BEARS2008-09 Preview • 2008-09 Morgan State Bears Basketball • 9 Preview 2008-09 Morgan State Basketball Preview While some teams might revise Bears by Position their goals after losing three of GUARDS their top players from the previous season, the 2008-09 Morgan State Rogers Barnes Sr 6-2 Columbia, Md. men’s basketball team has no such River Hill HS plan. Third-year Head Coach Todd Bozeman, who just led the Bears Jermaine Bolden Sr. 5-9 Baltimore, Md. to their fi rst-ever NIT Tournament Douglass HS/South Plains C.C. and regular season championship last year, says with the return of four Reggie Holmes Jr. 6-4 Baltimore, Md. Saint Frances HS upperclassmen, a crop of experi- enced newcomers and with other Joseph Morgan Jr 6-6 Los Angeles, Calif. returnees, the team has as high LA Trade Tech expectations as ever. “Last season was a building block Jeremy Myers So. 6-1 Washington, D.C. and we’re trying to build a strong Central Connecticut foundation,” says Bozeman, the 2008 MEAC Coach of the Year. “There were Troy Smith G 6-4 Baltimore, Md. a lot of fi rsts for our team last year, so Northeast J.C./Douglass HS it was a good second step from our fi rst year.” Desmond Thomas R-Fr. 5-9 Baltimore, Md. “This year we want to continue to St. Frances HS build and take more positive steps Sean Thomas G 6-1 Clinton, Md. for our program.” Gwynn Park HS Bozeman stressed the importance Marquise Kately of the Bears fi rst postseason play as a while point guard Jerrell Green led FORWARDS & CENTERS Division I program when they earned the squad in assists and quarter- an automatic selection to the NIT. backed the team. Ameer Ali R-Fr, 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. “I thought it was signifi cant, “Those three guys contributed Progressive Academy although we obviously were aiming signifi cantly to the foundation of our at playing in the NCAA Tournament. program,” noted Bozeman. “Hope- Buford Foote Jr. 6-9 Atlanta, Ga. But just to get to postseason was sig- fully, we’ll be able to look back Pensacola C.C./Stone Mountain HS nifi cant for a program who just four and know they were the most im- years ago only won four games.” portant building blocks we had. Gene Johnson Jr. 6-7 Hagerstown, Md. The Bears have proven over the “I think we will be able to say that Saint Maria Goretti HS last two years under Bozeman that we had a solid foundation because Marquise Kately Sr. 6-5 San Francisco, Calif. they are a team that should not be of those guys. Those guys will always UC Berkley/Archbishop Riordan taken lightly in non-conference play. be able to say that they jump-started They are also a team that will con- the program and got it going in the John Long Jr. 6-5 Hagerstown, Md. tinue to put itself in a position to win right direction.” Hagerstown C.C./Hagerstown HS the conference championship and quite possibly record its fi rst bid to THE BACKCOURT the coveted NCAA ‘Big Dance’. Morgan State’s backcourt will be Rico Myles Jr. 6-8 Los Angeles, Calif. The Bears had three key departures led by point guard Jermaine “Itchy” LA Trade Tech/Crenshaw HS from last season’s squad, and every Bolden. “Itchy will be heading into one of them played a key role to the his senior year and hopefully he Rodney Stokes So. 6-10 Glen Burnie, Md. team’s success over the last two years. can give us some leadership.” “He is Glen Burnie HS Guard Jamar Smith was selected as talented, can score the ball, is great in transition, and we’re looking at his Kevin Thompson R-Fr. 6-8 Baltimore, Md. the MEAC Player of the Year and cen- Walbrook HS ter Boubacar Coly earned the MEAC stability off ensively and defensively,” Defensive Player of the Year honor, said Bozeman. Bolden saw action in 10 • 2008-09 Morgan State Bears Basketball • Preview 2008-09 Preview, continued 30 games and provided the Bears with scoring, athletic wing that will provide a bounder. Long ranked second on his JUCO 5.4 ppg and 1.2 spg behind starting point nice scoring punch for us,” said Bozeman. team in rebounding last year. guard Jerrell Green. “I feel we have a lot of depth in the A number of student-athletes will have Rogers Barnes returns for his senior backcourt, as well as on the wings. We an opportunity to fi ll out the starting campaign. Barnes, the team’s “Energizer have a lot of high energy guys.” lineup. Redshirt freshman Ameer Ali is a Bunny”, will continue to supply Bozeman’s Troy Smith will add