Mustang men add strength, depth
Basketball
Last Updated: November 4, 2010 8:24pm
Last year was a difficult one for Brad Campbell and his Western Mustangs’ men’s basketball team. While he had a core of good players, no matter what he did, he simply didn’t have enough — not enough depth, flexibility or size. Judging by the 6-0 exhibition record and a No. 6 national preseason ranking that might have changed this year.
“We’re much improved from last year,” Campbell said. “Our returning players are a year older. We had an outstanding recruiting class from last year that gives us depth. This year compared to last year, we’re much more physical.”
The biggest problem to begin the season is a slew of injuries that has kept as many as seven Mustangs off the court at the same time. “We’re getting healthy. At the start of October, we had a three-day period where five guys went down with mostly ankles,” Campbell said. We were down to six guys who could practise for two weeks. For two weeks, we did nothing but those six guys working on fundamentals and shooting and non-live contact stuff. We are two weeks behind where we want to be but at least we have guys starting to play.”
Last year, the Mustangs rode Andrew Wedemire, Garrett Olexiuk, Marcus Barnett and Ryan Barbeau for a lot of minutes. All four will be back but there are strong additions Campbell will likely start six-foot-six Wedemire, six-foot-eight Adam Jespersen, six-foot-five Peter Scholtes, along with Barnett and Barbeau at the guard position. First forward off the bench will be six-foot-seven Olexiuk. The addition of guard Quinn Henderson and Beal’s Nathan DiLoreto gives the Mustangs an added dimension of strength.
Olexiuk had surgery last April when he tore up a knee playing a pickup game. He is now ready to play regularly. Sholtes and Jespersen are Londoners.
Jespersen played at Beal and came by way of University of Hawaii. He’s a big man who can score and handle the ball. He practised with the Mustangs last year as he sat out his transfer year.
“He’s a big, power forward in the post and gives us a great physical presence,” Campbell said. “He can play on the perimeter. He’s very versatile.
With him and Wedemire playing high/low, they will be very difficult to play.”
For Jespersen’s part, he’s happy to be able to call Western home for the next four years.
“I was pretty excited after high school to go to Hawaii but the situation wasn’t what I thought it would be,” Jespersen said. “I finally came back to London and back to Western. I know I can be here for the next four years and not have to worry about it.
“At Hawaii, I was so homesick and the overall experience wasn’t what I thought. The traveling . . . I would miss three weeks for classes at a time. It wasn’t quite for me.”
Men’s basketball
Season openers: at Laurentian, Friday 8 p.m.; at York, Saturday 8 p.m.
Home opener: vs. Ryerson, Nov. 12 8 p.m.
Key returnees: Ryan Barbeau, Andrew Wedemire, Garrett Olexiuk
Key additions: Adam Jespersen, Peter Scholtes, Quinn Henderson
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