MBB preview 2012-13
| Published: 11/01/2012 |
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The MSOE men’s basketball team is coming off a 10-15 season and a 7-9 conference record. The Raiders graduate three starters from last year’s squad, but look to some familiar faces to guide the Raiders to a respectable NAC finish.
Senior forward Vic Bande (Madrid, Spain/ Lourdes University) and junior point guard John Cording (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) will captain the 2012-13 version of the Raiders.
Bande, a 6-4 forward from Madrid, Spain saw considerable action both as a starter and key reserve last season. Bande averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, averaging just over 20 minutes per game. His role will be to be more aggressive offensively than he was last year. “If Vic (Bande) returns to his sophomore form and shoots the way he is capable of, he will be one of the players to watch this year. Bande originally transferred here in 2010 from Lourdes University, an NAIA school in Toledo Ohio.
Cording led the team in assists and steals with 79 and 34, respectively. However, as many MSOE guards from the past, Cording will be asked not only to play point guard, but increase his scoring value from past seasons. In his freshman year, he averaged 6.3 ppg. Last season, Cording was second on the team in scoring with a 9.2 points per game average. In 2012, he will again be asked to increase those numbers.
“John is a great leader both by example and verbally. He is the heart and soul of this team,” Said Head Coach Brian Miller. “He plays extremely hard and sets the tone for our team.”
Defensively, Miller is counting on Jeremiah Erdmann (Oakfield, Wis./ Oakfield) to anchor the Raider’s defense. “Jerry (Erdmann) is a great defender on the ball and will be counted on to take a role as a shut down defender.” Erdmann played in all 25 games for the Raiders last year, averaging 16 minutes per game and 3.9 points per game.
MSOE will also look to the bench and freshman to step up and fill the void left by graduating starters Oren Bloom, Cynerick Osinaike and Michael Ricciardi.
Jerome Singh (Madison, Wis./ La Follette), a 6-6 center was a spot starter for MSOE in 2011, but will see considerable playing time this year. Derek Watton (Sidney, Ohio/Troy), returning from an injury-redshirt year will add athleticism and shooting to the Raiders squad. 6-4 freshman forward Austin Stueck (South Milwaukee, Wis. /South Milwaukee) could step in and be a playmaker for the Raiders in 2012.
The upcoming season starts off with the prestigious All Engineers Classic at MSOE with Caltech, RPI and Rose Hulmann making return appearances to the biennial event. MSOE will also play in the Smokey Ballenger Tournament on Dec. 29-30, 2012.
