TOP 10

It’s that time of year when we look back over the past 12 months and remember what a great year it was to be a Fighting Scot. Scots Scoop polled the Monmouth coaching staff and came up with our Top 10. With the understanding that not everyone will agree, here is the Scots Scoop Top 10 as we see it.

EVERBODY BACK IN THE POOL!

It’s been a month since the Fighting Scots swim team last hit the pool for competition. The Scots performed well at the two-day DePauw Invitational in Greencastle, Ind., Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Now the seven week sprint to the Midwest Conference Championships begins.

Swim coach Keith Crawford is not overly concerned about the long layoff. "This was actually good, we needed the time for additional training," said Crawford. "We stayed on campus and trained through the 20th. Then we gave them a week off for Christmas and returned yesterday to train on campus for the Principia meet."

When the Scots begin their final push, they should have a full men’s team ready for competition. Dan Campione had been nursing an injured back and began pool workouts last month. Crawford expects him to be ready for competition soon. Campione’s return only strengthens an already strong men’s team and could make them a serious contender at the MWC meet Feb. 15-17.

STREAK ENDS

The Monmouth women’s basketball team’s win streak came to a screeching halt in Southern California to end 2007, falling to Chapman University 68-54 and Occidental College 68-55. The losses ended the Scots’ four-game win streak and also halted Melissa Gorski’s consecutive free throw string at 16.

The Scots led Chapman through the first 20 minutes, holding a 33-30 edge at halftime, but second half turnovers doomed the Scots. "We had far too many turnovers in the second half," said coach Melissa Jones. "I was very proud of our play in the first half, but in the second half we would play great defense and then turn the ball over on offense. Very frustrating."

Monmouth’s fortunes didn’t fair any better against Occidental. Oxy used a couple of runs midway through the first half to put the Scots in a hole they could not dig out of. "We were flat," reported Jones. "We just couldn’t get anything going. It wasn’t a case of fatigue, it was a case of not running our offense and not having the intensity we had against Chapman the day before."

A bright spot for the Scots came when Ashley Yeast was named to the all-tournament team. The senior center averaged 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over the two day tournament.

Yeast and the Scots will be back on the firing line for their next game, a Tuesday night home matchup against perennial Midwest Conference power Lake Forest. Jones knows what to expect from the Foresters and hopes the California experience will help. "Lake Forest is very similar to Chapman and Occidental," she said. "We expect lots of pressure. The California games helped us identify some trouble areas, so we know what we need to work on. A win against Lake Forest would definitely make a statement that we are a conference tournament-caliber team."

Jones hopes so. "We hope we’ve learned from the tough competition we faced out west," she said. "I’d rather we play tough teams like that to get us ready for the conference race than some teams that we can run over and not learn anything. We learn by facing the tough teams."

If the Scots want to face tough teams, they’ll get their wish Tuesday when they host the defending league champions.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

At least the Scots men’s basketball team hopes it is.

Monmouth fell to NAIA power Robert Morris (Chicago) just before Christmas to give the Scots an 0-8 record heading into the break. "We just didn’t compete the way I would have liked to," said Mark Vershaw. "The good news is we kept the turnovers down."

The Scots fared much better in that department, turning the ball over just eight times compared to 20 in their first meeting. Poor shooting turned out to be the Scots downfall, hitting just 22 of their 72 shots. "We were down 13 with 1:30 left in the first half," reported Vershaw. "The second half we came out completely flat. Their big kid went 10-for-12 from the field. It was a tough game for us."

Vershaw is hoping his squad will fare better in ’08, but it won’t be easy. The Scots face their second Division II team Friday when they meet Minnesota State in Mankato. "The best news is Blaise (Rogers) will be available Friday," said Vershaw of his guard who has missed the first two months of the season with a broken foot. "We don’t want him to overdo it, but he will get court time. We need him to be ready for Lake Forest on Tuesday."

The Mavericks will be the final team of a rugged non-conference schedule for the Scots who host MWC opponent Lake Forest Tuesday. "Everyone wants to get off to a good start in the conference for 2008," said Vershaw of the team’s league game. "It’s crucial for us to get off to a good start. I wouldn’t call it a ‘must win,’ but we need to learn how to win and close out games. That’s what we’ll be looking for next week."

The Scots’ coach is looking at the past in preparing for the future. "When you play teams of the caliber we have played so far, you can either get your feelings hurt, or you can learn from it," he said. "I hope that all the things we did right to be in those games will carry over to this half of the season."

GO FIGURE PART I

While the Scots men’s basketball team’s losing streak has been well documented in the local media, Scots Scoop decided when looking at the season to this point, a little clarification might be in order.

Coach Mark Vershaw is candid when discussing the Scots struggles. "When I was hired and looked at the schedule, I knew there would be a possibility to be 0 for ’07," said Vershaw. "If we were one and whatever, that would make a world of difference in the papers. You don’t want to be in this spot, but if you look at the schedule you realize we’ve played a very tough schedule."

It won’t get any easier Friday when the Scots travel to Division II Minnesota State. The Mavericks are 9-4 and list seven players taller than the Scots tallest player, Jesse Haskett at 6-6. Still, Vershaw is upbeat. "We just have to keep working and get better," he said. "The main thing for us is to make up a lot of ground in January and February. I hope starting January 8, we will become a better team as the result of our early schedule."

Monmouth’s season can be divided into two halves. The first half will conclude Friday in Minnesota, the second half will begin Tuesday. With 13 games remaining in the second half, the Scots could stage the biggest second half comeback in school history.

GO FIGURE PART II

The Scots highest team rank came in the Fewest Turnovers category. Monmouth lost the ball just eight times (3 fumbles lost, 5 interceptions) to rank 2nd behind Hobart College’s seven turnovers. Monmouth’s three lost fumbles tied for 3rd behind Manchester and Allegheny College’s two lost fumbles each. The Scots’ turnover margin of +1.7 ranked them 7th and their interceptions thrown mark of five put them in a tie for 9th.

Individually, freshman kick returner Matt Shepherd led the way. His 31.3 yard per return average ranked him 4th in the nation, 3.5 yards behind leader Kareen Moon of William Patterson. Back from his Aztec Bowl appearance, senior punter Nate Palkovic and his 41.9 yards per punt average placed 6th nationally. Alex Groh of Occidental College was the nation’s leader with a 45.9 average. Marc Artozqui’s 12.0 tackles per game ranked the junior linebacker in a tie for 22nd.

SIBLING RIVALRY?

Maybe not, but Scots Scoop thought it would be interesting to compare the statistics of two brothers in one of college football’s oldest rivalries. Freshman Alex Tanney looks like he just may be picking up where his older brother, Mitch, left off. So let’s take a look at how these brothers faired in their first game vs. Knox.

Let’s take a look at Mitch’s efficiency rating vs. Knox his senior year -

FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR PASSES

Jack Steger, who served as Monmouth College’s athletic director and head of the physical education department from 1971-76, died Sunday, Dec. 23, at Meadowbrook Health Center in Urbana, Ill.

During his tenure, Monmouth introduced volleyball, women’s basketball, softball and men’s soccer as varsity sports. His most notable hire was former men’s basketball coach Terry Glasgow. Glasgow retired in August after 35 years at the helm and ranks among the nation’s leaders in coaching success at the Division III level.

Prior to Monmouth, Steger served in the Air Force from 1951 until his retirement from the armed forces in 1971.

Memorial services were held Thursday, Dec. 27, at the First Presbyterian Church in Urbana. The family suggests that donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Urbana or to Carle Hospice.

Steger, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, was 78.

THE WEEK AHEAD

SCOTSIVATIONAL