2005 SSC MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT – TEAM CAPSULES

#1 LYNN

The Fighting Knights (22-5, 13-3 SSC) clinched the regular season title after leading the conference in a several statistical categories, including scoring margin (+15.1), field goal percentage (.470), 3-pt. field goal percentage (.400), and rebounding defense (30.6). The Knights are one of the most balanced teams in the conference with Justin Wingard and Marcus Hayes providing the inside clout, and James Cage, James Taylor and Akil Lewis shooting from outside. Wingard was a first-team All-SSC selection last year and contributes 12.6 points a game, while ranking fourth in the conference with 7.3 rebounds per outing. Hayes returned to the fold after missing all of last season with an injury and stepped in to contribute 10.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Cage is the Knights leading point producer, ranking third in the SSC with 14.9 points per contest. Taylor, Lynn’s all-time leading scorer, was a member of the All-SSC second-team in 2003-04 and put up points at a 12.3 per game clip this season. Lewis adds 9.1 points per contest, while senior point guard Austin Faber, Lynn’s all-time assist leader, dishes out 4.6 assists per game. Lynn is the second newest entry into the tournament field posting a 2-6 mark in six tournaments since joining the conference. The Knights best showing was a second-place finish in 1999, their first year in the conference.

#2 ECKERD

The Tritons (18-9, 11-5 SSC) have been one of the best tournament teams in the SSC the last several years, claiming their second tournament title last year behind MVP Steve Berg who returns to lead the Tritons this season. Berg is the fifth-leading scorer in the SSC with 13.9 points per game and leads the conference with 3.11 three-point field goals per contest. Joining Berg as the Tritons long-range gunners are Greg Plummer and Matt Cenatus.

Plummer is the Tritons leading scorer and ranks fourth in the SSC with 14.5 points per game. Cenatus leads the conference with a .830 free throw percentage, while adding 12.4 points a game to the Tritons efforts. Senior guard Charles Bryant leads Eckerd and ranks fifth in the conference with 6.7 rebounds per game. In 23 years in the tournament, Eckerd is 18-21, with two titles and one second-place finish.

#3 BARRY

The Buccaneers (23-7, 10-6 SSC) notched a school record 23 wins and 10 conference victories in the program’s most successful regular season to date. Senior forward Nick Ellingsworth-Perez spearheads the Buccaneer charge, ranking second in the SSC with 17.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest. The 2004 second-team All-SSC selection joined Barry’s prestigious 1,000 point club with a career-high 30-point performance against Tampa on Jan. 8, and reset Barry’s season rebounding record with 300 boards to date. Seniors Clifford Smith and transfer Calix N’Diaye join Ellingsworth-Perez in the Bucs’ potent starting line-up. Smith was a second-team All-SSC selection a year ago and put up 13.2 points per outing this season. N’Diaye made an immediate impact upon his arrival from Wisconsin-Green Bay, contributing 13.2 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. An SSC All-Freshman selection a year ago, sophomore Ryan Saunders has been a mainstay as the Bucs starting point guard. He leads the SSC with a 2.52 assist/turnover ratio. Defense has been key for the Bucs as they continued their tradition of dominating defense, ranking among national leaders for the fourth straight year. The squad has reached the SSC championship game twice, in 1991-92 and 2000-01, but has yet to take home the title. In 14 years in the tournament, the Bucs have an 8-14 record.

#4 SAINT LEO

The Lions (12-15, 8-8 SSC) are looking for their first trip to the championship game since 1986 and their first tournament win since 1998. Saint Leo has been the most improved team in the SSC this season, thanks to freshman guard Marquis McCollough. The squad leads the SSC in scoring offense (77.1), rebounding offense (39.3), and three-point field goals made (8.56). McCollough leads the conference in scoring with 18.7 points per game and paces his squad with 4.0 assists per game. Junior guard Scott Siefert is a long-range threat, ranking second in the SSC with 2.89 three-pointers a game. Larry Henderson has been the muscle for the Lions inside, putting up 11.7 points and 5.8 boards per contest.

