Complete game notes in .pdf format
Storyline
The Brad Soderberg era at Lindenwood begins this week as the Lions open the season with a challenging stretch. The Lions have three games in four days, all against nationally-ranked programs who appeared in last year's NAIA Division I National Tournament.
The week starts on Wednesday with a road game against No. 5 McKendree and legendary coach Harry Statham.
On Friday and Saturday, the program will host the Lindenwood Lion Pride Classic, a four-team event including three nationally-ranked teams. The Lions will face the number one team in the NAIA in their home opener on Friday, followed by a contest against No. 23 Life on Saturday. Concordia (Neb.) will round out the field for the second annual tournament.
Offseason Excitement
The Lindenwood men's basketball program had its most exciting offseason in school history.
The biggest news came on May 15 when Brad Soderberg was introduced as the new head coach. Soderberg returns to the St. Louis area after being head coach at Saint Louis University from 2002-07. He won 80 games as a Billiken, the sixth-most in school history, and led the team to two postseason appearances. Soderberg also previously coached at the University of Wisconsin, including one year as interim head coach, and was a member of the staff for the 2000 Final Four team.
Lindenwood also announced several big additions to their lineup since last March, including NCAA transfers Alfred Nelson, Joey Parker, and Brett Thompson.
High Expectations
Lindenwood was picked as the favorite to win the HAAC Championship this year according to the preseason coaches poll.
The Lions were selected 12th in the official NAIA preseason poll. That ranking is the highest for the program at the NAIA Division I level.
Toriano Adams
Many of this year's expectations are because of the return of Toriano Adams. The senior forward was an honorable mention All-American, HAAC Newcomer of the Year, and first-team all-HAAC selection last year.
Adams averaged a double-double in his first season at Lindenwood with 13.2 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. He had 13 double-doubles and led the Lions in rebounding in 24 games. He finished fourth in the NAIA in rebounding average.
Richard Rose
Richard Rose was Lindenwood's most consistent scorer last year, averaging 12.9 points a game and scoring in double-figures in 24 of the team's contest. Rose was also Lindenwood's top free throw shooter, making nearly 80 percent of his attempts.
Other Returners
Six other players were on last year's Lindenwood roster, led by Shane Williams. Williams came off the bench and averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. Brandon Kunkel played in all 32 games as a freshman and averaged 6.7 points a game. Jordan Loveless appeared in 11 games. Jerome Douglas, Madison Medley and Tyler Donaldson redshirted the year.
Newcomers
Leading the newcomers are three NCAA transfers. The biggest is 6'11" Brett Thompson from Saint Louis. Thompson, who will be eligible at the end of the first semester, played in 30 games for the Billikens, including seven starts. Joey Parker appeared in six games for Western Carolina last year. Alfred Nelson averaged 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds at Division II Drury.
Another transfer is David King who averaged double-figures at Kellogg Community College. Tyler Harris, a two-time Illinois All-State player, is the only freshman on the roster. Rounding out the roster is local player Jared Walker, a Fort Zumwalt North graduate.
Defensive Number
Last season, 70 was the magic number for the Lindenwood defense. When the Lions held opponents below that mark, they were 14-1. When they allowed 70 points or more, the team was just 5-12.
Brad Soderberg's teams have been known for their defense throughout his coaching career. In six seasons as a NCAA Division I coach, his teams allowed just 60.4 points a game. Three times, his teams allowed under 60 points a game for a season, and just once did a Soderberg Division I team allow more than 61 points a game for a year.
Turnover Margin
Another key stat for the 2008-09 Lions was turnovers. Lindenwood did not lose when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, something that occurred nine times. The Lions were one of the HAAC's worst teams in turnover margin, in large part because they forced only 12.7 a game.
Nationally-Ranked Foes
Lindenwood plays three nationally-ranked teams this week and has three other games scheduled this year against preseason NAIA Division I ranked teams. Last season, the Lions faced only four ranked opponents and went 0-4.
Scouting McKendree
McKendree opened its season on Saturday with an 83-73 win over Trinity International. Eric Hobbie just missed a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds, and surpassed 1,000 career points.
Last year, the Bearcats won 30 games and reached the NAIA quarterfinals before falling to the HAAC's MidAmerica Nazarene by a 59-55 score.
Four starters and nine letterwinners return from that team, but the Bearcats have to find a way to replace two-time All-American Eric Palm.
McKendree is coached by Harry Statham, the all-time winningest college coach. He currently has 996 wins in his 44 year coaching career.
Scouting Robert Morris
Robert Morris went 1-1 last weekend at the Spring Arbor Tournament. The Eagles defeated Windsor by an 83-73 score in their season opener, but fell to the host school by a 75-73 margin on Saturday.
Robert Morris has been to four NAIA Division I Final Fours in the last five years, but is still looking for its first championship game appearance.
Robert Morris returns three starters, including Reggie Bunch who averaged 15.6 points and 8.6 rebounds last year.
The Eagles are coached by Al Bruehl, who is 15th season as a head coach. He was won 387 career games, with 245 victories at Robert Morris.
Scouting Life
Life will enter this week's tournament with a 1-0 record after an 104-81 victory over Oakwood. All five starters scored in double figures in that win.
Last season, Life's first year after the program was reinstated, the Running Eagles went 23-11 and advanced to the NAIA Division I Tournament.
Head coach of Life is John Barrett.
Up Next
Lindenwood will compete in the Huntington Tournament on Nov. 13-14. The Lions will face William Penn in the first-round that Friday.
Lions Basketball History
Lindenwood men's basketball is in its second season at the NAIA Division I level this season. The Lions are looking to make the national tournament at this level for the first time in 2009-10. Lindenwood has made two appearances in the Division II tournament. Its best showing came in the first season of its last head coach with a Final Four appearance in 2006.
