By Ted Waddell
LOCH SHELDRAKE — April 4, 2008 — In Tuesday’s issue of the Democrat, Sullivan County Community College (SCCC) Men’s Basketball Coach Chris DePew talked about the recently completed season. The Generals, who won the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III national championship with a perfect 32-0 record, posted a 22-10 record during the 2007-2008 campaign. Their season ended on Feb. 29 with a loss to Rockland Community College in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Region XV Division III Tournament.
DePew offered the following comments about each of the 2007-2008 Generals:
• Robert Adon – “Played the ‘four’ [power forward] position for us, started almost every game this past year. He’s super, super talented… one of major impact kids next year.”
• Tymel Ambrose – “Was our point guard for most of the year, improved tremendously throughout the year with his decision making. I’m really excited about him coming back for us. Tymel is one of those kids who understands that a point guard is [thinking] ‘pass first, shoot second’… a big, strong kid who can really make things happen.”
• Bruce Chong – “He got injured halfway through the season with a torn biceps muscle… he’s 6-8 and a big, strong physical kid. Looking for big things from him next year, one of those guys who could really make a difference for us.”
• Josh DuPuy – “A post guard who came off the bench for us, a super-talented player with a tremendous street game… [he had] a difficult time adapting to the college game, [which] is a little different than playing in a park in the city. Tremendous talent and ball handler, an impact player for our program.”
• Mohammed Issaka – “One of our reserve point guards. Tremendously athletic for a 5-11 kid, he can get up and hang off the rim. Improved throughout the course of the year… we look forward to him being part of the guard rotation next year.
• Tomasz Kurpiewski – “One of our reserve guards who came off the bench, [and] struggled a little bit trying to adapt himself into the rotation. A big,strong physical player who has tremendous athletic ability, I look for him to continue to improve and be a force for us next year.”
• Andre Martin – “A tremendous player for us this year, at only 6-2 he played the ‘four’ [power forward position] for us, which means he was in there guarding 6-8 guys and 7-footers a lot of the time. He has tremendous athletic ability… [we’re] looking to move him back out to his natural position of a ‘three’ [small forward] man and be a defensive lockdown kid where he can use his athletic ability to make us the best team we can be.”
• Bertram “B.J.” McDowell – “He was our all-world kid this year, a Preseason All-American, Postseason Region XV Player of the Year, New York State Junior College Player of the Year, and he’s going to the NJCAA All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona after being selected as one of the top 20 junior college players in the country. He had a tremendous year, and finished second on our all-time scoring list with 1,103 career points. B.J. was everything for us this year, we’re going to miss him. He’s being recruited by about 15 [National Collegiate Athletic Association] Division I schools.”
• Tim McKnight – “Toward the end of the season, he became our second leading scorer, the one who picked up the slack and took some of the pressure off B.J. [McDowell]. I look for him to step into B.J.’s role next year and be our shooter, make things happen, and be tough defensively.”
• Mike McNair – “Probably the best shooter on the team, he got some spot minutes for us late in the games when we needed somebody… also very good defensively. He can really shoot the basketball, a pure shooter.
• Tyquan Moore – “A tremendous athlete… started for us at the beginning of the year, got some spot minutes as our defense guy later on. Played a little bit out of position here and there… a highly talented kid, I’m really looking forward to him being part of our major guard rotation next year.”
• Dennis Ocampo – “One of our reserve big kids, we look for him to continue to improve in the post and make good decisions… very athletic, just has to get a little more experience.”
• Marvin Ramirez – “Started for us halfway through the beginning of the year, [but] lost his starting spot here and there. He’s a strong defensive player, [with] good instincts and very athletic… I look for him to be a really significant player for us next year.”
• William Vaughn – “One of the kids we added halfway through the year. A reserve player who really adapted to his role, [and] I look for him to improve and be part of us next year.”
• David Williamson – “One of our inside kids, probably our most athletic and talented kid… had a little bit of difficulty not being the star on the team, [and is] used to doing his own thing. We think he’s going to be one of our power guys next year.”
Notes: Several of the Generals were among the top players in NJCAA Division III for the 2007-2008 season in different statistical categories.
They were as follows:
Bertram “B.J.” McDowell – ranked fourth in scoring with an average of 23.8 points per game; was 11th in free-throw percentage (77-of-92, 83.7 percent); was fourth in field goal percentage (190-of-300, 63.3 percent); first in 3-point field goal percentage (91-of-114, 79.8 percent); and 45th in steals (2.3 per game average).
Robert Adon was 23rd in free-throw percentage (60-of-75, 80 percent).
Andre Martin was 32nd in rebounding (9.3 per game average).
Tymel Ambrose was 11th in assists (6.9 per game average).
Josh Dupuy was 24th in assists (5.8 per game average).
SCCC ranked 14th in offense among NJCAA Division III teams, averaging 82.1 points per game; sixth in field goal percentage (50.9 percent); first in 3-point field goal percentage (63.4 percent); and fourth in free-throw percentage (71.3 percent).