Patriot League primer

A team-by-team glance at the Patriot League heading into the 2007-08 season.

American

Strengths: The backcourt should be a major asset. G Derrick Mercer is quick into the lane, and he has the floater down pat. As a team, the Eagles take care of the ball.

Weaknesses: It remains to be seen if American will be able to get easy points in transition. There aren't any great 3-point shooters on the roster, so the Eagles will have to work hard for their buckets.

Scouting the newcomers: Freshman G Nick Hendra may play a big role this season. The Eagles have been built around a scoring 2-guard under Jeff Jones, and Hendra comes closest to fitting that description.

Army

Strengths: The Knights are a solid defensive team, and their slow offensive pace plays into that. The strategy will be to keep possessions to a minimum and win close games.

Weaknesses: Army lacks a true playmaker on offense. There's no one on the roster that can take the ball and create a good shot by himself, so the Black Knights will be at a disadvantage whenever the shot clock is winding down.

Scouting the newcomers: Freshman G Nathan Hedgecock may end up playing a critical role off the bench. He can get to the basket, something that the Knights desperately need.

Bucknell

Strengths: Bucknell remains one of the most experienced teams in the Patriot League. G John Griffin has seen it all, and even first-time starters like G Justin Castleberry and G Jason Vegotsky have a lot of significant playing time under their belts.

Weaknesses: The graduation of C Chris McNaughton leaves a huge void in the paint, and F Darren Mastropaolo's season-ending knee injury only makes things worse. The Bison don't have any legitimate big men to step in and provide the offense or defense the team has grown accustomed to from that position.

Scouting the newcomers: Pat Flannery brought in just two freshman recruits this year, and while G Darryl Shazier might not see the court much, C Todd O'Brien may be called upon to help the thin frontcourt.

Colgate

Strengths: Colgate doesn't get blown out because the Raiders are experts at setting the pace and never deterring from their gameplan. That leads to a lot of close games, and Colgate knows how to play in tight contests.

Weaknesses: The Raiders are small, and just about all of their shots come from the perimeter. That's a problem when there aren't any particularly good shooters on the roster, so Colgate will have to get creative to break the 60-point barrier this year.

Scouting the newcomers: Mike Venezia, a freshman shooting guard, could crack the rotation. Coach Emmett Davis would welcome anyone who can put the ball in the basket, and Venezia could potentially do that.

Holy Cross

Strengths: The frontcourt defense is the best in the league. C Tim Clifford is unmovable under the basket, and F Alex Vander Baan is the conference's best help defender.

Weaknesses: The team's backcourt rotation is untested beyond Pat Doherty. G Kyle Cruze and G Colin Cunningham will have to emerge as reliable players in order to keep opposing defenses honest.

Scouting the newcomers: The incoming freshman class consists of F Josh Jones and G Andrew Beinert, and neither player figures to contribute much this year. Coach Ralph Willard prefers tight rotations, and it would be tough for either of the freshmen to break through.

Lafayette

Strengths: Lafayette has an experienced core of upperclassmen. The Leopards don't have much depth, but the starting five know their way around the Patriot League.

Weaknesses: The Leopards are going to get pounded on the boards again this year. They may be forced to rely on freshmen at the end of games to provide some size.

Scouting the newcomers: The only real size on the roster comes in the form of freshmen Jared Mintz (6-8, 230) and Darion Benbow (6-6, 195). Coach Fran O'Hanlon might have to use them extensively if the Leopards are getting killed on the glass every night.

Lehigh

Strengths: G Marquis Hall qualifies as a strength all by himself. He will be the best point guard in the league this season, and likely the next two seasons as well.

Weaknesses: After Hall, the dropoff in the backcourt is steep. None of his running mates have much in the way of experience, and there is only one senior on the team.

Scouting the newcomers: There are six incoming freshmen, with G Brian Hunter and G Prentice Small being two who could emerge alongside Hall.

Navy

Strengths: Not many Patriot League teams can match up with Navy's three-guard combo of Greg Sprink, Kaleo Kina, and Chris Harris. They can all score in a variety of ways.

Weaknesses: The Mids have no one inside to discourage opposing teams from driving the lane. Navy will be near the bottom of the league in scoring defense this season.

Scouting the newcomers: G Greg Brown could provide depth, and a pair of freshmen big men (C Jeremy Wilson, F Mark Veazey) could find themselves getting playing time by the end of the season.