It is time for change in Flagstaff and they have brought in of all things a Wildcat to turn things around.  No, it isn’t the hated Arizona Wildcats but almost as bad as the present Big Sky Kings from Weber State College. Former Wildcat player Ben Howland was a defensive stopper in Ogden and will try to turn this program around up in the Hills above the Canyon.  Coach Howland, who had never been a head coach, does not have a great group of returning players and will be looking to the Juco ranks to stock his cupboards.  This philosophy usually does not bode well for a team that wants to regularly compete in any league including the underrated Big Sky conference.  The Lumberjacks will not be the only program in this league using that philosophy as Howland will hit his own stomping grounds of SoCal to find some talent.  He understands how much talent is waiting out there to find a home and Walkup Skydome is about as inviting as an arena can get.  Located on Route 66 many have stopped in this town in Antelope Spring when traveling either by car or rail and loved the beauty of this valley so much they never looked back.  Hopefully, some of these kids Howland is bringing that way will feel that way about the basketball program and sign up to help elevate this program to the level they want to establish in the conference a team from this beautiful town were meant to be in. 

Leading the way for the Lumberjacks is erstwhile backcourt player Wayne See.  A gifted all-around player who makes this team go, See maybe the most talented Lumberjack.  This 6’3 senior hit some clutch baskets and has great range when asked to fire.  His best asset is his ability to lead but that will be tested this year.  This born and bred kid (from Camp Verde) can score and pass but he is going to have a bunch of new kids in town (the Eagles are huge around these parts) to play with. We shall See how this all works out for senior stud but he was the leader of the NAIA run so many years back and nobody expected that team to do anything?  

Coach Howland is convinced that he is going to rebuild this team and that means bringing in some new faces. The one upperclassmen that comes into the year as a starter but does quite not fit within the mortar of what Howland is laying down is Junior Walt Mannon.  First, Mannon is a wide receiver for the football team so he will miss out on some of the off season drills and workouts that everybody else is involved in.  On top of that Mannon is an offensive player and at six three does not quite have the size Howland likes in his wings and we are not talking chicken.  Most of these are going to be JC recruits as the new coach understands the importance of bigger, good shooting players.  He has brought in a slew of these style kids.  Mannon better be worried at least a bit because if you don’t play defense and are not ‘availiable’ then you won’t get on the court.  That being said Mannon teamed with See to form a solid backcourt for the last two years and this kid can most definitely put the hoop in the basket.  Whether or not he keeps his job with all of these kids flying into Flagstaff remains to be seen but this kid is tough and will fight to keep his position.  Sophomore Andy Hurd is one of these kids who will push for time this year.  Hurd is the template for the kind of player Howland wants which is ironic as he was not recruited by him.  Hurd got some experience last year and at six five he can do it all.  He has length and can defend on the perimeter but needs minutes to improve.  He is a true wing who loves to shoot and finish but there are about four more just like him coming up the ranks. 

Even with all of the potential turnover the backcourt is not the issue for the Lumberjacks.  A lack of height down low might hinder Howland’s hopes for a huge year in the Mountains of Arizona.  A quartet of Seniors shared minutes last year but they are nowhere near the size to handle the paint even in the Big Sky.  Bill Aaron, James Plump, Don Buttrum and Mike Williams will battle once again for minutes knowing far all too well that the new coach will be bringing in some new kids to take their jobs.  Aaron is the returning starter at center but at 6’6 this Glendale native has had some issues banging with bigger guys since the Lumberjacks joined the Big Sky a few years back.  He can board but is not much of an offensive threat and this league might not be the Big 8 for size but there are plenty of near seven footers dominating the paint.  Buttrum is even smaller and in reality has little chance of getting minutes even if he is the leading board guy in team history.  Plump is a tad bigger at 6’7 205 and transferred in from Vallejo JC last year (the Lumberjacks have always relied on Juco kids).  Nowhere near as physical as Aaron and Buttrum, Plump will begin the season at the four and gives the team a solid low post option on the blocks who can take it to 15 feet.  Williams is another transfer but this one if from the portal as he started his career in Manhattan Kansas.  Williams has the size (6’9 245) this team needs and will get plenty of minutes.  He barely played last year after transferring and has battled some injuries but if he is on the court he makes this team better immediately.  Fellow senior Art Henricksen has some size (6’10) but does not bring much else to the table.  Sophomore David Duane, on the other hand, has shown he can play but is a 6’7 banger who if he was a bit bigger might dominate the paint.  He will get his shot as he is a worker and Howland (like all coaches) loves those guys. 

There are some returning wings who can play a little but will be challenged for by the new recruits.  Seniors Don Rather and Wiley Horton platooned last year with mixed success.  Rather is another former JC from Sandusky Ohio who has size at 6’5 who can score inside and out and helps on the boards. Horton was the starter and has been huge here for three years but is only 6’3.  Do not count out this kid from Eloy Arizona who plays bigger and has a heart and toughness as big as the sky around these parts.  Junior David Henson is a 6’6 wing who can flat score but is wildly inconsistent.  If he plays like he did the first 10 games last year on JV he might start.  If he does what he did the second half on varsity he might not get off the bench. 

Howland has some tough decisions up front but nowhere near what he has to do in the back court as he will be fading out some kids who once led this team to greatness albeit at a much lower level (NAIA).  Seniors Lupe Acevedo and Fito Frujillo are legends in this area as they helped put this program (and Hispanics playing hoop in Az) on the map but Howland wants bigger players in the backcourt who can guard the perimeter.   This duo played high school in Miami Arizona  together and led them to a state title.  Acevado, dubbed the “Prince of Basketball’ in this region, and his sidekick Frujillo are both under 6’0 and know their glorious time in Flagstaff is coming to an end.   Trujillo is a big time leaper who played for a minute for ASU but is back.  This duo is not giving up without a fight and I would not count them out.  Senior Willie Nash, Junior Nate Payne and Sophomore Jeff Altman will be battling for minutes with not only each other but the new kids.  They will go out about it in different routes in impressing Howland.  Nash can score and has been a huge part of this program since he got here three years ago.  He might start or he might get cut depending on if his defense is up to Howland’s standards.  Payne is a 5’9 two guard who can flat shoot the rock but unless he grows five inches in the summer is in trouble.  Altman is a true point guard and might be able to ‘flip you like an omelet’ but will be on JV once again unless something happens to See.  Oh Lupe and Fito can you See the Lumberjacks getting out of the basement this year in the Big Sky?     

The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks did not have a good season in the Big Sky last year.  Relative to this fact they are not only changing coaches but styles in mid-stream. And BTW why didn’t that guy give that horse a name?  This once high octane fast break team that made a historic run in the NAIA have hired defensive minded Ben Howland.  The Lumberjacks are bringing in a bunch of new players from the portal and junior colleges and has emphasized defensive wings (and a seven footer to guard the rim) to play in his style of in your face defense.  No more life in the fast lane for the Lumberjacks but hopefully this team does not take it too easy and I Can’t Tell you why but I think they will take it to the limit one more time!