Enter Mark Vershaw, a member of Wisconsin’s 2000 NCAA Final Four team and the new head coach of the Fighting Scots. Vershaw did not find the cupboard bare, in fact, he boasts eight seniors on his squad and some talented newcomers he hopes will help the Scots become a contender sooner rather than later.

"They’re buying into working hard and playing with a passion," claims Vershaw. "They’re very eager to win, which includes buying in quickly. We have guys who are in their last year and want to do well. The freshmen are bringing a lot of energy and we have some really good competition every day in practice."

That competition in practice includes "an interesting mix" of a large number of seniors and freshmen battling for playing time mixed in with smaller numbers in the sophomore and junior classes. The first-year coach believes the everyday battle for game time will provide the Scots with the level of play and desire which will bode well for the team this year and in the future.

The Scots return leading scorer and rebounder, senior Joe Terwelp (Quincy, Ill.) and his 16.7 points-per-game and 6.6 rebounds-per-game and classmate Scott Scholten, who Vershaw compliments for his leadership abilities. Vershaw expects junior Corey Turner (Coal Valley, Ill.) to be an offensive threat despite limited playing time as a sophomore.

A broken bone will keep senior Blaise Rogers (Forest City, Ill.) out of action until the first of the year. Vershaw hopes Rogers’ return will give the Scots a boost heading into the heart of conference play. Other seniors who saw action last season and could contribute are Andy Moore (Marseilles, Ill.) and Jesse Haskett (Manito, Ill.). Moore played in 21 of the Scots’ 22 games last season and Haskett filled in for Terwelp for an extended period when the center was recuperating from an illness.

The Scots, who started two freshman in their exhibition game against Eastern Illinois University, will count on the newcomers to provide an immediate spark. Eric Grant (Roseville, Ill.) and Corey Gruber (Abingdon, Ill.) impressed their new coach with their play against EIU.

"I’ve been impressed with how hard they play," Vershaw said. "They’ve done a very good job up to this point which is why they started (against Eastern). Eric and Corey are not afraid to stick their nose in there and that’s a very good sign."

You can excuse the new coach if he sounds a bit giddy when it comes to a couple of late additions. Alex Tanney (Lexington, Ill.) and Matt Shepherd (Leesburg, Fla.) have joined the team now that the football season is over.

"We’re very excited about the addition of our football players. You can see how talented and athletic both Tanney and Shepherd are," reported Vershaw. "Tanney’s ability to shoot the ball is really going to help us. They’re both guys with size at the guard spots and they’re very athletic athletes, they’re not just football players, but athletes."

A defensive-minded coach, Vershaw says fans will be able to tell if his squad is having a bad night. "All man-to-man, if you see us in zone, that’s because we’re not doing things right," joked Vershaw. "Well go in whatever defensive mindset we need to win."

As a rookie coach, Vershaw says he is already drawing on his experiences with successful coaches he has been around. He certainly has had some good mentors, reaching the Final Four at Wisconsin under head coach Dick Bennett and his most recent stop prior to Monmouth with Steve Donahue at Cornell University. But don’t expect a carbon copy of either program. Vershaw says he’ll adjust and put his own mark on the Scots program.

"Coach Bennett won in a variety of ways, but he always strived for quality basketball," said Vershaw. "Coach Donahue is the best competitor I saw as a coach and how he got that to carry over to his players."

Mark Vershaw may begin the year as a rookie head coach, but then again, the man he replaced was a rookie once, and he retired with the most wins in Fighting Scots history.

Basketball