College season set for tip-off
Following a month of practices, closed-door scrimmages and an exhibition game or two, the college basketball teams at California, Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg start playing games that count this weekend.
The California men and women tip off their seasons tonight, the men facing Johnson C. Smith in a tournament with predetermined matchups at IUP, while the Vulcans’ women’s team will host Notre Dame (Ohio) at 7 p.m.
The Cal men are coming off back-to-back losing seasons for the first time in more than three decades. The Vulcans (11-16 last year) return three starters from a team that won its final two games in the regular season to earn a berth in the PSAC tournament. Cal also added junior college transfers who are expected to be upgrades.
Junior Jake Jacubec (10.8 points per game) and senior Arman Marks give Cal two experienced guards. Sophomore Drew Cook is the third returning starter.
Two junior transfers who could make an immediate impact are guard Khalil Jabbie and 6-9 forward Richard Smith. Jabbie scored in double figures in each of the Vulcans’ exhibition games against Division I opponents Purdue and Virginia Commonwealth. Smith had 13 points against VCU.
“We’re excited about the influx of newcomers and the veterans. Hopefully, we’re going to have more success this year. I think we’re going to be in a competitive mode,” said Bill Brown, who enters his 19th season as Cal’s head coach.
The Cal women, who return four starters from last season’s 18-9 team, were picked to finish third in the PSAC’s West Division. Seniors Emma Mahady (13.4 ppg), Kaitlynn Fratz (10.9) and Irina Kukolj (9.3) return as does sophomore guard Miki Glenn (10.0), who was one of the top freshmen in the PSAC a year ago.
The Vulcans played well in an exhibition against St. Francis (Pa.), leading at halftime before losing 88-75. Free-throw shooting cost Cal, which made only 17 of 36 attempts.
The teams at Washington & Jefferson and Waynesburg will open their seasons Saturday. Each of the Presidents’ teams will be playing in tournaments on the road. The W&J men will open at the Franklin & Marshall tournament against the host team. The W&J women will be in Erie for the Penn State-Behrend tournament. The Presidents will play Kenyon in Saturday night’s late game in the opening round.
Waynesburg will host a doubleheader Saturday at Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. The women play Carnegie Mellon at 1:30 p.m. followed by the men’s team hosting Muskingum.
The W&J men return all five starters from last year’s 13-13 team. Nate Bellhy, a 6-6 senior swingman, averaged 18 points and nine rebounds a year ago and should be one of the top players in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference again this season.
The W&J women return three starters, including forwards Valerie Dunlap (12.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and Beka Bellhy (14.2 ppg). A replacement must be found for graduated Chelsea Apke, who led the team in scoring, rebounding and steals.
The Waynesburg men return four starters and the top six scorers from last season’s 15-13 team that advanced to the semifinals of the PAC tournament. Forward Jason Propst (11.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg) led the Yellow Jackets in scoring and rebounding. Waynesburg also gets back point guard Casey Hope, who played in only nine games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
The Waynesburg women were 15-12 last year, advanced to the PAC semifinals and set the program record for points in season. The Yellow Jackets, however, return only one double-digit scorer, senior guard Hayden Giuliani (10.9 ppg, 45 percent from three-point range).