BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team begins a new era in 2005-2006 called Life After TD.
TD stands for Thad Davis who was the 2004-2005 Ohio Athletic Conference Mike Gregory Award winner, a four-time All-OAC selection and B-W's second all-time leading scorer and rebounder who ended his playing career last winter.
"Ay time you lose a player the caliber of a Thad Davis, it is a big loss," said veteran Head Coach Steve Bankson. "Thad was a great player. In addition, we also lost a very good point guard in Tom Harrington who has graduated."
Now, before you begin feeling sorry for Bankson and the Yellow Jackets, it must be known that the cupboard in Berea is not bare. Bankson still returns plenty of weapons that should make his Yellow Jackets competitive and a challenger for the OAC title this winter.
Back to return this year's team is first-team All-OAC forward Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open Door), Thad's younger brother, and senior second-team All-OAC (2003-2004) guard Keith Aufmuth (Cleveland/ Brooklyn). Overall, Bankson returns eight of his top 11 players from a year ago.
By the end of last season, Tori Davis may have been as good or better than older brother Thad and now he and Aufmuth will have to carry this year's team. Look for the duo to have help from veteran post players Charrod Hale (Akron/ Kenmore), Chad Clark (Fremont/ Ross) and sophomore Charles Williams (Cleveland/ J.F. Rhodes) who missed last season due to an injury. On the wing, look for Aufmuth to receive help from Nick Meyer (Mentor), Dan Gundert (Wellington) and freshman Dennis Santiago (Brook Park/ Midpark). At the point guard position, B-W lost Harrington, an All-OAC and Academic All-OAC player, but still returns the sophomore duo of Tyler Sekerak (Corry, Pa./ Corry) and Brendan Schuler (Fairview Park/ Fairview).
After just two seasons in Berea, Tori Davis is ready to step away from Thad Davis' shadow and create his own name in the B-W history book. As a sophomore, he averaged 19.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and set a school-record with 64 blocked shots. Tori Davis enters his junior year just 77 points shy of 1,000 for his career. He also has 451 career rebounds and is a 59.4 percent shooter from the floor (339-of-571) and 70.4 percent foul shooter (245-of-348).
Although Hale returns after scoring just 38 points and grabbing 42 rebounds last season, he is a presence in the middle. He also can block shots and be an intimidator in the middle. Clark, at 6'4", adds diversity to the attack as he can both play inside and shoot the jump shot from the perimeter. He scored 98 points and grabbed 47 rebounds and shot 51.3 percent from the floor last season. Williams is a key addition to B-W's post play as he can battle on the inside and shoot the jumper. His contribution this winter will go a long way toward giving B-W another inside presence.
Aufmuth returns for his third year as a starter and key member of Bankson's varsity. A year ago, he scored 281 points and enters his final season with 730 career points, 218 assists, 184 rebounds, 109 three-pointers and 79 steals. He has the ability to shoot from the outside and penetrate and is a solid defender. Aufmuth is a career 40.8 percent shooter from "three-point" range and cans 77.8 percent from the foul line.
In Meyer, Bankson returns a swing player who gives his team perimeter strength and strong defense. In each of his first two years on the varsity, he has alternated as a starter and come off the bench and has scored 263 points, grabbed 90 rebounds and canned 39-of-80 three-pointers for 48.8 percent. In Gundert, Bankson returns a player that can play inside or outside, play solid defense and can make key free throws (26-of-28 for his career). If Santiago adapts to play in the OAC as a freshman, it will make B-W stronger at the wing. He also can give Sekerak and Schuler a break at the point guard position.
Sekerak and Schuler both return after each had a solid freshman campaign a year ago. Sekerak played in all 29 games as a freshman and started seven. He averaged 4.1 ppg. and had 28 assists and 27 steals, and more importantly played outstanding defense. Schuler played in 28 contests and scored 3.7 ppg. and had 47 assists and 17 steals.
Overall, the Yellow Jackets return a solid group of veteran players who will have to find a chemistry this year that does not include either Thad Davis or Tom Harrington. Head Coach Steve Bankson has the talent assembled to create the chemistry needed and make another run at the OAC title. In the OAC, you have to have both talent and chemistry to win.
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