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LOCATION: Annapolis, MD
CONFERENCE: Patriot League
LAST SEASON: 20-7 (.741)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 9-3 (t-2nd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Midshipmen
COLORS: Blue & Gold
HOMECOURT: Alumni Hall
COACH: Don DeVoe (Ohio State '64)
record at school 119-80 (7 years)
career record 447-308 (26 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Jimmy Allen (Emory & Henry '93)
Nathan Davis (Randolph-Macon '97)
Tom Marryott (Castleton State '85)
Mark Alarie (Duke '86)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 20-15-20-19-20
RPI (last 5 years) 158-248-147-165-119
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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It happens every March. Somewhere in the country, a team on the fast track has its sights on the NCAA Tournament as it enters its league tournament. Once we put away our feeble early-round competition, its players think, we can really buckle down, win the title game and listen with rapture as CBS floats our name over the national airwaves on Selection Sunday. And while those players think blissfully of sub-regionals and office pools, they completely forget to play basketball. A surprising loss leaves them on the outside looking in, their conference too weak for them to even warrant status on the bubble. Last season it was Navy's turn. With 20 victories and a 9-3 Patriot League record, the Midshipmen had enjoyed another sparkling season, the latest in coach Don DeVoe's string of successes in Annapolis. Navy had gone an impressive 11-3 in non-league games, and its only conference losses were to first-place finisher Lafayette, twice, and to Bucknell, with which it had tied for second place. The Midshipmen again were relentless on the boards, finishing first in the nation in rebounding margin, at plus 9.9 rpg, and on defense, holding their opponents to .379 shooting from the floor, sixth best in the country. Two players earned all-league first-team honors, and one was chosen on the second team. Their first game in the Patriot League Tournament was against a Lehigh squad so hammered by injuries that it probably considered suiting up the team mascot. In their two regular-season games, Navy had abused the Mountain Hawks, winning both by a total of 63 points.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C+ BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT B+ INTANGIBLES B+
Don DeVoe's consistency really is quite a remarkable thing. He took a Navy program that was reeling during the post-David Robinson years and simply whipped it into shape: Seven victories the first year, then seasons of 17, 20, 15, 20, 19 and 20 victories. Oh, and did we mention three trips to the NCAA Tournament? The formula is quite simple: Play hard, hard, hard defense and crash the boards all night long. A newfound interest in offense hasn't changed these DeVoe fundamentals, and last year's squad reflected that. This year's Midshipmen are a pretty solid bunch as well, top to bottom. They play the game the way DeVoe likes it, and have the added advantage of remembering the sting of the upset loss they suffered in the Patriot League Tournament late last February. The Midshipmen had all spring and all summer to chew on that one, and if it results in their taking every opponent seriously one of the marks of true champions then it will have been worth all of the disappointment. On the downside, the backcourt is mostly untested, and Navy isn't terribly large; it features two 6-10 players, but both are reserves, playing behind the starting center, who is 6-8. Granted, that guy is Sitapha Savane, who, along with forward Chris Williams, should put lots of points on the scoreboard. There is more than a little experience; throw in DeVoe's considerable coaching ability, and Navy should contend all season long and be right there at the end. |
The game had all the makings of a mismatch, but what happened on Feb. 27, 1999, will likely leave a sour taste in the mouths of Navy fans for years to come. A decent-shooting bunch, the Midshipmen went inexplicably cold, connecting on just 17 of 76 shots from the floor. And their season-long three-point woes continued, as they hit only one of 20 long balls. Lehigh, seeded seventh and last in the conference tournament, mugged Navy, 53-45, rudely and unexpectedly finishing its season. "We realize that a lot of our success is determined by how we do at the league tournament," said DeVoe, entering his eighth year. "We accomplished a lot last year in terms of guys stepping up and playing some fine basketball. But that (Lehigh) loss has made our players realize we really dropped the ball, and we'll need to work to make sure that will not happen again." The Midshipmen lose two players, both of them starters guard Skip Victor and center Josh Williams and while they take with them only a shade over 20 ppg, their contributions in other areas will be sorely missed. Both players rebounded well, for starters. Victor handed out nearly four assists per game and was one of the fiercest defenders in Navy history, registering 80 steals last year, while Williams was a 6-11 presence who rejected 44 shots. So DeVoe knows that there are holes to be filled. He hoped that a seven-game tour of France and Italy in August would provide clues on how to proceed. "Who's going to be our leader, our defensive stopper?" he said. "That's the real benefit of our foreign trip. When we get back, we'll know more about who can fill these roles." Two All-Patriot first-teamers, 6-8 senior center Sitapha Savane and 6-4 junior forward Chris Williams, return to start in a strong Navy frontcourt. Savane (12.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg) has done nothing but improve over his collegiate career, earning all-rookie honors as a sophomore and being chosen to the All-Patriot first team as a junior. He paced Navy in rebounding and field-goal shooting (.558), and blocked 41 shots. However, the next three-point shot he takes will be his first, something his coach would like to change. "Sitapha's our lead inside player. He's strong and a gifted jumper," DeVoe said. "I'd like to see him knock down more perimeter shots, because it would help make his inside game that much more effective." Savane's superlative grunt work inside earned him a profile in Sports Illustrated last February, which led to a congratulatory note from Bill Clinton. With a long-term eye on the presidency of his native Senegal, Savane surely enjoyed the chief executive's good wishes. Blue Ribbon's only political advice is never to attempt defining the word is. We raised the possibility of a breakout season for Williams last year, and, boy, did he respond. With a team-high 13.