2006-07 Outlook 

Lewis-Clark State Pursues Excellence    

     Lewis-Clark State College will again carry the expectations of a run at the conference championship and a successful trip back to the national tournament in 2006-07.  More importantly, it will pursue excellence on and off the court.

    The program’s head coach, Tim Walker, states it directly.  “I think we could have a good basketball team.  I don’t know when we’ll get there, but if we stay healthy, we should be very competitive.”

     Coach Walker enters his second season with reason for optimism.  Veterans Jared Tikker and Chris Pitts return for their senior seasons, as do four others who are poised to make a run at the conference championship.  Added firepower will be provided by four junior college and two NCAA Division I transfers, and three very talented freshmen to bolster depth.  The Warriors look to have the pieces in place to make a run at a very successful season. 

Six Seniors

     Lewis-Clark State returns six seniors, all logging considerable playing time from a season ago.

     Jared Tikker started 10 games a year ago, after missing six games due to injury.  Tikker (8.8 ppg/3.7rpg) came on strong at the end of the year, scoring a season high 17 points versus Rocky Mountain.  Jared’s field goal percentage was second on the team at 53.2%.

     Chris Pitts (8.2ppg/6.2rpg) led the team in rebounds at 6.2 rpg.  Pitts started in 27 games and shot 51.4% from the field.  A good defender and rebounder, Chris had 12 rebounds in five different games last season. 

     Joining Tikker and Pitts as seniors are Keith Scarbrough, Steve Thompson, Steve Ward, and Teran Lee. 

     Keith Scarbrough (8.9ppg/4.8rpg) is a very well-rounded player.  Scarbrough led the team in 3-pointers made last season with 48.  Keith started 26 games and appeared in 28.  He is capable of scoring in the post and stepping to the perimeter.  He gives the Warriors a good scoring threat at multiple positions.

     Steve Thompson (2.6ppg/2.2rpg) saw action in 21 games last season after missing eight games with a broken foot that was surgically repaired.  Thompson is a very capable defender and will most likely draw the toughest assignment night in and night out.  Steve recorded a career high of 14 points versus Johnson & Wales University.     

     Steve Ward (2.7ppg/2.7rpg) played in 24 games last season and started one.  Ward averaged 12.2 minutes per game and scored a season high six points against Puget Sound Christian and University of Great Falls.  Steve’s hustle and positive attitude are contagious to teammates.

     Teran Lee is another well-rounded player who will fit in well with LCSC’s motion offense.  Teran has a good understanding of the game and is fundamentally sound.  He can shoot a little, put the ball on the floor, and play on the low block.

     Also back is junior sharp shooting guard Caleb Orr (3.2ppg).  Orr scored a season-high 11 points against Corban College early last season.  Caleb saw action in 23 games, starting in two.  His ability to shoot the ball from the arc will always make him a constant threat.

The Newcomers

     Coach Walker really likes the Warriors’ 2006-07 recruiting class.  “We have a little bit of everything I think with this group.  We’ve got some size and athleticism, some guys that can shoot and some guys that can defend,”  he says.

Mike Gordy, Robert Comer, Jon Daly, Kevin Ochoa, Karl Stedman, and Brad Clincy form the class of juniors for this year’s Warriors. 

     Mike Gordy is a big, strong, powerful guy who should definitely have an impact on our team and in the league.  Mike has a great shooting touch inside and step out and hit the 3 also.  Gordy has a big body so he typically gets very good post position which should allow him to score some easy baskets.

     Robert Comer is a pure shooter.  He can make jump shots.  Rob will definitely shore up the outside shooting because he can get on a roll and put the ball in the basket.  Comer jumps well and releases the ball high so it’s tough to defend.

     Jon Daly could be an exciting player for the Warriors.  He combines size and great athleticism.  An added dimension is that he is left handed.  Jon has a good jump hook on the block and he just keeps getting better. 

     Kevin Ochoa is a quick point guard with good ball skills.  Kevin really pushes the ball well and is a good penetrate and kick guy.  Ochoa defends hard and he is really able to get in passing lanes.  Ochoa could be one of the leaders of this year’s teams because of his energy.

     Karl Stedman joined the team last January after attending Seattle Pacific for one semester.  Stedman is a player that really gets after it.  His work ethic and hustle are second to none.  Karl is so valuable because of the energy he brings to the team.  His enthusiasm is contagious to his teammates.

     Brad Clincy is a big, strong guard that shoots the ball and has the ability to rebound very well for a guard.  Brad is quick and athletic, and could really be an impact defender on this team.  In the always tough Jayhawk CC league, Clincy averaged over five rebounds per contest.      

The Freshmen

     The Warriors added youth to this year’s team as well, inking three very talented freshmen to this year’s recruiting class.  Max Papendieck, Stephen Harris, and Napoleon Gordon, Jr. all joined the team this fall.

     Papendieck comes to LC from Adelaide, Australia.  This 6-foot-4 shooting guard is athletic and quick, and has all the tools to be an outstanding player in the program.  He shoots the ball very well, and has a good understanding of the game. 

     Stephen Harris is a natural wing player.  Harris has good size (6-5), and uses that to his advantage by rebounding on both ends of the floor extremely well.  Stephen always seems to have his hand on an offensive rebound. 

     Napoleon Gordon, or J.R., is a truly talented player.  Gordon possesses very good quickness and has the ability to get by people and hit the mid-range jump shot.  J.R. sees the floor well also.  Napoleon has a great upside and should turn out to be a special player in the program. 

Depth In Numbers

     The addition of nine new players should give Coach Walker and his staff plenty to work with in 2006-07.  “I think having a lot of depth helps your team in a number of ways,” said Walker.  “One way is that, defensively, we can pick up full court and pressure people for 40 minutes.  I think that our practices will be very competitive.  Having more guys is good for development of young players.  On a day-to-day basis you’re playing with and against good people.” 

The Schedule

     Lewis-Clark State will face a demanding schedule in 2006-07 and will open the season at home on Nov.1 against Cascade College.  The Warriors will then travel to Helena, Mont., to play in the Kiwanis Shootout, where they will face Vanguard University and powerhouse Point Loma Nazarene University.  Both schools are out of the always tough GSAC conference in California.  The Warriors are then back home for a Nov. 11 contest against Seattle University.  This game will tip off at 2 p.m.  Coach Walker and the Warriors will then travel to Cheney to take on Eastern Washington University  in an exhibition game on Nov. 18.  Highlighting this year’s schedule is the Cannon’s Building Material Tournament on Nov. 24-25.  LC State will welcome to town 2006 national runner-up Oklahoma City University.  Also playing in the tournament will be Montana State-Northern and Corban College.  The Warriors will also play perennial powerhouse Oregon Tech in a tournament at Corban College in December, before they play host to Fraser Valley University of Canada and Bethany College out of the Bay Area. 

     In addition to its non-conference schedule, Lewis-Clark State College will face another rigorous Frontier Conference slate in 2006-07.  The Warriors will be gunning for their third conference championship in the last six years, and a fourth trip to the National Tournament in six years.