returning letterwinners who figure to play a large role are sophomore Alex Del Rio and junior Zachary Hoch. Each began last season as members of the practice squad but earned roster spots by the second semester. Del Rio, a speedy point guard and excellent on-ball defender, provides a spark off the bench. He makes good choices in transition and can knock down the outside shot, and his on-court energy is contagious. Hoch is one of the hardest workers on the team, and his improved shooting and ball-handling skills will earn him more minutes this season.
Freshmen Trace Lanson and Alex Pires will begin the year in reserve backcourt roles. Lanson is a pure shooter with lots of range who has a high basketball IQ. Peretz has given him the green light to hoist up three-pointers and stretch opposing defenses. Pires, a heady player who can also shoot it, is an intense defender.
Shoring up the frontcourt will be sophomore Joshua Ford and freshmen Spencer Loomis and Michael Pellegrini. Ford is athletic, strong and skilled, and his contributions will come in the form of rebounding and tough points in the paint. Loomis can score from the outside or put it on the floor, and he uses his long reach to help disrupt passing lanes and block shots. Pellegrini is the most physical of the three and isn't afraid to mix it up in the paint, scoring off second chances while boxing out defenders.
Freshmen Austin Floyd, Justin Andrews, Sherif Ali and Miles Putnam will give Peretz more options off the bench. Both Floyd and Andrews are good shooters while Ali and Putnam make their mark on the defensive side of the ball.
Mitchell tips off the 2011-12 season against CCNY on November 15, the first of 23 games on the slate. The Mariners will play a total of 12 home games at the Yarnall Athletic Center that includes non-conference dates against St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn), Salve Regina University and Albertus Magnus College.
New England Collegiate Conference play begins on December 6 at home against Daniel Webster. Mitchell will play a 16-game league schedule with the goal of qualifying for the 2012 NECC Men's Basketball Championship. A total of six teams will make the conference's postseason tournament, the winner of which receives an automatic berth in the NCAA Championship.
