Thursday, December 31, 2009

The Mount:All Decade Team

Well folks, I've still got a few more minutes to get in on the action. Still time to get a Mount All-Decade Team out there. So since everybody else is doing it (How is that for blogger pressure?) I'm all in on the Mount St. Mary's All-Decade team.

We might end up with all guards. But we'll have a good team. I'm picking ten guys. That is one for every year. I'll save the extra scholarships.

But here goes.....In no real order.

Gregory Harris - guard - His career ended in 2000 - so we sneak him in here. He's sixth in scoring and still the leader in assists. He took his team to the tourney while he was here and he was a very good point guard who started four years for the Mount.

Jeremy Goode - guard - the lefthander from Charlotte has been everything he was expected to be after coming North. He led the team to the NCAA tournament in his sophomore year and might take them back in the next decade. He'll leave with his name all over the Mount record book and images of his drives through the lane etched in our minds.

Sam Atupem - forward - We've got to have at least one guy who play in the pivot. Atupem is that guy. A strong rebounder and defensive player, he can score when needed as well. Who can ever forget his bucket that beat Winthrop?

Mychal Kearse - guard/forward - A great defensive player who also got it done on the offensive end. He left as the 34th leading scorer in Mount history. A great leader and someone who will always have a stamp on the program as long as the tenacious defense stays.

Charles Cook - forward - We need a shooter on this team. And Cookie is clearly a pure shooter. He knocked down 212 in his career, including 70 in one season.

Landy Thompson - guard - 8th on the All-time scoring list at the Mount. The shooter from Archbishop Spalding could absolutely catch fire at times. We'll always remember that shooting touch from long range.

Jean Cajou - guard - Who knows, maybe by the end we'll have this guy on both this decade and next decade's team. He'll provide both offense and defense for this group. We're still thinking his best days as a Mountaineer are in front of him.

Chris Vann - guard - Somehow we all as fans just thought we wouldn't miss this guy. Shame on us. The little guard found a way to create shots and score points.

Terrance Wilson - forward - The forward became one of the first Mount players from Virginia and the Beach District that has been so profitable of a recruiting area for the Mount. Wilson was part of that late 90's run to the NCAA tournament, and one of the more talented big players to ever wear the white and blue.

Kelly Beidler - forward - He's been a key factor in all the good times over the last few years. At times he has really come up with the key bucket when needed, or the big rebound at other times. He has become a better defensive player and can be counted upon at both ends of the floor.

Here's all the Mountaineers of the 00's - Donte Alexander, Koki Adasi, Matt Ashcroft, Pat Atangana, Sam Atupem, Shawn Atupem, Michael Bajornas, Rob Balgac, Kelly Beidler, Kirk Bunn, Pierre Brown, Joey Butler, Kiel Butler, Jean Cajou, Jason Carbone, Jamion Christian, Gavin Coco, Charles Cook, Michael Cook, Josh Dittmar, Nick Dodson, Gus Durr, Jason Epps, Drew Gaeng, Marvin Gibson, Jeremy Goode, Mike Harvey, Will Holland, Tayvon Jackson, Antonio Johnson, Kevin Jones, Mychal Kearse, Ed Kenny, Jason Loughry, Shawn Mark, Esmond Marvray, Markus Mitchell, Stephen Moore, Keith Price, Guyvans Richard, Konata Springer, Chris Sumner, Landy Thompson, Chris Vann, Melvin Whitaker, Nick Whitney, Terrence Wilson.

Those are my 10, you might have your own. Certainly there is plenty of reason for discussion. But all these guys have made the last ten years of Mount basketball some of the most memorable for me. Certainly, the fact that my daughter has grown to enjoy Mount basketball during this time almost as much as I do has added to the enjoyment.

Wonder what the next ten years will bring?

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:28 AM

    I think the biggest impact player was Whitaker. Truly a sad story, commencing with his conviction under strange circumstances, then the assistant coach's dentist connection and finally a short time at MSM and some bad injuries. Can't put him on an all decade team, but he showed pretty much what someone of his size and skill could mean to a small school.

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  2. All that is true.

    Not sure he actually ever played in 2000 though - as I think that was the injury year - and then he never came back.

    Whitaker resurfaced at NC Central - made them pretty good in D2 - but then they had all the wins taken away when he was deemed to be ineligible.

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