In 2009-10, the Runnin Royals returned all five of their starters from a 15-11 campaign and vaulted to the Elite Eight in the national tourney, finishing with a final record of 25-5 and a No. 4 national ranking.  This year, Eastern Mennonite returns all five starters from a 12-15 team, and Dean is brimming with optimism.  And he will compare that.

“After the 15-11 year, going into the next year I thought we were going to be good,” said Dean.  “But never in my wildest imagination did I see those guys ascending to that level of play.  I didn’t see fourth in the country coming.  But to be honest, I’m just as optimistic now as I was then.  Can you catch lightning in a bottle twice?  I don’t know, but it’s certainly something we’ll strive for.”

Last winter, Dean needed five new starters and the young team had an up-and-down season.  But ending with three straight wins before an overtime loss in the ODAC Quarterfinals to Randolph-Macon gave the men some hope which translated into a lot of hard work in the offseason.

“I think that last year’s finish was probably about as crucial as anything could be,” Dean said.  “We were up and down so much with a young team.  Even some of the older kids hadn’t played a lot (before last year).  So I think the fact that we got things going at the end created an air of optimism and pushed us into offseason workouts.  I would say the offseason and preseason were as productive as any of my years that I’ve been here.  Through two weeks of practice I’ve seen big time improvement in my returners, as much as I’ve ever seen.”

And the returners abound, as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ brings back the top nine players from last year’s rotation.  Headlining the crew is 6-4 senior wing (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).  In his first season as a starter, Thorne averaged team highs of 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds and was named All-ODAC Third Team.  Also back is 6-4 junior (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) who was good for 12.3 points and led the men with 61 assists and 56 steals, as well as 6-6 big man (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) who averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds.  He also found a stroke from the outside and led the team with a 42.9 three-point field goal percentage.

Junior guards 6-2 (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) and 6-0 (Roanoke, VA/Northside) return as well.  Daniel finished with a 9.3 scoring clip and 55 assists, while Burroughs scored 8.3 a game with 60 assists.

While the men do return all five starters, Dean said nothing is a given this year as his other returners have improved in the offseason and a handful of talented newcomers will also push for playing time.

“We always say that everything is an open competition and everybody has to earn their chance to start,” said 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s tenth-year coach.  “Those guys started a lot of games last year.  If you were playing the odds, chances are that they will be the starting five again.  But the best players are going to play.”

Other returning rotation players are: 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison) (6.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG), 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll) (4.4 PPG), 6-7 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) (4.2 PPG) and 6-2 (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.3 PPG), although Smith is recovering from an injury.  Dean also noted 6-4 Davis & Elkins transfer (Bassett, VA/Carlisle) as an impact player, and thinks he may see some contributions from his freshmen, especially 6-4 (Harrisonburg, VA/Broadway), 5-11 (Roanoke, VA/William Fleming) and 6-7 (Covington, VA/Alleghany).  The Royals were also hoping for added depth from 6-4 Messiah transfer Chris Yoder (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield), but he will miss the year with a knee injury.

One area of weakness last season was outside shooting, and the Runnin Royals will need to improve on their 28.3% from three point range.  Shooting and physique were two areas that Dean said his men worked on during the offseason.

“We had a lot of kids that worked really hard in the weight room, and a lot of kids that got up a lot of shots,” explained Dean.  “Our kids knew we needed to improve our shooting percentage.  You can also see a lot of changes in my kids’ bodies.  A lot of kids have bulked up and look great.  The bottom line is the kids had a good offseason.”

One key for Dean-coached teams has always been to earn extra possessions, generally through offensive rebounds and turnovers.  The men have specific statistical targets set to meet those ends.

“Last year we were +5 in shot attempts per game and dead even in free throws,” Dean explained.  “So the goal this year is to double that shot attempts to +10 and to get that into the plus side on free throw attempts.  We feel we can do that if we improve on offensive rebounds and increase the turnover margin from +3 to +5.  And then if we can shoot the ball better from three, we’ll have a chance to be a really good team.”

