Athletics - Men's Basketball

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MOUNT VERNON — At a glance, one thing stands out on the 2007-08 Cornell men’s basketball roster compared to recent years. The Rams have height, and plenty of it.

The 19-man squad is dotted with 10 players listed at 6-foot-5 or taller. Sophomore Chris Handke (Bellevue/Bellevue) tops the charts at 6-11. Sophomores James Wohrley (Dixon, Ill./ Dixon) and Riley Larson (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) both go 6-9. Sophomore Adam Norton (Rushford, Minn./Rushford-Peterson) and freshman Bryan Whitesel (Sioux Falls, S.D./O’Gorman) are 6-7.

“Two years ago, we had all guards,” said Mike DeGeorge, entering his fourth season as head coach of the Rams. “The last two years of recruiting, we have emphasized interior play. We will be deeper, more physical, more athletic and significantly better inside this season.”

DeGeorge believes the team will show marked improvement this season, despite not having a single senior on the squad. The Rams return 13 letterwinners and four starters from last year’s club that finished 8-17 overall and placed eighth in the Iowa Conference with a 4-12 mark. Junior guard Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial) headlines a young, yet fairly experienced squad as a second team all-IIAC pick a year ago. Larson, a transfer from Kirkwood Community College, headlines a group of six newcomers.

“This is the most talented team I’ve had here,” DeGeorge said. “We are very excited about the potential of this team. Our returning group has had a tremendous amount of game experience and we like the talent of our newcomers. It will be important for us to get off to a good start and essential to sustain our effort throughout the season. If we are able to do those things, we will be much improved.”

The Rams get the ball rolling in an exhibition game against NCAA Division I Drake University at 7:05 p.m. Nov. 14 in Des Moines. Cornell opens the regular season with back-to-back games in Wisconsin, against Marian Nov. 16 and Wisconsin Lutheran Nov. 17. The Rams play Knox Nov. 19 in the home opener. The Rams’ nonconference schedule includes tough road games with fifth-ranked (D3hoops.com) Augustana Dec. 12 and The Citadel (Division I) Dec. 31. Cornell begins league play at Luther Nov. 28.

“The (nonconference) schedule will be a good test for us,” DeGeorge said. “It should be good preparation for the conference season.”

Cornell is projected to finish sixth in the IIAC Coaches’ Poll, receiving 36 points. Loras, which earned its first IIAC men’s basketball title since 1951 last year, is the favorite to repeat with 72 points and eight first-place votes. Buena Vista is picked second with 64 points and one first-place tally. Coe is third (58 points), Wartburg fourth (48) and Central fifth (45).

Griffin will try to pick up from a strong sophomore season when he led the Rams in scoring (16.0 ppg), assists (57), free throws made (75), 3-point goals made (59) and field goals made (133). The 6-2 shooting guard scored 25 points or more five times and needs 276 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Junior point guard Michael Tierney (Cedar Rapids/Jefferson) and junior wing Tyler Cody (Roberts, Wis./St. Croix Central) will solidify the Rams’ backcourt. DeGeorge expects a big year from Tierney, who started as a freshman, and is back at full strength after battling through injuries last season. Cody is the team’s top returning rebounder (4.6 rpg) and second-leading scorer (12.2 ppg). He drained 58 3-point goals a year ago.

Juniors Matt Lewis (Augusta, Ill./Southeastern) and Andre Rattray (Palatine, Ill./Palatine), sophomore Ryan Walden (Edina, Minn./ Edina) and freshmen Corey Dieser (Albert Lea, Minn./ Albert Lea) and J. Ryan Lott (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) will battle for minutes in the backcourt. Lewis (6.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) suffered a dislocated ankle in the preseason, but could be back for conference play. Rattray will be out for about a month with mononucleosis.

The Rams return two starting post players in Handke (3.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 20 blocks) and junior Jeff Bitter (Bettendorf/Bettendorf), who averaged 6.4 points and shot 85.1 percent from the foul line. Wohrley (55.6 FG %) and Norton also bring experience to the front line. Newcomers Larson and freshmen Joe Newcomb (Salem, Ind./Eastern) and Whitesel will be in the mix as well.

“Right now, we have 13 guys competing for spots in the rotation,” DeGeorge said. “They all deserve a chance. It just depends on what combinations work best.”

Cornell’s roster features five state champions, four all-state players, three valedictorians and one salutatorian. The group will try to steer the Rams to their first winning season since 2002-03, when they finished 16-11.

“We have worked very hard to attract the quality of people, students and athletes necessary to run a first-class program,” DeGeorge said. “Now that the talent has improved, the next step is to develop a winning approach. This year is about creating expectations. We want to put ourselves in a position where there is a lot expected of us.”