2009-2010 Men's Basketball Season Preview

Don Butcher, in his 10 th year as the head coach for the Patriots, will try to ride the momentum of last year’s team success. The 08-09 squad, in the middle of the season, was ranked # 1 in the country. The Patriots were also the Mid-South Conference Tournament Champions, which gave them an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament. In the first round of the NAIA Tournament, Cumberlands defeated Jarvis Christian 81-65 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen to take on Westminster College. Unfortunately, the Patriots' season came to an end as they were unable to pull through in a close game 67-62, ending their season with an overall record of 27-7.

The Patriots opened last year with a big win over Indiana University Southeast, 80-58. They rode that momentum to a 10-0 record in the beginning of the season. In that stretch, the men had a big victory over Mountain State University at the time ranked #3 in the nation. After the Mountain State victory the Patriots jumped to # 2 in the nation in the polls. Then on December 8, 2008, the Patriots moved into the #1 position in the national rankings. Consistently ranked among the NAIA’s Top 25, the #1 ranking was the first #1 ranking the Patriots had earned since the 1986 season when they entered the NAIA National Tournament as the #1 seed.

After having a big first part of the season, the 2008-09 Patriots hit a bumpy road and lost some games. The team stayed the course and finished strong in Mid-South Conference with a 9-3 record earning them a second place finish in MSC play and a bye into the second round of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. Cumberlands faced off against the Georgetown Tigers in the title game and came away the victors with a Conference Tournament Title.

The Patriots graduated four seniors from last year’s team in Luke Fitzgerald, Josh Phillips, Maurice Brown, and Terrance Asmond. Fitzgerald was the MSC Player of Year and a NAIA First Team All-American. Phillips was a two year starter and was named 1 st Team All-Conference. The men’s team will also lost Honorable Mention point guard Terrance Asmond, who led the team in assists and Maurice Brown a starter who was a great rebounder and defender.

Although these leaders were lost to graduation, the Patriots are excited about many of their new players.

A.D. Graves (6’4’’, 205, Junior, Cincinnati, OH) transfers to Cumberlands from Xavier University and Bowling Green State University. Graves is a really good shooter and has tremendous range. His great size will allow him to defend and rebound in the post. He will be a great asset on the court after the semester break.

Clark Stepp (6’3’’, 185, sophomore, Pippa Passes, KY) comes to the Patriots from Austin Peay State University. Clark is a point guard who can also play the 2 guard. He is a very smart basketball player and can really shoot the ball well.

Tanner Jacobs (6’7’’, 230, Junior, Louisville, KY) joins the Patriots this season after playing at Northern Kentucky University. Jacobs is a strong physical post who can rebound and plays within the system.

Andrew Prestley (6’5’’, 195, Senior, East Hodge, LA) transferred from Grambling State University. Prestley is a good versatile player who can play the 3 or 4 position. He is a very skilled player.

Brandon Russ (6’8’’, 245, Senior, Cincinnati, OH) comes from the University of Southern Indiana. Brandon is a really skilled post and has a great touch with a good physical presence.

Anthony Snell (6’1’’, 180, Junior, Jonesboro GA) transfers from Southern Poly Junior College. A point guard who is athletic and can make shots, Snell has a chance to be a great defender.

Returning to the floor for the Patriots will be Travis Harvey (6’3, 195, Senior, Decatur, Georgia). Harvey only played in 22 games last season, but he averaged 7.1 PPG. He came in at the semester break and proved to be a huge lift the team with his super athleticism and good defense.

Chad Byron (6’2, 200, Senior, Louisville, KY) returns to the Patriots after starting in all 99 games in the past three seasons. Byron finished last season being the second leading scorer and averaging 11.9 points a game. He hit a team-leading 63 three pointers and continues to improve with experience. Bryon surpassed the 1,000 point mark in his career and has combined for a career total of 1,132 points. He achieved 1st Team All-Conference last year to top off his accolades. Chad can shoot and defend and is as fierce a competitor as the Patriots have had in a long time.

Rodney Jones (6’7, 185, Junior, Port Deposit, MD) returns after a season of providing great length to the Patriots off the bench. Jones only played in 17 games last season, but hopefully having a season under his belt will allow him to see more playing time. Rodney shot an impressive 54.8 % from the field.

Dustin Fothergill (6’2, 190, Senior, Somerset, KY) returns to show his ability to be able to compete with the starters in the 2009-10 year. Dustin is the best perimeter defender on the team and also is a tremendous shooter who can spread the floor very easily. Fothergill finished last season making 55 of 157 three pointers to give him a 35 percent average. He averaged 6 points per game coming off the bench to provide a spark.

Bernard Cherry (6’6, 225, Senior, Bronx, NY) came off the bench last season and played in 32 games pulling down 114 total rebounds. Cherry averaged 11 minutes per game and shot 42% from the field. He will provide a great post defender and a great rebounder.

Matt Daniel (6’4, 185, Junior, Morehead, KY) comes back to the Patriots’ squad after having a great year last season. Matt gives the option of putting him in any position and being able to perform with the very best. Even though he only averaged 5.0 points per game, the stats do not speak for Daniel’s abilities. Matt can play any perimeter position, but due to an injury last season, Daniel will be red-shirted this season and will not play.

Nathaniel Mitchell (5’9, 185, Senior, Toronto, Canada) provided a steady backup point guard for last year’s team. Nate shot 51% from the field and 61 % from behind the arch. His quickness and agility on defense gave Cumberlands a better turnover ratio than their opponents. Mitchell will be competing for the starting point guard position.

Doug Waldon (6’8, 210, Senior, Cincinnati, OH) came off the bench for the Patriots to give a versatile threat, a player who can play inside and outside. Doug played in 21 games and came in and did his job to help lead the Patriots to wins. Waldon will compete for more playing time this year at small forward and power forward.

The Cumberlands coaching staff is looking forward to the mixture of the returning players and newcomers. The players have been practicing hard everyday and working together, pushing each other to be the best. The season opener will be against Indiana University Southeast, a very good NAIA DII team. The Patriots will participate in the Pikeville and Inaugural MSC Classic before MSC play begins. In January, the Patriots will have to face off against Mid-South Conference opponents such as Georgetown College, Lindsey Wilson College, and Campbellsville University who are consistently ranked among the NAIA’s elite.

“We had a very successful season last year,” said University of the Cumberlands Head Coach Don Butcher. “Even though we lost four starters and a NAIA First Team All-American in Luke Fitzgerald, we like our team's makeup this year. We have eight seniors on this year's team, so experience and leadership should be a strength for us. I feel this may be the most talented team I have had at UC. If the players understand that defense, rebounding, and toughness which are the most important aspects to winning games, I think we could have another very successful season again this year.”

With a strong leadership core and what appears to be an extremely talented group of Patriots, the season looks to be a successful one for the Patriots. Success brings MSC Championships followed by trips to the “Big Dance” and the opportunity to play for it all. The reputation of one of the NAIA’s most prestigious programs is on the line – expect the Patriots to step up to the challenge to defend Cumberlands honor and find the hardware they have been searching for since the tradition began.

[2008-09 Season Preview] [2007-08 Season Preview] [2006-2007 Season Preview]
[2005-2006 Season Preview] [2004-2005 Season Preview]