Thanks in part to the way his 2009-10 team made national waves, combined with the strong finish his men had last year, Dean doesn’t expect to surprise anyone this time around.

“I think people are already going to expect us to be pretty good,” he said.  “Maybe not top 25 in the country, but a really tough out.  With so many kids that played last year coming back, the way we finished (beating Guilford and taking Macon to OT in tournament), and adding a couple of kids that we think can contribute, I don’t think we can sneak up on anybody.  But I don’t see a need to sneak up on anybody.  I just think we need to be the best that we can be.”

The Runnin Royals claimed the seventh seed in last spring’s ODAC Tournament with a league record of 6-10.  The men beat rival Bridgewater College in a First Round game in Harrisonburg to earn an ODAC Tournament win for the third straight year.  Eventual NCAA-qualifier Randolph-Macon beat out 91¶ÌÊÓƵ in an overtime thriller in the ODAC Quarterfinals.  It was also the third straight year the Yellow Jackets have knocked the men out of the ODAC Tournament.

Dean knows his team might still be a bit unseasoned to win the ODAC’s regular season title, especially with Virginia Wesleyan, one of the nation’s top teams, on the schedule twice.  But he is hoping for the Runnin Royals to again peak at the right time.

“We’re looking to finish as high as we can,” he said, “obviously we’re shooting for top five to avoid that play-in game and to get a really good seed heading into tournament.  We’ll be a whole lot better in February than in November.  If we can hit our stride in February like we did last year, but with a better team, we have a chance to make some noise.  And obviously if you win the ODAC Tournament, anything can happen from there.”

Eastern Mennonite opens the regular season by hosting the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 16 & 17, playing Elizabethtown and Ferrum.  Bridgewater will be the fourth team at the Classic, making for an exciting start to what should be an exciting season in Yoder Arena.

Neither team played well to start the game, as there were nearly more fouls than points over the first few minutes.  Bridgewater finally broke off a 9-9 tie with an 8-0 run to go up 17-9.

BC led by as many as nine before the Runnin Royals regrouped and trimmed it down.  R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) sliced to the hoop for a layup to end the half, cutting the Eagles’ lead to four at 31-27.

The momentum continued into the second, as 91¶ÌÊÓƵ scored the first five to skip in front for the first time since the opening minutes, 32-31.  The two teams traded leads before the Runnin Royals scored eight straight, with a Randell Smith (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) jumper pushing the lead to 42-37, and forcing Bridgewater to call a timeout.

The breather didn’t slow down 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s fastbreak, as the men scored another eight in row, all in transition, forcing yet another timeout at 50-37.  The Royals added another bucket to cap an 18-0 run, with Smith getting eight during the streak.  The sophomore added his third triple to finish off a 21-2 spurt before getting a sub.

The Royals weren’t done with their 55-39 lead, as they continued to force turnovers and crash the offensive boards.  The lead was as high as 34 as Eastern Mennonite thoroughly dominated the second and ran away with the 80-49 win.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ shot 60% in the decisive final period while holding Bridgewater to 23% and winning the half 53-18.  The Royals forced 10 turnovers and had a 28-15 command of the boards in the frame.

For the game, the men out-shot the Eagles 50% to 31% and forced 20 turnovers.  91¶ÌÊÓƵ did struggle from the free throw line, hitting just 13-of-27 attempts.

Smith finished with a career best 11 points, all during the decisive second half surge.  Sims led 91¶ÌÊÓƵ with 12 points and four offensive boards, but was one of five men in double figures.

Owen Longacre (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had 11 points and seven rebounds, while Adam Burroughs (Roanoke, VA/Northside) put in 11 with four steals and three assists.  Junior Andrew Thorne (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) was good for 10 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

Bridgewater freshman Aaron Adams (Ellicott City, MD/Centennial) led all players with 16 points.  Point guard Ronnie Thomas (Roanoke, VA/Patrick Henry) scored 14 but also had six turnovers.  Ed Reddick (Virginia Beach, VA/Kellam) had a game high 10 rebounds.

