William Penn 2012-2013 Men’s Basketball Preview

William Penn senior Keith Steffeck at a scrimmage against Simpson College.

2011-2012 record: 17-15 (12-6 MCC, T-2nd)
Starters returning/lost: 4/1
Letterwinners returning/lost: 9/4

Notable returners:
Blake Walker., Jr., Rose Garden, Ga.
(First-team all-MCC, 13.0 points/game, 7.5 rebounds/game, 6.0 assists/game, 1.3 steals/game)
Taylor Stoutner, Sr., Keota, Iowa
(Honorable-mention all-MCC, 14.8 points/game, 128 three-pointers)
Keith Steffeck, Sr., Marion, Iowa
(Letterwinner, 13.1 points/game, 5.6 rebounds/game)
Brandon Beasley, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.
(2010-2011 letterwinner, 13.0 points/game, 6.3 rebounds/game)

Notable losses:
Alan Douglas
(Second-Team All-American)
Austin Emerson
(Letterwinner)

Notable newcomers:
James Devlin, Sr., Tampa, Fla.
Kevin Fay, Jr., Hennepin, Ill.
Lamonte Jenkins, Fr., Lake Charles, La.

The William Penn men’s basketball team is looking to not only make a return trip to nationals, but make a lengthy postseason run as it enters the 2012-2013 season.

The Statesmen were just 17-15 a year ago, but their 12-6 record earned them a runner-up finish in the Midwest Collegiate Conference and a bid to the NAIA Division II National Championships. The navy and gold gave #3 seed and eventual national semifinalist Davenport (Mich.) quite a run in the opening round, falling 85-81.

“We had a great ride last year,” Head Coach John Henry said. “Ending up in Branson with a good showing against a great team was quite a way to end. I think the guys know now how special it was to make that trip and they are preparing hard and are hungry to get back there.”

Henry has almost all of last year’s team back on the hardwood, including first-team all-MCC performer Blake Walker (Jr., Rose Garden, Ga., Physical Education) and honorable-mention pick Taylor Stoutner (Sr., Keota, Iowa, Physical Education). William Penn is ranked #19 in the NAIA’s preseason poll.

Talent is abundant, but Henry is more impressed with the level of dedication and commitment from his crew.

“This group was really dedicated in the spring, summer, and fall in the weight room and overall workouts,” Henry said. “We were very pleased with their development and work ethic entering this season.”

While most of the story is extremely sunny, William Penn is still left with having to replace a key member from last year as Second-Team All-American Alan Douglas has graduated from the program.

“Alan was plain unbelievable at times for us and nearly single-handedly led us past Davenport at nationals with 36 points,” Henry said. “He will be missed, but we have a lot of players eager and willing to step into his shoes.”

Point Guard

Walker is one of those players after dishing out 193 assists last season, the most of any point guard under Henry’s guidance. His load will be carried in a different manner this year, however, as he will be shifted to the shooting guard position to make room for newcomer James Devlin (Sr., Tampa, Fla., Sociology).

“Blake was amazing for us last year, but he was thrust into the point guard position,” Henry said. “James is a proto-typical point guard and honestly, he has the potential to be as good as any point guard we have ever had here. This will allow Blake to be more of a threat as a shooting guard who can make things happen without the ball.”

Walker was one of five players who averaged double figures, finishing with 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per night.

D.J. Wilson (So., Clinton Township, Mich., Digital Communication) may also figure into the mix as the coaching staff is trying to determine if they will remove his redshirt or not.

“D.J. is a young, talented point guard,” Henry said. “He would add a great amount of speed up top.”

Wing

Stoutner tops the list of talented wings that can launch it from behind the arc. The senior led NAIA Division II with 128 three-pointers, averaging 14.8 points per game.

Davis Spielbauer (Sr., Wapello, Iowa, Biology) also had a fine junior campaign, scoring 8.2 points each time out with a total of 57 three-pointers. Kevin Fay (Jr., Hennepin, Ill., Education) completes the trio and is ready for action after redshirting last year.

“Taylor had a huge year and Davis was a great complement to him,” Henry said. “Kevin will give us another big option outside. It will be nice to see him finally in action. All three of these guys can really shoot.”

Logan Alexander (So., Eddyville, Iowa, Physical Education), Jamere Murphy (So., Detroit, Mich., Physical Education), Brady Morris (Fr., Riverside, Utah, Psychology), and Tyler Hemphill (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Business Management) will also be vying for a spot, actually the final spot on the roster.

“All four of these young men add depth to practice on a daily basis, so it is going to be tough to determine who we go with,” Henry said.

In addition to the traditional shooters, William Penn will also utilize a three-headed, multi-faceted monster on the wings.

Brandon Beasley (Sr., Indianapolis, Ind., Physical Education), Keith Steffeck (Sr., Marion, Iowa, Physical Education), and Arman Rasul (Sr., Chicago, Ill., (Sociology) all have the ability to play inside and out and present potential matchup nightmares for opposing teams. They will be also spend time in the blocks as forwards.

“These guys are amazing driving with the ball, spotting up for a three, or posting up,” Henry said. “We feel they present extreme matchup problems for anyone we will face. I know I would not want to figure out who should guard them.”

Lamonte Jenkins (Fr., Lake Charles, La., Undecided) is coming off a redshirt year and will be the team’s lone traditional forward.

“Lamonte has a tremendous upside to his game,” Henry said.

Post

Henry will be looking to a pair of returners to carry the load in the post with Ross Howe (Jr., State Center, Iowa, Physical Education) and Erik McGee (So., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Elementary Education) back in the navy and gold. Howe stands at 6’5”, while McGee is a bit shorter at 6’4”, but Henry believes the duo’s heart will overcome any physical limitations.

Howe averaged 3.4 points and 3.6 rebounds and McGee added 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds.

“Ross and Erik are a little undersized for their position, but they make up for that with great effort,” Henry said. “They will not get pushed around.”

Schedule

William Penn opens the winter Friday on the road at Morningside. Several other strong foes are also slated to face the Statesmen during their non-conference schedule.

“We have a really good mix of teams in our non-conference schedule,” Henry said. “This should give us plenty of good tests and hopefully prepare us well for a grueling league year.”

Conference

William Penn has been selected by the league’s coaches to claim the MCC’s hardware in February. Mount Mercy is figured to nip on their heels, while defending champion St. Ambrose will join several others in the ‘formidable opponent’ group.

“We have lofty goals and high expectation for ourselves,” Henry said. “It could and should be a very fun time. We hopefully are playing deep into March.”