leadership to the physical, aggressive wing who has a high team with a lot of excitement on both ends backcourt. Smith, a transfer from North- basketball I.Q., Rico Myles, who played of the court. “He’s a guy who makes big plays east Junior College and a Baltimore alongside Morgan at LA Trade Tech, is for us,” Bozeman said. “For example, against product, is a tough competitor and will an athletic forward that will also provide Coppin State in the conference champion- provide a scoring punch off the bench experience to the Bears frontcourt. ship game, Barnes nailed a couple of big- with his strong perimeter play. time shots and showed that he’s defi nitely THE SCHEDULE capable of stepping-up to the next level. THE FRONTCOURT “I thought it was important for us to get “He will be very important for us.” Senior Marquise Kately leads the a wide range of game, locations and styles Reggie Holmes is arguably one of the frontcourt as one of the most talented of play to help prepare us for postseason best pure shooters in the conference. The players in the league. Kately will head play as well as for the conference season. junior averaged 12.9 and scored in dou- into this season as one of the favorites Morgan State opens a challenging ble-fi gures 19 times and led the Bears in for the coveted MEAC Player of the Year 2008-09 schedule when they play at A-10 scoring nine times. “Reggie could end up honor. Kately contributed a solid campaign member LaSalle. “LaSalle is a tough team being the leading scorer in school histo- statistically during his fi rst year in “Charm that’s very versatile and very athletic,” said ry,” noted Bozeman. “He can really score City”. The transfer from Cal was the team’s Bozeman. UMBC, of the Mid-Atlantic East the ball and we’re just looking for him to second leading scorer by averaging 13.1 Conference, returns a couple of players grow more as a player.” Holmes knocked ppg on 49.5 percent shooting, includ- from last year’s NCAA Tournament team. down 62 3-pointers and led the team with ing 5.9 rpg and 1.7 apg. “Marquise is “We’ll have the Retrievers at home, and 36 steals last season and will be looked a multi-talented player who can make it’ll be a great match-up.” upon to provide the Bears’ scoring punch, plays” explained Bozeman, “and he has an much like he has during the previous two opportunity to perform on the next level.” seasons. Joining Kately in the frontcourt will be Three talented newcomers round out Rodney Stokes and Kevin Thompson. the Bears backcourt. Desmond Thomas The coaching staff is looking for Stokes, was redshirted as a freshman and will a 6-foot-10 forward, to be more aggres- enter his fi rst season when the Bears sive this year. “We’re not looking for any- tip-off the 2008-09 season. Thomas is a body to replace Boubacar Coly,” Bozeman tremendous point guard who is a tough expressed, “we’re just looking for guys to competitor and will bring a lot of leadership step-up and do the best they can, and to the program. bring what they can to the table.” Redshirt Sean Thomas recently graduated from freshman Gwynn Park High School where he was Kevin Thompson may be the most standout point guard. “Sean is going to effi cient low-post scorer on the team. be a steady, hard-working and talented Thompson, who was a premier player at guard in this league,” said Bozeman. “The Walbrook HS, is a tenacious rebounder 6-foot-1 freshman guard is a hard-nosed and one of the most talented big-men on player who comes from a good basketball the team, especially in the low post. program and he’s been well coached. To To compliment the outside game, get an All-Met player was signifi cant for junior JUCO transfer Buford Foote joins us, not that I recruited him because he the Bears frontcourt, depleted by the was All-Met. But I’m excited for Sean to be loss of all-conference 6-foot-9 center a part of the program.” Boubacar Coly (9.6 ppg/10.9 rpg/2.5 bpg). Joseph Morgan, a transfer from LA Foote is a long athletic defender who will Reggie Holmes Trade Tech, will also add to the Bears see action along with newcomer John backcourt scoring. Morgan is a high fl ying, Long, a 6-foot-6, tough and rugged re- • 2008-09 Morgan State Bears Basketball • 11 Preview 2008-09 Preview, continued The Bears take a trip up north to tip-off “Florida A&M returns a player who against a rugged and aggressive Manhat- will be a contender for All-conference tan team.