2006-07 Men's Basketball Season Outlook

Greensboro, N.C. (11/13/06) -- Guilford College’s men’s basketball team return 10 letter winners, including four starters, from last year’s squad that finished fourth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The Quakers, who ranked second in the conference in scoring, lost in the ODAC Tournament semifinals for the second straight season.

One of the top performers for Guilford last season was Ben Strong, a First Team All-ODAC pick and the league’s top scorer. The 6-11 junior center should again be the key man for coach Tom Palombo, who starts his 17th season as a head coach and his fourth at Guilford. Strong averaged 18.9 points and 6.6 rebounds a game and also earned Second Team All-South and all-state honors.

Guilford also has experienced veterans in senior swingmen Jordan Snipes and Thomas Burge, plus juniors Caleb Kimbrough, Eric Belkoski and Ray Edmond. Snipes earned Second Team All-ODAC laurels a year ago after averaging 13.7 points and four rebounds a game. The 6-4 guard connected on a team-high 42 three-pointers and was second on the team with 66 assists. Burge, a two-year starter, shot a team-best 41 percent from three-point range and averaged 8.4 points a game. Kimbrough, a two-year starting point guard, was the only Quaker to start every game last year and led the team with 95 assists. Despite missing seven early season contests due to injury, Belkoski ranked second on the club with 4.3 rebounds per game and chipped in 6.1 points per contest. Edmond, a shooting guard, averaged 6.8 points a game in an injury-riddled campaign.

Sophomore forward George Neville played in all 27 games as a rookie with 11 starting nods. He averaged 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds a game. Other returning students include 6-7 sophomore forward Barry Wells (3.3 ppg., 3.8 rpg.) and guards Josh Payne (2.3 ppg.) and Mat Stanley.

“We have talented group of returning players,” said Palombo. “We will need their experience to help us compete in what I think is the best conference in the country. We need to be better defensively if we want to compete in the ODAC.”

Among the newcomers to the Quakers' roster are freshmen Justin Strickland, Clay Henson, Tyler Sanborn, Chad Currin, Sherrick Warren and Adam Gilbert. Strickland ended his high school career ranked 15th among North Carolina prep scorers with 2,122 points. Henson, Currin, Warren and Gilbert should compete for playing time in the backcourt while Sanborn, a 6-10, 255-pound center, adds frontcourt depth.

“Hopefully, our new guys can blend in with our veterans and give us some depth that we did not have last year,” Palombo said. “We have also added some quickness and size with our freshmen.”

Guilford officially opens the season in Salem, Va., Nov. 18 and 19 at the Jimmy V Classic.