MEN'S BASKETBALL

1) In general, how do you think the season went? Were expectations met?

We took another step in the right direction this season by earning our first ever post-season bid (ECAC South Tournament) and making a run at the regular season conference championship. We are still disappointed with a few games we felt were within our grasp only to be lost down the stretch and those losses took us out of the championship race with a couple weeks left in the season. Our improvement as a group was not as consistent as we would have anticipated but there is no doubt that several individuals on our team got better throughout the year and we will benefit from that growth next season.

2) Talk a little bit about the two seniors, Colin and Curtis Geiger, and what they brought to the table throughout the season.

Colin and Curtis Geiger were consistent performers for us throughout the past four and three seasons respectively, and we will miss the production they provided on both ends. Colin had a great start to the season with 29 points against Juniata and then he went through an adjustment period as teams started to focus on stopping him. Once he became used to the extra attention, Colin again produced at a high level and gave us the go-to perimeter threat that we needed to be successful. Curtis's season started off a little more slowly than Colin's but he regained his form as one of the best shooters in our league at around the mid-point of the season. The game at Medaille showcased his ability to make tough shots (6-7 3FG) and he was a steady contributor from that point forward. Both guys will be missed as we move into next season.

3) After winning five straight at the end of January, the squad dropped four straight before ending the regular season 2-0. Can you point to any specific reasons for either streak, or was it just a product of the schedule?

We attempt to come out and get better every time we step on the floor for practice or games and let the results take care of themselves. During the winning streak we had a few nights where we were fortunate to hit some shots and get a win when maybe we did not play at a high level. By the same token, we played fairly well in a few of the losses yet did not make a play or two down the stretch and ended up on the wrong side of the scoreboard. There were two games (Bradford and Medaille) in the losing stretch where two possessions could have turned those games into wins that would have allowed us to finish winning 9 of our last 11 games. The difference between wins and losses is so slim it is tough to compare those stretches solely on results. Overall, we came up a little short in our efforts to get better every single time we stepped on the floor.

4) For the first time in program history, the Lions were invited to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference postseason Tournament. What was the experience like of playing against first-seeded Cabrini? How do you think your team responded to that challenge?

We were proud to represent the campus in our first ever post-season bid and the experience should be very valuable for our returning players. The trip to face a talented Cabrini team allowed us to understand post-season play and it also gave us a chance to face off against one of our non-conference opponents for next year. We would have benefited from a few more practice sessions as we got late word on our inclusion into the tournament but these are all things we can learn from as we attempt to reach the post season next year. Our guys battled through a tough first half and dug a hole only to make a run and have the game become a winnable one with under ten minutes to play on the second half. Overall, we were grateful for the opportunity.

5) Sophomore Kirk Peters, who was named an AMCC Honorable Mention, really started to come along starting in mid-January (he scored in double-figures in 15 of the team's last 16 games). How was he able to establish himself as a go-to scorer on the team?

Kirk is one of the players we mentioned earlier that continued to improve every day throughout the course of the season. He worked extremely hard on his conditioning and strength and he began to understand the game a little bit better in his second collegiate season. We have been forced to play him a bit out of position yet he battled throughout the year and learned to use his speed and quickness to his advantage. The next step for Kirk will be to improve his ball skills and gain confidence in the extended shooting range that he already possesses. He will also need to work on avoiding early foul trouble which is one of the reasons he did not produce more consistently in the early part of the year.

6) How do you think the young players performed throughout the season? Did you see improvement? If so, did the veteran players contribute to their improvement?

We were pleased with the development of all of our young players throughout the course of the season. We have to keep in mind that Eric Gaetano and Kirk Peters were only sophomores this season and still had a lot of game experiences that were firsts for them, Eric continued to be a defensive catalyst for us and became a consistent outside shooter. He will have another year to clean up a few things and learn how to play away from the basketball on the offensive end. All of our freshman this season, Herschell Warren, Travis White, David Clark, Justin Kanamine, and Jay D Adamsky will benefit from their first season of college basketball and all have a chance to be good players in our program. The biggest thing those guys learned is how difficult and physical a college season can be and how important it is to prepare yourself in the off-season for such a grind.

7) What are your thoughts on how the conference performed as a whole this season? Stronger than expected? Weaker? About what you expected?

The AMCC season was what we expected as six teams had a legitimate chance to win the regular season title up until the last two weeks of the year. The teams that did not threaten to win the crown also remained competitive as Pitt-Greensburg and Mount Aloysius had some good wins in the first part of the year and stayed competitive throughout the season. The AMCC is a very competitive league fueled by good players and coaches and it should continue to earn recognition as our teams compete in non-conference games and in post-season play. Medaille was able to outlast about five other teams to claim the regular season title and they went on the road in the NCAA tournament and came within about two minutes of defeating the #12 team in the country. Last season, Penn State Behrend won their first NCAA game in a blowout and lost to a top five Rochester team on the road by 8 or 9 points. We are excited that the league has evolved in the past couple of years because now the winner of our league knows it has a chance to be competitive in the region and beyond.

8) Were there any specific players or teams that surprised you with their play throughout the conference season?

We thought that the AMCC tournament finalists, Medaille and Pitt-Bradford did an excellent job of getting better throughout the season and both teams evolved as the year went along. Penn State Behrend and La Roche are always going to be well-coached and tough to play against while Frostburg State grew up a little this year as their young players learned how to win on the road. Pitt-Greensburg, Franciscan and Hilbert showed signs of future success and Mount Aloysius had some of the best individual performances of the season. It was a very competitive and exciting year for the league.

9) What teams expect to be in contention for the AMCC crown next season?

The exciting part about this season for the AMCC is that we were a very young league. The AMCC finalists each return four starters, as does Frostburg State, La Roche, and our team. Penn State Behrend and Pitt-Greensburg return three starters and the other teams all return key core players. It should be another competitive exciting year in the league in 2009-2010.

10) You've improved your record in each season you've been at Penn State Altoona. What should fans expect to see with the 2009-2010 team?

We would like to do a better job staying consistent throughout the course of next season and have a chance to be playing our best basketball in March instead of January. The coaching staff will make the necessary adjustments, our core leadership will send a consistent positive message and we hope that our daily improvement will lead to another step up for the program. We would be very disappointed and surprised not to build off of this season's post-season appearance.