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg, not to mention 51 steals, .482 shooting from the floor and .407 shooting from behind the arc, he joined Savane on the Patriot League's first team. This after a decent, though certainly not spectacular, freshman season that followed preseason knee surgery. Williams has blossomed into the most athletic player DeVoe has ever coached in Annapolis, a quality that allows him to score from anywhere on the court and to play sticky defense at the other end. "Chris is one of the more diverse players in our program," DeVoe said. "He could go inside and rebound, as well as shoot from the outside. I love the way he plays. He's very intense, with all the skills to be a superb performer for us." Hard-nosed swingman John Williams (4.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg), a 6-6 junior, provided a large lift off the bench last season and will be called on to do the same this year in spelling Chris Williams. He is a versatile performer who can even swing to the point if necessary. "John will play a lot for us this year," DeVoe said. "He's an integral part of our program. He's an excellent ball-handler, but I feel more comfortable trying to develop him as a two guard." The early track on the starting power-forward slot appears to belong to 6-7 junior Robert Reeder (6.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg), a 14-game starter a season ago. Reeder was a solid performer whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, and his durability was a considerable asset. Two days after breaking his nose and dislocating a finger against Auburn, he played 23 minutes against Dartmouth, scoring eight points and grabbing a couple rebounds. At 240 pounds, Reeder is difficult to shove around under the glass, and he shot .511 percent from the floor. Reeder's primary backup is 6-7 junior Josh Hill (3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg), who started one of the 20 games in which he appeared last season, his first with the varsity team. Hill gets up and down the court well and can handle the ball, and he displayed enough hints of all-around talent to warrant a longer look from DeVoe this year. "Heading into their junior years, Josh and Robert appear to be the type of players who fit into our system," he said. "They can both handle the basketball, are solid defenders and have adequate athleticism." Two role players, 6-6 senior swingman Jeremy Toton (0.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 16 games) and 6-6 sophomore Jamie Nero (0.7 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 10 games), will provide depth at forward. Savane is really a center in a power forward's body, so don't be surprised if DeVoe slides him to the four spot now and then. When he wants to go big, the coach will call on developing 6-10 junior center Michael Cunningham (2.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg), who rejected 23 shots in 20 games, including a four-block effort against Auburn. Cunningham has hit the weights and practiced hard in the offseason, and DeVoe believes his game will continue to improve. "With his size, Mike is our true big man," DeVoe said. "He needs to get more comfortable handling the ball, but that just comes with experience." Also in the mix in the paint is 6-10 sophomore Ben Beck-Coon, who didn't play at the varsity level last season. Barring injury, the Midshipmen should be set at the point, where 6-1 junior Reggie Skipworth (5.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) returns after starting all 27 of Navy's games last year. Skipworth is a so-so shooter, and his 85 assists versus 78 turnovers leave something to be desired, but he did have 34 steals and played well when one considers he appeared in just seven games, all off the bench, as a freshman. "He's one player who really needs to step up," DeVoe said. "So much of the game is dictated by the play of the point guard, his ability to deliver the ball and play good defense. I was real pleased with how he came in last year after not having seen a lot of varsity action as a freshman." Skipworth's main understudy again will be 6-3 junior Chris Worthing (3.0 ppg, 1.1 rpg), who had an impressive 35 assists against just 12 turnovers in 25 games. In his sole start, against Lafayette, he scored 10 points and had three rebounds and three assists. With the ability to pass, shoot and leap, Worthing can play either guard slot, and DeVoe likes his prowess on defense as well. "Chris is a versatile performer who played a lot at the point," he said. "He's a gifted shooter who still needs to learn all facets of the game. He's athletic and strong enough that he could also be our defensive stopper." Demond Shepard (0.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, eight assists, eight games), a 6-1 sophomore, may see some action at the point. He works hard and has lots of quickness and potential, but needs to find a way to get legitimate game experience after spending most of his time with the junior varsity last year. DeVoe thinks he'll be a solid contributor with some game time behind him. The graduation of the team's previous defensive whiz, Skip Victor, an all-league second-team pick, leaves a large hole at shooting guard. Navy insiders are high on 6-3 sophomore Jehiel Lewis (4.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg) to fill it. The southpaw sharpshooter put up some nice numbers in limited action, appearing 15 times as a freshman. When Chris Williams went down with a sprained ankle in an early-February matchup with Lafayette, Lewis sprang off the bench and torched the Leopards for 23 points, then followed up with 11 points in 12 minutes four nights later against Army. "Jehiel is rising solidly in our program," DeVoe said. "He had some inspiring efforts last year that really got us feeling good about his future . . . but he needs to gain some strength." Shawn Murray (2.2 ppg, 0.9 rpg), an athletic 6-4 junior, provides some scoring spark off the bench, while 6-2 sophomore Mike Windlan (no points, two rebounds, two games) and 6-4 sophomore Noah Kramer-Dover (two points, no rebounds, one game) barely cracked the varsity lineup as freshmen.
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