How do you improve a men's basketball squad that returns all five starters and every key reserve from a team that went 10-4 in the Ivy League last season? You add role players who can support your current stars.
With recruits Greg Friel '03 and Meador Hall '03 and the return of Justin Whisenant '01 from injury, the Big Green hope they have done at least that much.
"We try to surround good players with shooters," Assistant Coach Mike Maker said.
The good players Maker speaks of include shooters Greg Buth '01, a second-team All-Ivy selection who was recently honored as the nation's outstanding three-point shooter, and Vedad Osmanovic '02, who came off the bench to provide quick perimeter offense throughout last season.
The player who stands to benefit most from a strong outside game is forward Shaun Gee '00. The team's captain last season and next year has earned first team All-Ivy honors the last two seasons despite frequent hard defense and constant multiple-defender situations.
The more strong perimeter players the Green can put on the court, the easier Gee's work becomes.
"I'm very partial to shooters," Head Coach Dave Faucher said. "Not only do they create space for Shaun Gee isolation, but they also create space for drives by Flinder Boyd '02 and Ian McGinnis '01."
With the continued improvement of Dartmouth's shooting stars as well as slashers like Charles Harris '02 and pass-happy point-guard Boyd, the Dartmouth offense will have many more options.
"It'll be hard to double anyone," Maker said.
Furthermore, if forward/center Ian McGinnis '01 continues to develop a presence in the low post, even perennial Ivy powerhouses -- and Dartmouth's likely fellow contenders in 1999-2000 - Penn and Princeton will be hard pressed to stop the Green in the half-court offense.
But Faucher said he expects to run the ball a lot next season, and McGinnis' athleticism and versatility are key ingredients.
"Ian is valuable to us for his ability to play inside-outside," Faucher said. "Having a center that can come out and shoot is paramount."
The new kids
While Dartmouth did not land another big man to complement McGinnis, the Green have added a guard and a forward who will have time to learn from the bench this year and may see some playing time.
Friel, who comes from a family greatly involved in college basketball, turned down the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and waited two years after high school until he could come to Dartmouth.
"Greg really wanted to come to Dartmouth," Maker said. After he was not accepted a year ago, "he sat out a year, reapplied and was accepted early decision."
The 6'5" guard/forward from Durham, NH is the first in-state recruit of Head Coach Dave Faucher's since he came to Dartmouth.
Friel's father is a former coach of the University of New Hampshire and currently works in their athletic department, according to Maker. The elder Friel once hired a young coach by the name of Dave Faucher.
Greg Friel's brother, Keith, was a scholarship basketball player at Notre Dame before transferring to the University of Virginia, where he also is on a basketball scholarship.
Maker said Dartmouth is excited to have the younger brother on the team.
"He's good basketball player -- he has great instincts," Maker said. "He can really shoot the ball."
Most significant is that Friel will be 21 years old when he enters Dartmouth, having spent a year at prep school and another year taking classes at UNH before he enrolls at Dartmouth.
"He got stronger and better," Maker said. "He's going to come in ... with the maturity level of a junior."
The Green's second incoming freshman took a more typical route to Dartmouth.
The 6'7" Meador Hall hails from Texas, and was also an early admit to Dartmouth.
"He's a good-sized wing," Faucher said of Hall. "He stretches the defense because he can shoot."
Maker praised Hall's talents much as he did Friels, citing good basketball instincts and good shooting and passing skills.
"He can make open threes," Maker added, citing one of the most valuable commodities in the college game today.
Although the recruiting class comprises only two players, both Faucher and Maker said they are pleased with the results.
"We really wanted to move much quicker next year," Faucher said. "What we think we have here is a couple of kids who can pick things up quickly."
But Faucher warned that the new kids will have to earn their time on the floor.
"Playing time is earned," he said. "It's definitely not guaranteed."
For just that reason, Maker said some recruits stayed away. But he said Friel and Hall give the Green a better bench.
"Any time you can add depth with a recruiting class, I think that's very important," Maker said.
The comeback kid
Not to be forgotten is the return of the guard Whisenant, who missed all of last year when he tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments. Once a speedster, it is unclear just how much Whisenant has lost to the injury.
But coach Maker said he has been working hard to rehabilitate his leg, and should be ready for the season next winter.
"We consider Justin Whisenant a recruit," Maker said, alluding to the guard's time off the basketball court. "He's a tough, competitive quick athlete. He can play on the ball and off the ball."
Assuming he makes a full recovery, Whisenant will likely compete for the spot as the backup point guard with Nick Murphy '02, and could be one of many potential shooting guards on the Dartmouth roster.
