by Dax Larson
November 03, 2005
Basketball is like baking. If all the ingredients aren’t right it just doesn't work and doesn't taste right. Heat is most important in the process. This season, MSU men's basketball is looking to have all the right ingredients to rise to the top. The oven is senior forward Luke Anderson, who is looking to heat up the Mavericks and lead them to the top of the conference.
“Luke is a guy who is going to carry us sometimes,” head men’s basketball coach Matt Margenthaler said. “He is a guy we can feed off.”
Anderson comes into his senior year averaging 15.5 points per game for his career at MSU. Last season he was named All-North Central Conference and was an All-Wells Fargo Finals selection. He finished last year third in the NCC in three-point field goals made and fourth in three-point field goal percentage. Anderson worked hard in the off-season to improve his play. Anderson said he shot a lot over the summer and feels like his stroke is a lot better than last year. He also said he feels like he got stronger.
“I need to be way more aggressive than I was last year,” Anderson said. “I got stronger with the basketball and going to the basket.”
Anderson is a vital player to the team because he is a senior and the coaching staff is looking to him to be a leader. He needs to set an example on and off the court because of the large amount of young talent that came to the program this year. There are 10 new faces to the Mavericks including two transfers who will likely be starters at the beginning of the season.
“Sometimes, actions speak louder than words,” Anderson said. “I need to go out and do things right and show the younger guys how it’s done.”
Anderson has started the last 58 games for the Mavericks. His play this season may dictate how MSU performs.
“[Luke is a] pure shooter,” Whitfield said. “He is definitely the most talented offensive player we have right now.”
Defense is a key component to the team’s success and Whitfield will be the centerpiece of the defense. He led the NCC in blocks last season and broke a 22-year old school record for blocked shots in a single season with 82. He is now MSU’s all-time blocked shots leader.
“He’s the most intimidating defensive presence in the NCC,” Anderson said.
Whitfield will also be looked at to lead the team. He is the starting center and will need to step up if the team will have success. Margenthaler is looking to be a 10-plus team, meaning he wants his team to out-rebound their opponents by at least 10 rebounds a game. Whitfield will be an important factor in whether that can be accomplished. Whitfield said he looks to do his best every night on the floor.
“We understand what the coach is asking for,” Whitfield said. “When we are on the floor we can help the guys get through things better because we understand what’s going on out there.”
Margenthaler said Whitfield is a great defender and a great athlete. Margenthaler said he has big expectations for his two senior captains.
“They need to take the young guys and the transfer players and really let them know they are the leaders,” Margenthaler said. “They need to set the example on and off the floor.”
Margenthaler is looking to improve on a successful 2004-2005 season. He will form the new, young and old to perfect their all-around basketball skills and help the team rise to its potential. Margenthaler is entering his fifth season with the Mavericks and will have his hands full with only two returning starters from last season and 10 new faces.
“We are going to have a very good, fundamental, balanced team this year,” Margenthaler said. “I like our team.”
Junior Tony Thomason joins Anderson and Whitfield as the captains of the team. Thomason will return to start at guard this year. He started at point guard half way through his freshman year, but came of the bench last year to relieve Anderson and Andy Moeller.
“He’s a guy that can get some stuff done for us,” Margenthaler said.
Two transfers will join the Mavericks this season and be put directly into a starting role. Junior Paris Kyles will run the offense at point guard. Kyles joins MSU from Minneapolis Community & Technical College. Kyles was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III National Player of the Year last season. Senior Corey Easley will start at power forward this season for MSU. Easley, 6-8 and 220 pounds, will be a good addition on defense to complement Whitfield. Easley spent the last three seasons at University of Montana, a Division I school.
“Kyles is a guy that can really put the ball on the floor,” Margenthaler said. “Easley will do some good things as a big guy.”
Last season, the Mavericks posted their best record in school history with a 24-8 record. They made it as far as the Regional Semifinal in the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The last team to make it to the tournament was during the 1975-76 season. The loss of Jamel Staten will create a more open court for the Mavericks this season. Margenthaler said there will be a lot more passing this season and he will need different guys to step up on different nights. A more all around team will be on the court to create a threat at every position.
“No matter what five guys are on the floor we are going to have five solid players,” Anderson said.
The new faces bring depth and balance to a team with high expectations. Coming off its most successful season ever, MSU will have something to prove this season. The players and coaches are optimistic with the quality of the team.
“We know what it takes to get to the NCAA Tournament,” Anderson said. “It will be interesting and fun at the same time.”
With the right ingredients and the right equipment, recipies turn out pretty good. MSU hopes to put the right ingredients and right equipment onto the basketball court and be successful. The Mavericks will try to cook up a win Friday at the Taylor Center when they start their season against the Howard Pulley Panthers in an exhibition game starting at 8 p.m.
Dax Larson: How is the team chemistry with 10 new additions to the team?
Matt Margenthaler: The team chemistry is as good as it has ever been here.
DL: What do you look to do in the NCC this year?
MM: We look to win it — be the unknowns, be a team that can sneak up on somebody.
DL: What is your main goal for the season?
MM: Be on the top of the league and have an opportunity to win a conference championship.
DL: What are the biggest things the team needs to improve on for this season?
MM: We need to do the little things. We need to rebound and defend better this year. We have to play with a sense of urgency all the time.
DL: How can you improve on last season?
MM: We didn’t win a conference championship during the regular season or the post-season last year. There are things this basketball team can accomplish that they have not done.
