Men's Basketball

Author: [no author name found]

Last year's Record: 15-10, lost in first round of NESCAC tournament.

Coach: Jeff Brown

Dates for the calender: Jan. 17 at Williams; Jan. 23 vs. Amherst

Players to Watch: Nate Anderson, Dave Coratti, Mike Salek.

What can we expect? While NESCAC powerhouses Amherst, Williams and Trinity should present particularly tough tests for Middlebury, the Panthers have only 10 league games on the schedule and need to bring their best to each of these pivotal contests. Additionally, Middlebury will need to fill the void left by the graduated Eric Bundonis '03, who was the team's second highest scorer with 15.9 ppg. Offense was the Panthers' strong suit last season. The team combined for 85.9 ppg in 2002-2003 to become the highest-scoring team in college history. The Panther's should be able to put the ball in the hole again this year, but their NESCAC success will rely on the team's ability to play the other end of the floor. If Middlebury can keep its opponents to low field goal percentages, the Panthers' offensive firepower should carry them to one of their strongest seasons in recent memory. Joining the roster this season are first-years Chris Dowd, Wilbur Hyatt and Robert Marcoux."I think everyone is looking forward to the season," commented sharpshooter Mike Salek '05, who averaged 9.8 ppg last season. "This is the year where all the talent should coalesce into a cohesive unit. Most of us have been playing together now for three years, and this is it, we better put up or shut up."