Men's Basketball Season Outlook

First year head coach Mike Maker has been around the game of basketball long enough to know what to expect this season, but it's what he doesn't know that has him excited.

Maker has spent almost the bulk of his collegiate coaching career in Division I, but come November 15th his first Williams team will travel to Keene State to open his first season at the helm of the Division III Ephs.

Maker knows that the season is long and the competition will be tough, but he does not know much about the teams his Ephs will face and the style of play the opponents will employ, but he sees that as an advantage for someone coming in from the outside. "The advantage of not knowing our competition is that we get to focus on our kids and getting better every day and making adjustments to our individual and team strengths," commented Maker.

Maker is not the only one embarking on this learning curve as his players have to learn a new system, new terms and in many cases new responsibilities. "There's a lot to learn for the players and the coaches," cautioned Maker. "We all feel like we're on a steep treadmill and are confident that we will improve and become more comfortable as the season progresses."

So far Maker likes what he has seen from his Ephs, some of whom he met for the first time in Boston's Logan Airport on the way to a summer tour of Italy and the first years he met on campus in late August. "I'm very fortunate to be at Williams with good players who are tremendous people – going to the gym each day is an absolute joy," Maker stated.

The Ephs went 3-1 on their summer trip to Italy and they got a chance to get to know coach Maker and one of his two assistants, Kevin App. "Our goals on the trip to Italy were to develop team chemistry, enjoy the culture and evaluate our players," Maker stated. "Having had an opportunity to reflect on this unbelievable experience, we feel our trip was a complete success."

Maker arrives at Williams with a reputation as being a coach who is close to his players and works hard at nurturing positive relationships throughout the team. "I'm extremely pleased with our team chemistry, character and work effort," noted Maker. "Our players have embraced our philosophy and are committed to learning our system and reaching their full potential on and off the court. This first week has been one of the more enjoyable weeks I've spent in coaching. To work with the young men we have here and to teach a game that I'm passionate about brings me total fulfillment."

"We simply want to put a good product on the floor that we can all be proud of – up tempo, unselfish, feisty and entertaining," said Maker in lining up his goals for the season. "Our staff and players fully recognize the responsibility we have to represent this great institution with excellence. I equate the history, tradition and pride of competing in the Little Three to the Big Five in Philly. Tradition and rivalries run deep and we want to make Williams alums proud of our efforts."

Maker takes over a Williams team that finished 17-8 last season and 4-5 in NESCAC. Lost to graduation are 1,000 point scorers Chris Rose and Chris Shalvoy and dependable inside presence Matt Weisbrot. Shalvoy led the Ephs in scoring a year ago with 12.7 points per game and he also had a team-high 101 assists. Rose, the third leading scorer, dropped in 11 points a game, while pulling down 4.6 rebounds a night. The steady Weisbrot contributed 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

In the recent past Williams has run the motion offense and this year the Ephs will run a hybrid offense. The Ephs will use "the John Beilein [currently head coach at Michigan] two-guard offense with some of Pete Carril's Princeton principles," said Maker. "This offense is basically a hybrid of the offenses I've seen and worked with over the years."

The Maker hybrid offense has more of a European flavor than the traditional U.S. style. "We don't use terms like point guard and shooting guard and our bigs have to be able to run, dribble, pass and shoot from the perimeter," said Maker.

"The offense works best when you have five athletic players committed to unselfish play who have good basketball IQs, because they have to make quick decisions and they have to be the right decisions," said Maker. "Our players need to be able to see and think the game. Simply put, we need five players playing as one."

Defensively, Maker’s teams will primarily play man-to-man. "Our man-to-man will involve some switching, and we’ll play some match up zone, as a secondary defense, to change the tempo of the game," stated Maker.

While Maker and his staff are still evaluating personnel and trying to come up with a core rotation that will allow the Ephs to have play at their best, there are three players that Maker knows will be playing the bulk of the minutes. Senior co-captain and guard Kevin Snyder, junior forward Blake Schultz and junior center Joe Geoghegan.

"Kevin Snyder has done a phenomenal job as a co-captain," said Maker. "He is an excellent leader, fierce competitor and from what I've seen does not have a weakness in his game. He's a big guard who is cerebral, can dribble, pass, shoot and he makes his teammates better. I look for Kevin to have a great senior season." Last season Snyder dropped in 10.1 points per game and added 2.4 rebounds.

"Joe Geoghegan will be the hub of our offense," said Maker. "With his girth, toughness, intelligence and skill he will be able to control the block and step out on the perimeter to shoot." Geoghegan led the Ephs in rebounds last winter with 8.9 a game and he also scored 12.6 a game.

"The first thing that pops into your mind about Blake Schultz is that he has a tremendous amount of athleticism," commented Maker. "He's also tough and has a skill set that should enable him to be one of the better players in the NESCAC." Shultz tallied 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a game in 2007-08.

Maker and his staff are still trying to fit the proper pieces of the puzzle around returning starters Snyder, Geoghegan and Schultz.

Senior co-captain Michael Kearney and Tommas Golia will bring much needed experience to the backcourt. Also, senior forward Grant Meyer gives the Ephs much needed quickness in the frontcourt.

In addition to Geoghegan and Schultz, there’s plenty of depth and ability in the junior class. Wing-guard William Hardy will use his intelligence and vision to set up his teammates for open shots. Alex Rubin proved on the Italian trip that his long range jump shot is a valuable weapon. Look for versatile forward Ethan Timmins-Schiffman to earn meaningful minutes with his unique skill set. Also, smart and feisty lead guard Mike Moorstein compliments the backcourt, and power forward Charlie Cates, with his bulk and leaping ability, will help control the glass.  

Talented sophomores, Harlan Dodson and Troy Whittington, will add length and athleticism.

Finally, first year varsity players, Jordan Mickens, James Wang, Brian Emmerson, Marcus Wells, and Ben Atkinson will look to push the upper classmen and compete for playing time.

Mike Maker's first game as the head coach of the Ephs will be on Saturday, November 15th at Keene State in New Hampshire at 3:00 p.m.

Click here to watch the Ephs vs. Keene State on Nov. 15th.

Click here to follow the game on Live Stats.

"I have great respect for the NESCAC overall and the quality of competition and I know there is good coaching in this league,” Maker said.

The Eph home opener will be Friday, November 21st when they face Southern Vermont at 8:00 p.m.