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Eyes on the Top Again
Appalachian State has enough talent to win a third straight division title in the Southern Conference
Ryann Abraham is one of Appalachian’s four returning guards and will help set a faster tempo.
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Published: November 14, 2008
Appalachian State has won 28 Southern Conference games the last two seasons -- a program record for wins in a two-season span -- and has another milestone in sight this time.
The Mountaineers will try for a third straight North Division title, which would match the program's three-year run from the 1997-98 season through the 1999-2000 season.
Coach Houston Fancher is optimistic about the chances, with a proliferation of experienced guards and a return to a faster tempo. The Mountaineers seem to have enough components to battle rival Chattanooga for the top spot in the North again.
"We haven't played anybody yet, but I do like our team," said Fancher, who will begin his ninth season at the helm. "I really like the speed of our team. It's been turned up a couple volumes as compared to last year. It's a perimeter-dominated team, although we've got some inside guys that will do just fine in our league, but our guards have really taken control in practice."
Donald Sims, Ryann Abraham, Kellen Brand and Eduardo Bermudez combined for 37 points, seven assists and three steals a game last season. All four return.
"Those guards are a year older," Fancher said. "They'll be able to score for us, and they'll speed the show up for us."
Sims was a headliner as a freshman last season, averaging 11.5 points and displaying a smooth shot that resulted in 67 3-pointers and a 3-point accuracy rate of 44 percent. He again will be a catalyst, along with fellow point guard Abraham.
"The good thing about him is that he's playing with so much more confidence right now," Fancher said of Sims. "I think he second-guessed himself somewhat last season as a point guard in a new system. I think now he has a great handle on how we want to play and how he can be even more productive."
Sims' assists-to-turnover ratio improved with experience, and his shooting ability was never in question.
"He scored more points than any freshman at Appalachian in the last 20 or 30 years, and he only played 22 minutes a game," Fancher said.
Overshadowed a bit was Abraham, who quietly led the SoCon in 3-point accuracy. He hit 45 of 97 attempts for 46.4 percent.
"Ryann is shooting the ball right now in our preseason practices better than any guy I've ever had, other than maybe Rufus Leach," Fancher said.
"Ryann is shooting the ball on a Rufus Leach-level right now. I think every time it leaves his hands, it's going in."
Brand and Bermudez, both hard-nosed, fiery players, will be defensive staples and threats to score. Brand averaged 10.4 points, and Bermudez is the Mountaineers' lone senior. The addition of freshman Marcus Wright will add depth to the perimeter, and redshirt freshman Donterious Hughes will make his debut.
Last year's offense was built around steady scorer Donte Minter, who led the team with 15.4 points a game. The offense got a boost from the explosive inside play of Jeremy Clayton, who led the team with 8.1 rebounds a game and wound up as the program's all-time leader in blocked shots.
Both are gone, leaving the Mountaineers with a question mark in the middle.
Josh Hunter, a 6-6, 235-pound transfer from Albany, Ga., might provide the answer. He averaged 13.3 points and 10.2 rebounds last season for Okaloosa-Walton, which went 27-4 and finished No. 6 in the junior-college rankings.
"He's a double-double waiting to happen," Fancher said. "He's a potential all-conference type performer. He's got a great skill set as far as being able to score with his back to the goal, being able to face up and drive it and step out and shoot it. And he rebounds the ball better than anybody we've got.
"He's a mismatch for a lot of people, about what Marshall Phillips was for us a few years back."
Ike Butts, a 6-10, 285-pound sophomore, will start at center after having his freshman season cut short by a knee injury. Butts saw limited action in 20 games last season, but Fancher said that he's in better condition for a longer haul.
"He looks great, he's stronger, and his mobility is better," Fancher said. "His size and skills are something teams will have to contend with."
Tyler Webb, a 6-9, 230-pound junior who has emerged as a team leader, will return from a redshirt season and provide additional help inside.
The Mountaineers will draw depth inside from three freshmen -- Quinche Dowdell, Josh Nirenberg and Andre Williamson.
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