Tarrell Berry is one of two seniors for the Quakers.
11/11/2009 9:48:10 PM
Earlham Head Coach Jeff Justus has eight retuning players and four starters back as he begins his 12th season with the Quakers.
All-North Coast Athletic Conference Second Team selection Tristian Gregory has graduated and Justus is looking to replace his 18.5 PPG and 1,458 career points with a solid core of returning players.
“We intend to improve each night out,” Justus said. “With 10 of our players being talented sophomores or first-years, I believe this is going to be a turnaround season for our program.”
Senior Tarrell Berry (5.7), sophomores A.J. Sutherlin (11.0), Shane Heidt (10.2), Justin Barger (7.0) and Kyle Calder (5.0) split time in the other four starting positions a year ago.
Berry was Earlham’s top rebounder at 4.8 a contest, while leading the team in field goal percentage (.469). Calder led the Quakers in assists with 2.3 per game.
T.J. Ferrick is another senior on the squad and last year’s Mental Attitude Award winner, while Ryan Taylor (5.8) and Joe Brown are sophomores that saw significant time last winter. Taylor led the Quakers in 3-point percentage last season at .388.
“I expect really great leadership from T.J. Ferrick and Tarrell Berry,” Justus said. “Their pre-season work ethic has been great.”
“We hope that Tarrell will be a defensive stopper and aggressive rebounder on both ends of the floor,” Justus added.
There are four new players on the roster who Justus hopes to get contributions from right away. The first-years are Marty Broderick, Matt Marsh, Dustin Rusk and Chuck Tibbs.
The Quakers begin the season with six road games. The opener is at Manchester College on Sunday, Nov. 15, while the second contest is at Franklin College on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Earlham will then participant in the University of Chicago and Rhodes Classic. The Quakers face Chicago on Nov. 21, before playing either Rose-Hulman or Southwestern University the next day.
At Rhodes, the Quakers will play the University of the South on Nov. 27. The next afternoon, Earlham faces the host school.
On Dec. 5, Earlham entertains Oberlin College as the Quakers begin their final season in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Earlham joins the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference next fall.
“The NCAC will be as tough as ever at the top with Wooster receiving a pre-season No. 5 ranking and Wittenberg, Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash, Allegheny, and Hiram all competing for the top half of the conference,” Justus said.
“The Chicago tourney has three outstanding basketball programs, while we will be great academic institutions in the Rhodes Classic,” Justus added. “We will also facing four future foes from the HCAC as well as a traditional powerhouse in DePauw.”