Quakers Top 98-99 Win Total

A Midseason Basketball Report

Despite a 4-11 overall record, first-year head men's basketball coach Butch Estes (pictured) still finds cause for optimism. The Quakers have already bettered their overall and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) win totals of a year ago, and remain in strong contention for one of eight ODAC Tournament berths.

Competition against two Division I schools and three nationally ranked ODAC teams surely didn't help Guilford's won-loss record, but it gives the Quakers and their new coach an idea of the type of players and work ethic needed to be successful. Guilford played well in the first couple months of the season and entered the mid-semester break with as many wins (3) as it had in all of 1998-99, plus a 2-1 league record. While losing to Division I clubs from Davidson (59-86) and neighboring UNC Greensboro (63-88), the Quakers represented themselves well, outrebounding Davidson and staying within a dozen points of UNCG well into the second half.

Guilford posted narrow ODAC wins at Lynchburg (58-57) and home versus Eastern Mennonite (73-68) to gain some much needed confidence headed into the wave of second-semester ODAC games.

Narrow road losses to Washington and Lee (67-73) and Virginia Wesleyan (74-79), combined with a lopsided loss to unbeaten Hampden-Sydney (69-103), put Guilford in a bit of a hole. The Quakers' offense fell off to a 15-year low in a 53-45 loss to Randolph-Macon, but the team bounced back with an important 77-68 league victory at Eastern Mennonite three nights later.

The offensive woes returned in road losses to nationally ranked Bridgewater (57-78) and Roanoke (63-107), but the prospects of three home games over a five-game stretch and the addition of 6-8 junior forward Leonardo Scott give reason for optimism. Scott, who started the season at Division II Erskine before transferring to Guilford in January, contributed 24 points and 20 rebounds over his first three games with his new team.

Scott's addition, plus the return of 6-8 sophomore center Matt Lewis from a shoulder injury, bolsters Guilford's post play. Junior forward/center Todd Ashworth (pictured) is enjoying the best season of his career and strung together three straight double-doubles during the year. He ranks among the league's top rebounders and leads the team in blocked shots.

A stronger post presence should open up more space for Guilford's guards. Sophomore swingman Brad Woolley led the team in scoring with just over a dozen points per game through 15 contests, while redshirt freshman Paul Kindem adds 10 points and three assists off the bench in his first season back from knee surgery. Junior captains Jaron Randall and David Zelickson form the Quakers' starting backcourt and provide the leadership and stability needed during tough times.