With only 6 returning players, it is hard to assess how good this team will be and how long it will take the players to gel as a team. While we have some players with good individual skills, most are still unfamiliar with our offensive and defensive sets. Our strength should be inside and at the point.
Here’s this year's roster (** indicates that player is new to team this year):
Point Guards:
1. **Jerry Yearwood, 6-1, Jr, Juco transfer from Mount Dora, FL—Excellent ball handler and passer, good outside shooter who should put some points on the board, strong rebounder, good defender with quick hands that should result in a lot of steals, excellent shot blocker. 4.0/4.5 stars.
2. Lionel Benjamin, 6-0, So, San Bruno, CA—played well in a limited role last year, is developing quickly, makes some spectacular passes but also turns the ball over too much, strong defensively with quick hands that yield steals and blocks, good rebounder, good scoring abilities but needs to work on shot selection and passing rather than shooting when closely defended. 4.0/4.5 stars.
3. **Brett Cook, 6-5, Jr, Juco transfer from South Paris, ME—Good outside shooter, needs to work on passing and ball-handling, weak rebounder and defender, good potential. 1.0/4.0 stars.
4. **Tremain Jennings, 6-4, Fr, San Diego, CA—Good passing skills who also can get free for shots, good outside shooter, excellent at stealing the ball. 2.0/4.0 stars (Redshirting this year).
Shooting Guards:
1. **Brett Holt, 6-2, Jr, Juco transfer from Beaufort, NC—good outside shooter who isn’t afraid to put up a 3 or drive to the bucket, excellent passer and ball-handler, strong rebounder, very good defender who gets his share of blocks and steals. 3.0/4.0 stars.
2. **Edmund Little, 6-0, Jr, Juco transfer from Midwest, WY—gaining confidence as a shooter, needs to work on ball-handling, good rebounder, excellent defender and very strong shot blocker and thief. 2.5/4.0 stars.
3. **Harold Masters, 6-4, Fr, Pine Bluffs, WY—very good set shooter, but needs to work on his jumper, good rebounder, good passer but needs to work on ball handling, weak defensively. 2.0/4.0 stars.
Small Forwards:
1. Mitchell Jarmond, 6-6, Jr, El Monte, CA—was inconsistent last year at PF but had some good games, although he’s not a strong outside shooter, we will play him at SF this year where we expect him to drive inside and also rebound well, very good passer, strong defensively and a good shot blocker and ball thief, good at drawing fouls but needs to improve his foul shooting, very athletic. 3.0/4.0 stars.
2. **Tyson Morris, 6-8, Sr, Lake Arrowhead, CA—very strong rebounder, shooting skills need work but should get inside for some points and is not afraid to put up the 3, although a good shot blocker and good at stealing the ball he still needs to work on his overall defensive game. 2.0/2.0 stars. (Walk-on).
3. **Jermaine Vershaw, 6-8, Fr, Orosi, CA—good outside shooter who takes his share of 3’s, good passer, strong rebounder, needs to work on his defensive game. 2.0/2.0 stars. (Walk-on).
Power Forwards:
1. Awvee Calton, 6-8, Sr, Chicago, IL—was an able starter at PF for us last year, very strong post player, excellent rebounder, good passer, strong defensively and good shot blocker, good at drawing fouls but needs to work on foul shooting. 4.0/5.0 stars.
2. Mike Dotson, 6-7, So, Mariposa, CA—played well in a limited role last year but has quickly developed his game, good post player with strong rebounding skills, excellent passer, good at drawing fouls, strong defensively and good shot blocker and ball thief, very athletic. 4.0/4.5 stars.
Centers:
1. **Jeff Gilbert, 6-8, Jr, Juco transfer from Volga, SD—strong post player, excellent rebounder on both ends of the court, very good passer, extremely strong defensively, excellent shot blocker, very good at drawing fouls but a poor free throw shooter. 4.5/5.0 stars.
2. Marcelle Pastner, 6-10, Sr, San Diego, CA—played well last year and has developed well during the summer and fall, excellent scorer in the post, rebounding is now a strong point of his game, very good defender and shot blocker. 3.0/4.0 stars.
3. Mark Saunders, 6-9, Jr, Elkton, MD—played well as a starter last year but his game has seemed to have hit a brick wall, can be a good scorer but inconsistent, good rebounder, strong defensively and good shot blocker, poor free throw shooter. 2.5/3.5 stars.