#5 FLORIDA SOUTHERN

The Mocs (17-10, 8-8 SSC) have been the most dominant team in the SSC Tournament, winning 17 times in 27 years with a 47-10 mark. The Mocs hold the record with six straight tournament wins from 1986-91, but have won only one of the last four titles. As of Feb. 20, the Mocs boasted the third best field goal percentage defense (38.4) and eighth best scoring defense (61.6) in NCAA Division II. In addition to leading the conference in both of those categories, the Mocs block a conference leading 3.63 shots per game. Seniors Kenny Ebanyat and Ellery Boykin lead the Mocs with their inside-outside punch. Ebanyat is the leading rebounder in the SSC with 10.1 boards per game and paces the Mocs with 13.0 points per game. He has posted a conference-best .605 shooting percentage from the field and has blocked an SSC-high 1.70 shots per contest. Fellow senior Ellery Boykin is the only other Moccasin to notch double-digit scoring figures with 12.6 points per outing.

#6 TAMPA

The Spartans (17-10, 8-8 SSC) are the second-winningest team in the tournament behind the Mocs, with five titles and six second-place finishes, giving them a 26-16 record in 21 tournaments. This season the Spartans lead the SSC with 9.74 steals and 17.15 assists per contest. The squad also boasts the highest assist/turnover ratio in the conference (1.11). Mark Borders has been the top playmaker in the conference this season and ranks fourth in NCAA Division II with 7.48 assists per game. He is 15th in Division II and leads the SSC with 2.59 steals per contest. Borders is the only Spartan to average double-digits in the scoring column (13.4), but freshman Christopher Evans has been outstanding inside ranking third in the SSC with 7.4 rebounds per game.

#7 ROLLINS

The Tars (14-13, 6-10 SSC) are the defending regular season champions in the SSC and have won one tournament title back in 1992. Coach Tom Klusman’s Tars have also finished runner-up four times in five trips to the championship game. This season the Tars were picked to repeat as SSC regular season champions, earning 14 first place votes in the SSC preseason poll. The squad leads the SSC with a +3.11 turnover margin. Defense has been key for the Tars who, as of Feb. 20, ranked 10th in NCAA Division II with a field goal percentage defense of 39.6. Point guard Eric Faber is an outside threat for the Tars, averaging 12.9 points per contest. He ranks second in the SSC with 5.3 assists and 2.56 steals per game. Joining Faber on the outside is sophomore guard and Tars’ leading scorer Deon Troupe. He averages 12.9 points per game and ranks second in the conference with a .429 percentage from behind the arc. Placide Muhizi patrols the paint and contributes 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

#8 FLORIDA TECH

The Panthers (10-15, 5-11 SSC) have finished second in the tournament three times, as recently as 2000, but have not won a tournament game since then. The Panthers are revamped this season and juniors Titas Vainauskas and Ryan Maultsby are the one-two punch that has led the resurgence. Vainauskas leads the Panthers on the boards with 5.1 per game, while Maulstby grabs 4.6 rebounds per outing. Both players rank seventh in the SSC in scoring with 13.2 points per game. Freshman E.J. Murray leads the conference with a .531 percentage from three-point range (43-of-81) and adds 9.5 points per contest to the Panthers efforts.

#9 NOVA SOUTHEASTERN

NSU (7-20, 3-13) makes its SSC Tournament debut as the Knights became eligible to compete for conference championships this fall, after spending the past two seasons as a provisional member. New coach Gary Tuell has stocked the Knights from down-under, with four players from Australia on the roster. Aussie sophomore Tommy Greer leads the Knights with 11.1 points per game and senior guard Kluis Wimbush is the only other Knight averaging double-digits with 10.7 points per contest. Junior forward Calvin Jenkins ranks third in the conference with 1.23 blocked shots a game and ranks third in the SSC with a .532 field goal percentage. Junior forward Jeff Ardizon leads NSU on the boards with 4.9 rebounds per contest.