SEASON IN REVIEW: NEW LEBANON BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports Editor

03-29-09

The Tigers had varying degrees of success this year finishing 5-11 in the Central Hudson Valley League and 5-12 overall. Their league mark placed them in a tie for sixth place. Despite only five wins, the Tigers put together a solid season, including playing a number of good teams very close. New Lebanon was able to make their way to sectionals where they were matched up with conference cohorts Loudonville Christian for the third time this year. In the post-season, the Tigers season came to an end as they fell 46-41.

New Lebanon’s roster this season featured five seniors, one junior, and five sophomores. Three of the five seniors provided limited scoring opportunities for the Tigers, while the other two—Kodiak Mullins and Jake LaBlanc—will be sorely missed. Mullins was second on the team in scoring, averaging just under 10 points a game, while LaBlanc was third, with just over 7 points per game. Only one other player on the team reached the 100-point mark on the season, and that player was sophomore center Bryan Potter, who led the team with 223 points. Potter, standing 6' 4”, led the team in three-pointers and free-throw percentage, along with his 13.9 points per game.

Coming back next season for the Tigers will be Potter, who is the most crucial piece of the puzzle. Four other big pieces will also return, including junior Chris Evens who tied with Potter for the team lead in threes. A pair of 5' 11” sophomores—Ben Burgess and Mike Cavrity—each showed flashes on the offensive end this year, while 6’ sophomore Todd Feguson showed the ability to score from all three levels on offense. If the sophomores can develop quickly enough, this team has a chance to compete for a spot in the upper half of the league next season.

Most Valuable Player: Bryan Potter (Sophomore)
At his size, he was a threat defensively and on the boards and obviously down low offensively. What took a number of people by surprise was his ability to step away and knock down the triple. Potter was the most explosive and consistent player all season long for the Tigers.

Biggest Game: Wednesday, February 25, against Loudonville Christian
Generally the biggest game for a team would be a victory, but in this case we chose the Tigers’ sectional loss. In their first meeting with Loudonville Christian, New Lebanon fell by 14; in their second meeting in the final regular season game of the year, they lost by 7; but in sectionals, they kept things close, losing by only 5. After jumping out to an early lead, the Tigers could not hold but were led in the loss by underclassmen Potter and Cavrity, who combined for 27 points.

Most Improved: Mike Cavrity (Sophomore)
After going through the bulk of the season without reaching double digits in a single game, Cavrity found his groove as the season came to a close, reaching double digits in three of his final four games.

Best Returning Player: Bryan Potter (Sophomore)
He was the best player this season, and you can only assume that he will continue to improve next year as a junior. Potter has a chance to be a first team all-conference type player in leading the Tigers next year.

Up and Comer: Chris Evens (Junior)
Potter is already a stud. I really like Cavrity and Burgess, and I think Kyle McHugh is going to be a very good player down the road, but we’ll go with Evens here because of his long-range shooting. His continued emergence as a three-point threat will be crucial to the success of the Tigers next season.