Tough contests come early for Evangel men

The Evangel University men's basketball team enters the 2000-01 season ranked ninth nationally in NAIA Division II and picked to finish first in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, but Head Coach Steve Jenkins isn't too impressed.

"Rankings are good for recognition," said Jenkins, who has been at the helm for the Crusaders the past 19 years and is the school's winningest coach. "We don't have a talented enough team that we can just show up and win. Our margin for error is small."

Jenkins is confident in his team yet cautious, because he knows that with those predictions come expectations.

"The expectations are high and if we're not somewhat successful then it's disappointing," he said. "We're anticipating a good year. This team should win 20 ..."

Another one of his goals is to make the national tournament, either by placing first in the conference during the season or by winning the postseason conference tournament. He said both scenarios would mean automatic berths to the NAIA Division II Tournament, held by College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout.

Jenkins feels that the preseason predictions are based on the return of two first-team all-conference picks Mike Hawkins and Daniel Cutbirth and the addition of another all-conference candidate, Bryan Osterloh. Both Hawkins, a fifth-year senior guard/forward, and Cutbirth, a junior guard, averaged 19 points per game last year. Osterloh is back on the team after sitting out last year for personal reasons. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-6-inch forward averaged 18.7 points and 6.6 rebounds.

"They are all good scorers and they're going to create problems for our opponents," Jenkins said of the trio. "We need those guys to lead us and I think they will."

Joining Hawkins, Cutbirth and Osterloh in the starting lineup are senior guard/forward Micah Axton, who led the team in assists last year, and sophomore point guard Andy Truesdale. Jenkins said Truesdale gained experience as a freshman splitting time with Wes Murphy, but he will perform most of the duties this year because Murphy is out with a broken leg.

"I think our depth is decent," Jenkins said of his bench, which is led by sixth man Judd Broxson. Broxson, a junior forward, was second on the team in rebounding last year in a starting role.

Freshmen Bert Capel and Grant Curtis also will see time, as will sophomore Jason Stubbs.

While the Crusaders' offense has high potential, Jenkins' two biggest concerns are defense and rebounding.

"We don't have a lot of depth along our front line, so rebounding is going to be pretty critical for us," said Jenkins.

Jenkins said he sees Central Methodist College as the Crusaders' toughest conference foe. Evangel travels to Fayette to face Central Methodist in the team's second conference game, but it has five nonconference contests to prepare.

"We've got some nonconference games to get things on a roll," said Jenkins of the tough early season schedule.

The Crusaders already have split two games, defeating College of the Ozarks 83-70 Nov. 3, then losing the next night to Columbia College 80-63.