If last season marked the Year of the New Coach for Guilford’s men’s basketball team, then the 2000-2001 campaign must be the Year of the New Player. Some 14 freshmen make up the Quakers’ preseason roster, along with 10 returning letter winners from last year’s 6-18 club that finished a game out of sixth-place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) standings. While many of the rookies will comprise the bulk of Guilford’s new junior varsity program, don’t be surprised to find more than a couple freshmen in the Quakers’ varsity lineup.

Second-year boss Butch Estes looks forward to directing one of the largest basketball families in his 15 years as a head coach. He hopes the newcomers add not only the skill, but also the depth and competitive spirit to return Guilford to the ODAC Tournament for the first time since 1995.

"I think this class is a reflection of what these young student-athletes saw Guilford could offer them and they really wanted to be part of it," Estes said. "It obviously creates a very competitive environment, and that helps everybody."

"I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to was to watch the intensity and the competitiveness that that team last year showed. It might be the best I’ve ever had, or maybe ever seen," Estes said. "I expect this team to do the same, to continue that level of play in that area, but I want them to play more together."

Estes admits the challenge of finding unity on a team with so many new faces and such competition for positions. Once the battle for varsity positions subsides, the players must come together and generate an air of support and encouragement. Estes is counting his five seniors, including returning seniors Jaron Randall and David Zelickson, to establish a family atmosphere and raise up future leaders among the younger players. The seniors recognize the finality of this season and appreciate their opportunity to serve as pillars of Guilford’s developing program.

Guilford’s coaches sought out perimeter players who could improve on last season’s 39 percent field goal shooting and 20.5 turnovers per game. Their first recruiting class yielded 12 guards and swingmen who should flourish in Estes’ up-tempo game. Sophomore Paul Kindem, Guilford’s second-leading scorer and passer last year (10.5 ppg., 2.2 apg.) moves exclusively to shooting guard after playing both the one- and two-guard spots in his first full season. The coaches expect Randall, a three-year starting point guard, to post his first positive assist to turnover ratio in his second season at the helm of Estes’ passing offense. Junior swingman Brad Woolley returns after leading Guilford with a career-best 12.2 points per game scoring average. Rookies Jevon Clarke, of Raleigh, NC, and Joey Norman of Boonville, NC, top the list of new backcourt players.

Senior center Todd Ashworth ranks among the ODAC’s top rebounders and anchors Guilford’s post game. Ashworth and junior center Matt Lewis have good experience, but lacked a consistent scoring touch last year. The possible return of 6-6 junior forward Jonathan Evans could help. Evans spent the 1999-2000 campaign at Henderson State in Arkansas, where he did not play basketball. The 1998 ODAC Rookie of the Year, Evans averaged a team-high 17.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game en route to second team All-ODAC honors in 1999. He has 732 career points. Freshman Thomas Swindell, a 6-4 forward with a great vertical leap, could contribute in the frontcourt right away.