The Royals snap a five-game ODAC losing streak with the win, improving to 2-5 in the conference and 7-9 overall.  BC dropped their tenth in a row, slipping to 4-12 and 1-6.  Eastern Mennonite has now won five games in a row in the series between the two.

91¶ÌÊÓƵ will try to springboard off the win when they host Randolph on Saturday.  Game time in Yoder Arena is 7:00pm.

Eastern Mennonite scored first in the game, but made a statement on the defensive end.  The men frustrated the Bobcats into a season low 31.7% from the floor and never trailed.

FSU was still within two points at 17-15 midway through the first until the Royals exploded on a quick 9-0 run to blow the game open.  The men then scored the final five of the half to lead 45-30 at the break.

The Runnin Royals didn’t let up in the second and expanded the lead to the final 21-point margin.

All 15 of the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ men in uniform got to play in the win as they out-shot Frostburg State 48.5% to 31.7%.  They also had a hefty 50-39 edge in rebounding.

Junior Andrew Thorne (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) collected his third double double of the season, finishing with game highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds along with two steals.  R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly), who has been slowed over the past week with an illness, played a game high 34 minutes and dumped in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Guard Adam Burroughs (Roanoke, VA/Northside) made his presence felt with a career high seven assists.  He also tied his career best with seven rebounds.  Owen Longacre (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had ten points and five rebounds.  Freshman Corey Sheppard (Richmond, VA/Open) had his best game in an 91¶ÌÊÓƵ uniform with eight rebounds, two steals and two assists in 18 minutes.

Starting point guard Dajon Daniel (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) and reserve Josh Mallory (Round Hill, VA/Loudoun Valley) both missed the game because of illness.

The win is the fourth in the last five games for the Runnin Royals, who improve to 6-7.  They return to ODAC play for the rest of the season and will try to better their 1-3 league mark Wednesday when they host Randolph-Macon.

Sophomore (Roanoke, VA/Northside) started the game with a steal and lay-up, then 91¶ÌÊÓƵ used a 6-0 run to push the lead to 8-2.  The Hornets got within 10-8 before the Runnin Royals clamped on the defense.  Holding SU scoreless for a span of 7:54, Eastern Mennonite inflated the edge to 20-8 and never let it below double digits the rest of the night.

(Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) canned the game’s first three as the first half closed, pushing the lead to 43-17.

Shenandoah never seriously threatened in the second.  (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) provided the highlight for the opening night crowd of 745, as he stole the ball and dunked it with 4:13 to play.  The two points bumped 91¶ÌÊÓƵ over the magic threshold of 79, giving everyone in attendance a free cone from Kline’s Dairy Bar.

From there, Coach Kirby Dean flooded the court with his bench players, getting all 15 healthy Royals playing time.  Each team scored 44 points in the second as the men rolled to the win.

Dean was pleased with the first 20 minutes of the game.

“I think in the first half we showed how good we can be,” he said afterwards.  “In the second half we showed how bad we can be.  Now part of that is Shenandoah, because they played better, but our guys need to play with the same intensity from the first half for a full 40 minutes if we want to finish in the top part of the ODAC.”

Thorne led the way on the night, netting 17 points with six rebounds and four steals.  (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) notched 16 points to go along with his game high five assists.

Freshman (Madison, VA/Madison) added an efficient 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals off the bench. (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) had 10 points.

The Hornet’s Avery Green led all played with 20 points.

Eastern Mennonite squelched Shenandoah to a 21.9% shooting clip in the decisive first half.  The Royals shot 44.7% over the frame and finished 35-74 for 47.3%.  SU came in at 35.7%, going 20-56.  91¶ÌÊÓƵ also had a 47-39 edge in rebounds.

Now 1-0, the men head to Arlington this weekend for the Marymount Tip-Off Tournament.  The Royals play Springfield Friday at 4:00, and then play either DeSales or host Marymount on Saturday.

Last year Eastern Mennonite finished 22-5 with a starting lineup of five seniors, including ODAC Player of the Year Todd Phillips.  Over their four years, the core went 71-38, gathered three of the program’s ten winning campaigns in 45 years, and earned the only trip the men’s team has ever made to the NCAA Championships.

