Above t Niland discusses upcoming basketball season (The Brian Busey column will run once a week spotlighting either women's or men's Behrend basketball) This week’s guest is Behrend Lion Head Coach Dave Niland. Busey talked with Niland about the preseason look of the Lions. Brian Busey: summer off? Coach Niland: I did a lot of recruiting and evaluation of the class of 1997. I ran two summer camps with Roz Fomari. BB: Tell me about the newcomers? How was the Coach Niland: We have freshman Jon Park from McDowell. A 6’5” freshman, another 6’3” freshman from Bradford, and a 6’5” junior, Steven Hout from Westfield, New York. BB: Who do you have returning from last years’ squad? Coach Niland: We have Ron Derian, Jason Paloskey, Andy Rife, Brian Lawrence, Jeff Myers, Matt Plizga, and Brian Emick. BB: What are your comments on the returners? Coach Niland: If you look at Ronnie, he’s a three year starter. Lawrence, Paloskey, and Rife all started toward the end of the year. Myers was one of the leading Ready to Rumble: Andy Rife will be one of many key returners to the men's basketball team this year. Rife started several games last year in the point guard position. Stop or I’m Gonna Shoot: Kevin Rinehardt and the Lions are shooting toward a playoff berth. Last night the Lions tied Allegheny College 3-3 in a match that was cancelled due to darkness. The Lions were down 2-0 at halftime, but came back in the second half to take a 3-2 lead. With two minutes to go the Gators tied the game. Matt Kapral scored two goals and Joe Thompson netted the third for the Lions. Behrend is 10-5-3 with one match against Waynesburg left in the season. scorers, and Emick and Plizga played well. They all have a lot of game minutes and are capable of (a lot of) contributions. BB: How do you compare to last year’s squad in size? Coach Niland: We’ll be about the same as last year. BB: I know it’s early, but what have you been doing in practice so far this preseason? ' We’re looking forward to the season. We have a big group of guys back and we’re working hard.” Coach Niland Coach Niland: We’ve been doing a lot of fundamental, and basic work; a lot of teaching. It’s the only place to start. ■i ’ s * * f 6 Rim with Brian Busey Head Honcho: Dave Niland is ready for another year of Lion basketball. Collegian File Photo Coach Fornari discusses Lady Lion (The Brian Busey column will appear once a week spotlighting either women’s or men’s Behrend basketball) This week’s guest is Roz Fornari. Fornari is the head coach of the Penn State Behrend Lady Lions. Brian Busey: How was your summer off as far as basketball is concerned? Coach Fornari: Fine. All the players were sent summer workouts and most of the players played in summer leagues. BB: Twelve new faces will be on the opening lihe-up this year. Tell me about a few of them. Coach FornarirWe have Becky Rishel from the Pittsburgh area who will be a guard. A newcomer that is excellent is Carrie Nestor from McDowell. She has a prescense that freshman usually don’t have. She’s a great passer and a good leader. She’ll play point guard. Tiffany Buck is our purest shooter. She’s a good player and has a great shot. Our three freshman posts will all see playing lime this year. BB: You only have three returnees. Emily Marini and Nicki Shultz who started last year and Maria Madigan who saw limited action. Your comments on them? BB: What kinds of things have you noticed from working with your team in practice? Coach Niland: I like our versatility. A lot of people can do different things. This is the most players that we have ever had back since I’ve been here. The sophomore class is my first recruiting class and they’re really exciting. BB: Tell me about the first chance to see the Lions in preseason action. Coach Niland: That will be November 16th at 7 p.m. The men’s team will scrimmage for twenty minutes, and the wonen’s team will scrimmage for twenty minutes. Then there will be a shootout for prizes and other stuff for the fans and students. BB: Do you have anything else to add, Coach? Coach Niland: We’re looking forward to the season. We have a big group of guys back and we’re working hard. We’re eager to improve on the successes of last year. Brian Busey is the pen name of a writer on staff. This column will appear every other week starling 111 14196 and continuing throughout the basketball season. CoUegian File Photo Big Man On Court: Jeff Myers will be one of the leadinp returners for Behrend Basketball, this year. Myers was one of the Lions' leading scorers Coach Fornari: Marini and Schultz will help us beyond words. The two arc good leaders and have great experience. They can help set the ground work for the team and they are doing that well. Our success really depends on how much they can grow and then the team will grow along with them. Nicki still has so much room to grow that she’s just now coming in to her own. BB: Will the fact that there are very few returners hurt you this year? Coach Fornari: Two years ago we were in the same boat. This group is better though. There is no ONE great player in this boat. That will help us. We don’t need to look for just one to step up and lead us for the rest to step up. I have a good feeling (about this year). Everybody will work hard. BB: Sources tell me that you made this year’s schedule particularity tough because you expected a lot of returners. Now some of them haven’t returned. How tough is it? Coach Fornari: (smiling) We invited Defiance, a team that made it to the NCAA final eight last year to our tip-off tournament. Salsbury State, also an NCAA team last year, will be there as well as Fredonia State. Then we have Marietta and we go to the Salsbury Golf State Tournament and Muskingum Tournament as well this year. We’ll be tested right off the start in this year’s tournament. We will be overlooked (in a lot of tournaments) and I think we can come out of them at the very least at 1 -1. BB: How is this year’s team different from last year’s team? Coach Fornari: We’re quicker than last year which is nice. We’re more positive, we will be able to press better and we have more height. Who will be on the floor for us is the toughest job. We can go fairly deep. It’s a matter of getting to who will play where. BB: A point guard from McDowell. As a freshman she will be starting. How will that affect her in the short term as well as the long term? Coach Fornari: Carrie is a super competitor. II anyone was asked, they would want Carrie to hold the ball. It will be a challenge, but she needs that challenge and will be ready for it. She can step right into the roll of great point guards at Behrend. (Mel Banas in 1996, Megan Musante in 1995, and Wendy Ebingcr in 1994.) BB: What have you noticed in your team as you begin to practice more and more? Coach Fornari: We can play defense. We will be able to press h JACK basketball full court instead of half court like last year. We’ll have posts that can run the floor like Anne Bonner (played for Behrend from 1990-94). We’ll have quick twos and threes (guards). Team quickness will aid us in breakaways. Because of the programs that some of our freshman have come from they are more athletic so they can move differcntlv in our offense. 7 have a good feeling about this year. ” Coach Fornari BB: Any concerns you see this early on in practice? Coach Fornari: Our main concern is being able to get the right people on the floor to do what they can do. (Wc need to) get freshman to play like sophomores and have good court prcscense. BB: Good Luck Coach. We’ll get a fresh, new look at the team on November 14th at the shootout. Brian Busey is the pen name of a writer on staff. This column will appear every other week starting] 1107/96 throughout the basketball season. Sports Quiz by Larry Duncan 1. What two teams joined the American League (baseball) in 1977? 2. What five-time winner of the Kentucky Derby lost his first 250 races? 3. What do you call a ball that hits the foul pole? 4. What is the tennis term for miss ing on the first and second service? 5. Where is the Baseball Hall of Fame? 6. Where were the 1960 Summer Olympics held?
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