Ivy League Sports

By Kathleen Phillips, Dartmouth University

Maybe it comes from his days as a track & field record holder, but second-year head coach Terry Dunn isn’t afraid to set the bar high for his Dartmouth men’s basketball team.

Last season, Dunn orchestrated the second-best turnaround in Ivy history, leading his charges to a 7-7 showing and a tie for third place in the Ancient Eight after a 1-13 mark the previous season. Dartmouth was 6-1 against Ivy opponents at home, with the lone setback coming to conference champion Penn. Additionally, the Big Green showed it could learn how to win, grabbing six of the season’s 10 victories by five or fewer points.

Dunn has established goals for 2005-06 and one is to “find a way to move from third to first” in the League. “The other,” said Dunn, “is for our freshmen to make the transition from high school to college basketball as quickly as possible.”

This year’s roster is the largest in recent years, featuring 11 returning letterwinners and eight freshmen. Dunn lost four seniors to graduation, including three starters. He’ll need to retool the lineup to replace second team All-Ivy David Gardner, point guard Steve Callahan, shooter Mike McLaren and veteran Mike Liddy.

“One of my concerns is how to replace their leadership,” Dunn said. “We need to find people to step up and be leaders every day. That’s huge. I also feel that we lost a great deal of toughness. Those are some things we’ll be searching for. It will be interesting to see how the veterans mesh with the rookies.”

Much like last season, Dunn is looking at a core group of five players to blend with the incoming talent. Also available are other players who saw valuable minutes throughout 2004-05.

The list of returnees starts with senior Mike Lang. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged a team-high 11.8 points per game, primarily off the bench, while picking up honorable mention All-Ivy recognition. A hard-nosed player with a deft touch, he scored a career-high 31 points at UC-Davis and has poured in a personal-best five 3-pointers against three opponents.

Sophomore Johnathan Ball, a 6-4 guard, returns after an impressive rookie campaign. He averaged 5.0 points and showed a knack for using his athleticism to make timely plays, both on offense and defense.

Another pleasant surprise was sophomore Chuck Flynn. The wiry, 6-7 forward began to step up in mid-December and contributed career-highs of 15 points, nine rebounds, six assists and three steals.

One of the biggest questions surrounding 2005-06 is how to replace Gardner’s productivity at center. Dunn will look to two veterans, senior Calvin Arnold and junior Paul Bode, to provide the answer.

“My strategy will be to move Cal and Paul around at the four and five positions,” said Dunn. “I think the two of them will play together, and there may be times when we have a smaller lineup on the floor.”

Throughout his three-year career, Arnold has shown versatility, both offensively and defensively. He’s a solid ball handler at 6-9 and can put down the 3-point shot.

The 6-9 Bode, meanwhile, missed all of his freshman year due to injury, and gradually developed under Dunn’s tutelage as a sophomore.

There are six other letterwinners who contributed last year, including senior guard Pat Cuttica, who gives Dartmouth insurance at the point. He’s joined in the backcourt by sophomore guard Michael Giovacchini, who exploded for 19 points against Keene State, including five 3-pointers. Up front, junior Jonathan Blakley has an athletic 6-6 frame, and could be ready to blossom this year after battling injuries.

Dunn, recognized as a proven recruiter, attracted eight freshmen to Dartmouth for the coming season. “We have some players that I think can contribute right away. We’re looking for our point guards to step up.”

Dunn points to Alex Barnett, a 6-5 wing who can score, rebound and defend, as well as the versatile Dan Biber, a 6-8 power forward with outstanding feel for the game. The backcourt includes point guard Marlon Sanders, who averaged 6.5 assists as well as 18 points for Cleveland Heights HS; DeVon Mosley, a 6-1 combo guard from basketball-rich Mesquite, Texas; and 6-4 Reggie Schickel, another combo guard who can play at the two or three.

“I thought we put a lot of pressure on our halfcourt offense because we didn’t have the quickness to transition the ball,” said Dunn. “We didn’t get a lot out of our transition offense nor did we create defensive transition scoring opportunities. I think we’ll be able to do more of that because I feel like we’re more athletic at certain positions.”

Dartmouth’s improvement last season started well before the opening game of the season, according to Dunn: “It began with the preseason preparation, with the will to win and a determined attitude. And when we won a couple of close games, the confidence continued to build.

“It’s a continuing challenges for players and coaches alike,” Dunn continued, “and we’re committed to playing at a high level. We’re looking forward to the challenges.”