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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Everyone associated with the men’s basketball program at Northern Kentucky University will always remember the high-flying, crowd-pleasing performances that Steven Wright put on last season. Wright, arguably the most talented performer in Norse history, earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year honors and first team All-America accolades in 2006-07 as the Norse posted a 24-9 record. The Bowling Green State transfer averaged 16.8 points per game and was 62-for-179 from 3-point range in his only season at NKU. Wright also finished with 37 dunks, the second-highest total in school history and the most ever by an NKU guard. He was later chosen to play in the NABC Division II All-Star Game and netted 13 points for the West squad. How do you replace someone like this? “You don’t replace Steven Wright, because there aren’t a lot of players with that kind of ability, talent, unselfishness and desire to win. He was the complete package in a college basketball player,” said NKU head coach Dave Bezold, who benefited from Wright’s explosive talents for one memorable season. “We have returning players who need to step up their games, and we brought in some newcomers who will help as well. We lost three outstanding seniors in Steve, James Cripe (7.8 ppg, 45 blocked shots) and Kevin Schappell (10.5 ppg). Now it’s time to move forward and allow this team to establish its own identity.” Junior point guard Billy Finnell (7.5 ppg, team-leading 123 assists) returns for NKU. The Norse also welcome back forwards Vincent Humphrey (7.5 ppg) and Harrison Morton (6.0 ppg) in 2007-08. “Billy has a great deal of experience at the point, and he has made a lot of big shots for us the past two years,” Bezold said. “We need him to become a leader for this team. Vince is such a solid player who does a lot of little things on the court to help a team win. He can shoot, rebound and defend. Harrison Morton is an explosive athlete who could really be an impact player this season. He also has a lot of experience and has hit big shots many times.” Shooting guard Mark Hawkins (4.1 ppg), defensive standout David McFarland, point guard Scott Bibbins and center Travis Rasso also return for NKU, which won the GLVC East championship last season with a 13-6 record. Hawkins is a 3-point shooting machine who knocked down 26 treys last season. McFarland, a tenacious defender and intense competitor, usually draws the toughest defensive assignment for the Norse. Bibbins played in six games before suffering a season-ending injury and was granted a medical redshirt. Rasso, a 6-foot-8 senior, averaged 3.3 points per game.
“Each of those guys has a certain strength, and we need them to be at their best every night to be successful,” Bezold said. “There is plenty of experience in that group, and whomever plays the best in practice is going to see time on the court.” NKU hopes to get a boost from 6-5 senior Anthony Teague (9.2 ppg), who is awaiting word from the NCAA for another year of eligibility. Teague made a team-leading 66 3-point shots last season. Bezold brought in shooting guard Dennis Gagai, a 6-foot-4 transfer from West Virginia University who averaged 22.4 points per game as a senior at Ironton (Ohio) High School. He scored a school-record 1,595 career points as a prep star and earned first team Division III All-Ohio honors as a senior. “Dennis is a good scorer and an outstanding shooter, and we believe he is going to step in and help us,” Bezold said. “He constantly works at improving his game, and we are excited to have him in our program.” Gagai was also a two-time first team all-district selection by the Associated Press and the Southeast Ohio District Player of the Year as a senior. He enrolled at West Virginia and made the team as an invited walk-on after graduating from high school. He did not play last season and will have four years of eligibility remaining at NKU. Another key newcomer could be 6-4 shooting guard Kyle Julius, a transfer who played at Santa Fe Community College last season and helped the Saints win the Mid-Florida Conference championship by averaging 8.6 points per game. The previous season, he averaged 16.7 ppg for Illinois Central College. “Kyle is a great outside shooter who will keep defenses honest,” Bezold said. “He was a very good scorer in high school, and we think Kyle is going to be a good fit to our program." NKU also hopes 6-8 Brad Hosler, a transfer from UC-Clermont, can help solidify the inside game. Hosler averaged 10 points and 12 rebounds last season at UC-Clermont. “This team is totally different than last season, but I expect us to be in the hunt for our divisional title. There are a lot of good teams in the GLVC East and the GLVC West. We want to be among them and have a chance at returning to the NCAA Tournament,” Bezold said. NKU opens the season Nov. 16 against UC-Clermont in the annual John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic at 7:45 p.m. The next evening, NKU plays host to NCAA Division II national power Findlay in a rematch of last season’s Great Lakes Regional semifinal game. In that game at Findlay, Ohio, NKU upset top-seeded Findlay, 60-56, to end the Oilers’ 59-game home winning streak. NKU will say farewell to Regents Hall on Feb. 16, when Indianapolis visits for a 7 p.m. game. The Norse will move into their new on-campus home, The Bank of Kentucky Center, beginning in 2008-09. Members of the 1971-72 Norse men’s basketball team, the first in the school’s history, will be recognized during the final game in Regents Hall on Feb. 16. The 1971-72 team did not have a home gym in which to play games or practice.
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