That group is gone, but hopefully has laid a legacy which this year’s men can pick up.  As part of that re-tooling process, however, the Runnin Royals must replace 79% of their offense.

“The reality is, those five changed the culture at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ,” Dean said of his departed players, which also includes George Johnson, D.J. Hinson, Orie Pancione and Eli Crawford.  “I give them all the credit in the world for what’s happened here.  But the good news is that we had some kids who were role players the last year or two who on other teams could have been focal points on the offense.  So while we lost a lot we’ve got some guys who can do a lot more than what they’ve done.”

Returning players get a chance to shine

Leading the returners is athletic junior (Front Royal, VA/Skyline).  The 6-4 wing shot 51% from the floor last winter, averaging 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds.

“Andrew is in a zone where he wants to be one of the best players in the league, and I think he has that potential,” said Dean.  “He’s just been driven.  He’s lifting, he running, he’s just doing all the little things.  He’s a prime example of someone who’s put things together off the floor as well.  With him, the better student he has become the better player he has become.”

Forward (Telford, PA/Christopher Dock) is another top returner and the only other returning junior on the roster.  Longacre has been nagged by injuries at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ but averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds last year.  Dean said his 6-6 player just needs to stay on the court.

“His big thing is just staying healthy,” explained 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s ninth-year coach.  “If he just can practice for a month straight and then string things together, he’s got a chance to be a really solid ODAC player.  He’s going to do all those things that get you to the winner’s circle.”

Sophomores looking forward to playing time

Four sophomores remain from last year’s touted recruiting class and all of them should compete for regular minutes in 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s up-tempo system.  averaged 4.9 points and 1.7 rebounds while getting a handful of spot starts last year.  (Roanoke, VA/Northside) (2.2 PPG), (Fredericksburg, VA/Mountain View) (2.4 RPG, 1.6 PPG) and (Woodbridge, VA/Garfield) (2.2 PPG) all expect to show marked improvement as they get more playing time.

Because of the departed seniors, this year’s newcomers will also get more playing time than in years past.  Some of the new faces have more experience than others, however, as three of the ten on the varsity roster transferred to 91¶ÌÊÓƵ from prep schools or other colleges and two more are local players who return to hoops after time away from the game.

Headlining the class are 6-6 (Madison, VA/Madison/Hargrave Military), 6-6 (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams/Massanutten Military) and 6-2 (Capitol Heights, MD/Archbishop Carroll).  6-7 (Staunton, VA/R.E. Lee/Mary Washington) could also add to the inside game as the Mary Washington transfer learns the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ system.

Putting the puzzle together

Even with the added height, Dean won’t slow down the style of play which has turned the Royals in the Runnin Royals.

“When you have depth like that,” he said, “if you can get guys to play as hard as they can play then they are going to need to get a rest.  But that’s when the other team has the same guy on the floor and getting more worn out.”

91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s coach said the team’s height will add a new dimension this year.

“A key for us is extra possessions,” he explained.  “The previous years we’ve done that through turnovers.  We’ll still turn some people over, but this year we can also get some of those possessions from offensive rebounds.”

Dean knows that with many of his players finally getting consistent playing time on the collegiate floor there will be growing pains.

“We’re a puzzle that still hasn’t been put together, but has some really nice looking pieces to it,” he said.  “I don’t know how good we’ll be in November, but we’ll be so much better in February.  So the better we can be in November, the scarier we’ll be in February.  We’d be naïve to think we’ll be as good as Virginia Wesleyan and Hampden-Sydney at the beginning of the year, but I’m hoping that by tourney time people are looking at the standings and hoping they don’t have to play us in the postseason.”

Exhibition game, season opener, and more info

The Runnin Royals begin that journey at home, taking on Shenandoah on Tuesday, Nov. 15.  The men also have a home exhibition game on Thursday, Nov. 10, where they will play a team of area alumni, including last year’s starters.

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