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• 2002-03 Season Outlook

Respect. Together. Win.

Butch Estes has preached these words to Guilford's men's basketball team in each of the last three years and it has responded with marked improvement each year. The Quakers start their fourth season under Estes with nine returning letter winners set on winning an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) title and a berth in the NCAA playoffs. Guilford knows success in the ODAC does not happen overnight as the league's top teams have worked many years to reach the upper echelon. The work pays off as two or three ODAC teams perennially rank among the top 25 Division III clubs in the country.

Building a winner takes many elements, including knowledgeable coaches, good players and community support, all priorities in the Quakers' development. With these elements increasing and improving, Guilford has gone from a 3-21 club in 1998-99 to 15-11 as year ago, the club's most victories and first winning record since 1988-89. Guilford won a school-record 10 ODAC games last year and finished a game out of fourth place. The Quakers secured their second straight ODAC Tournament berth after missing the eight-team tourney for six straight years.

The Quakers have won and earned respect. To continue the progress made in recent seasons they will need to overcome the graduation of three starters from last season's team and rely on an experienced junior class. The seniors will be missed, namely Aron McMillian '02 and Paul Kindem '02, who led Guilford's scorers and provided one third of the Quakers' offense from the post and perimeter. McMillian, a 6-9 center, earned second team All-ODAC honors after leading the team in scoring and topping the conference in blocks and field-goal percentage. Kindem left with 812 career points in just over three seasons, which ranks fourth in Guilford's Division III history. The Quakers will also miss swingman Brad Woolley, who scored 754 points and added 146 steals in his four seasons.

"I don't see any reasons we should expect to step back," said Estes. "We will miss the seniors, but with the returning group that we have there is enough experience and ability to continue to move forward and work towards our ultimate goal - winning a national championship."

Estes and his staff are thinking big. They know two ODAC teams are ranked among the top 10 Division III teams in preseason polls this year. After a pair of narrow losses to ODAC Tournament champ Hampden-Sydney, and wins over Roanoke and Bridgewater last season, Estes thinks Guilford can contend for a league title.

"Beating Roanoke, beating Bridgewater again allowed us and the coaching staff to see that we are arriving at the top of the league," said Estes. "It's fun to be in a league that if you are talented enough and competitive enough, that you can compete for a national championship."

Junior captains Josh Connor and Jevon Clarke lead Guilford in its quest for the league title. The competitive Connor led the ODAC in rebounding last season at 6-2, 185 pounds and earned second team All-ODAC recognition. He also led the conference in offensive rebounds and paced the Quakers in assists and steals while averaging 8.2 points per game. Connor is one of the club's top defenders and often matches up against the opponent's top scorer, regardless of position.

Guilford's top returning scorer from last year, Clarke is a silky 6-4 swingman poised for a breakout season. He added weight and strength over the summer, which should make his game more well rounded. A good ball-handler and consistent shooter, Clarke likes to slash to the basket and has an improving post game. He will be asked to defend bigger players this year, which could create mismatches offensively.

"Those two kids have a confidence about them, which is refreshing," Estes said. "They are also two of the most competitive kids I have ever been around. They really enjoy winning and hate losing. That attitude has begun to permeate the entire program, which is essential for a winning team."

Sophomore Clarence Martin returns for his second season after starting all 26 games at point guard. He made great progress down the stretch of his rookie year and added strength during the off-season. Martin returns as the Quakers' best free throw shooter (75%).

Juniors Ron Bradford and Robert Spence contend for the starting shooting guard assignment. Bradford paired with Kindem a year ago to give Guilford its first consistent outside shooters in a number of years. A 39 percent career three-point shooter, he drained a team-high 49 of the Quakers' school-record 153 trifectas. Bradford has again made physical improvements during the off-season, which will make him a better all-around player. Spence has experience at both guard spots and provided valuable backcourt minutes in his first two seasons. Athletic sophomores Devon Clyburn and Greg McDowell will also add depth to the Quakers' backcourt.

With the departure of McMillian and Thomas Swindell '05, who is studying abroad, the Quakers have a void in the middle and may not start a "traditional" post player. With guards and swingmen as his most experienced players, Estes could start a smaller and quicker lineup than to which he is accustomed.

"It changes your style of play, which is exciting," Estes said. "It forces us to adjust our system to fit our personnel, and we should be more up tempo and aggressive defensively in a full-court situation."

The Quakers added some height in the off-season, but only one new post player has extended playing experience. Senior Matt Lewis, who played for Guilford from 1999-2001, returned to the team after a one-year absence. A good shooting post player, he will compete with junior Kevin Francis and rookies Genaro Lawhorn and Brent Vaassen for minutes in the post. At 6-6 and 320 pounds, Lawhorn could be one of the ODAC's biggest players and will occupy plenty of space in the lanes.

Eric Williams, a 6-4 junior college transfer from Abraham Baldwin, is a solid shooter and athletic player who can fill the guard or forward positions. He averaged nearly 20 points per game last year and helped his team to a top-10 finish in the Division I junior college rankings. An excellent outside shooter, Williams has the ability to take smaller players in the post and score. Freshmen John Fernandez and Sasha Kovacevic are both 6-5 wings with an excellent shooting touch and knowledge of the game.

The Quakers meet a pair of Division I opponents for the fourth straight season and both clubs are rated among the top teams in the Southern Conference. Guilford opens the season Nov. 22 at East Tennessee State, the SoCon's preseason favorite, and plays at North Carolina Greensboro January 22. The Quakers again meet crosstown rival Greensboro in the Greensboro Coliseum December 2 and open the home schedule the following Saturday against defending ODAC Tournament champion Hampden-Sydney.