The 2007-08 Millersville University men’s basketball team comes into the new season looking to improve on the success of their 2006-07 NCAA Division II National Championship run. 

Head coach Fred Thompson and the players were pleased with their Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship and ensuing run to the NCAA Regional Finals, but the loss to Barton, the eventual Division II National Champions, left a sour taste in their mouths.  But the defending PSAC champs know that a repeat of last year’s success will not come easy. 

“As the defending champions we will need to take the season one game at a time and be ready to come out and play every night,” says Thompson.

The Marauders return several core from last season’s team, including Charlie Parker, the reigning Eastern Division Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Conference guard.  Parker comes into the season ranked 13th on Millersville’s all-time scoring list with 1,435 points.  He averaged 14.3 points per game last season, good enough for 15th in the conference. He led the conference in steals as a junior with an average of nearly three per game (2.92) and finished fifth in assists with an average of 4.25 per game. 

The senior guard has been nothing short of consistent since his freshman season, when he was named Eastern Division Rookie of the Year and earned his first of three First Team All-Conference selections.  Along with the results seen on the stat sheets, Parker also brings championship-caliber leadership to the court.

 
“Charlie is the ultimate team player,” says Thompson. “His knowledge of the game is second to none.”

Parker, along with Second Team All-Conference Selection Reggie Bates, will be looked upon to fill the shoes of recently-graduated guard Greg Testa.  As the school’s seventh all-time leading scorer, Testa averaged nearly 17.8 points per game last season, good enough for third in the conference.  Coach Thompson believes it will take a team effort to reproduce the intangibles that Testa brought to the court. 

“You lose players every year, but no one person can shoulder what Greg left behind.  Each member of the team will be expected to step up their game,” Thompson says.

Bates, who averaged 14.5 points per game last season, is expected to play an important role in filling the scoring hole left behind by Testa.  Bates, a junior, has made drastic improvements over the summer and is expected to step up into a leadership role this season as a junior.  Standing at 6-foot-5, Bates causes mismatch problems for opposing defenses with his quickness and athleticism. 

Coach Thompson expects the Marauders to improve greatly in rebounding and defense with the progress made by four returning big men.  The Marauders finished near the bottom of the pack in rebounding and saw their opponents grab over five more boards per game last season (39.3-33.9). 

Junior forward Bernard Brown held a league best .623 field goal percentage and was one of the top-10 shot blockers from a year ago with an average of 1.08 per game.  His 4.5 boards per game were third best on the team and that averaging will surely improve after offseason training helped him get bigger and stronger.  Brown is praised for his ability to get to the basket in the post, but can also shoot the 15-footer when called upon.

Another post player expected to shoulder an increased scoring load is senior RayQuan Miles.  Miles averaged just 5.3 points per contest last season, but his 6-foot-6, 225-pound frame was used primarily for rebounding. Thompson says Miles has made impressive offensive improvements during the offseason.

Post players Makal Stibbins and Alan Ahmetovic should both see quality minutes this season and bring a physical presence to the court. 

Stibbins is an extremely improved player who finished second on the team in blocked shots last season while averaging just over ten minutes per contest. 

Ahmetovic is an extremely physical player and can surely provide a strong presence in the middle of an improved Marauder defense.

Other Marauder big men expected to push for playing time include freshman Rob Coney, returning junior forward Zachary Bauermaster and junior Earl Seymour, a transfer.

New additions along with returning talent should increase an already potent scoring offense.  Millersville topped the PSAC in points per game last year and was the only team in the conference to average over 80 points per game.  Their .459 field goal percentage was good enough for third in the league.

Shooting guard Justin Simmons saw little action a season ago behind Testa, but his tremendous quickness gets him to the basket in a hurry and causes problems on the defensive end for opposing scorers.  He will surely be looked upon to produce points this season.

New additions Cory Bray and Brannon Burnett will likely make immediate impacts to the Marauder offense. 

Bray, a freshman from Red Lion High School, sees the court very well and could take the pressure off of Parker to find the open teammates.  In addition to his superb court awareness, the freshman can shoot extremely well and will likely push for quality minutes this season.

Burnett, a transfer, brings quickness and a shooter’s touch to the top offense in the conference.

Other additions to the Marauder backcourt that should see playing time include shooting guards Lenny Henderson and Adam Blevins.

Last season, the Marauders were ranked the highest they have ever been under 10th-year head coach Fred Thompson when they were ranked 12th in the country in the final regular season poll.  The 28 wins was the most of any team in program history and Millersville’s appearance in the regional final matched the furthest a Thompson-coached team had ever gone into the postseason.