The Pacific Tigers are a Team on the verge of being a contender in the Big West Conference.  Coach Dick Edwards has assembled a talented group of basketball players in Stockton.  Emphasizing up front power, the Tigers were a couple of breaks away from being one of the elite teams in the conference.  Unlike many of these Big West teams the Tigers do not rely on JC transfers and have built this program with four year students.  The Tigers are a solid overall team who rely, like their NoCal roots, on their incredible front line size and strength.  As a matter of fact only 1 player on their returning roster comes from outside the Golden State but that is changing.  Their perimeter play just has not been up to standards and Edwards might have to go outside the box to and grab a couple of Juco kids, at least in the back court, to supplement their experienced front line.   Heck, there are even rumors that new assistant coach Bob Thomason is going overseas to find some ‘players’ for the future.  Ironically, Thomason gave up his spot on the returning roster to become the new recruiting guru and JV coach.  Of course a knee injury did not help but Edwards sure could have used this tough-minded kid last year as the season ended far below expectations.  Thomason has emphasized finding some perimeter players to fill the void though his ‘biggest’ find may have come from Nigeria via England.  Of course that kid is a complete project who has never played the game and has grown up playing soccer (sound familiar?) and Thomason’s priority is getting some guards who can play.  The front court is in great shape for the time being but the that kid from England is some kind of talent and is the future of Tiger basketball. 

The strength of the Tigers is that dominant front line.  Coach Edwards has one of the premiere group of big men in the country.  The problem here is that all of these guys basically play the post so Edwards has to get a little imaginative to get his best players on the court but one thing is for sure these guys will dominate the boards no matter who they play against and, yes, that includes the mighty Dons of San Francisco.   Starting at center will be junior John Gianielli.  Gianelli is a 6’10 220 pound hometown product who can do it all on the court.  Ironically, with all of dominant big men on this roster, Gianelli is the only player who is over 6’9.  Of course that will change this year with the Nigerian project who is listed at either 7’0 or 7’1 depending on the source but to be honest nobody really knows as he has not even step foot in Stockton yet.  The G-Man as he is known is a consistent performer under the basket who can score and of course board and gives the Tigers a solid presence defensively though he is nowhere near the intimidating presence those cats from San Francisco are.  Still, he is solid and does not make mistakes and might just be the best all-around player on the roster.  Fellow seniors Bill Stricker, John Thomas and Nick Romanoff (no relation) are all in the mix for minutes but are undersized.  Stricker has the best chance at 6’8 but is only 210 and is a backup at best (perhaps deep bench).  Romanoff is 6’7 and is one of the rare JC transfers of the upperclassmen and barely played last year.  He is tough but speaking of Thomas might be the toughest kid on the team and that is saying something.  He is only 6’4 but goes 246 and his main gig is an offensive lineman for the Tiger football team.  Thomas hails from Tyler Texas (say that fast 5 times) and has a future in football but boy does he bring it when he comes to practice and there is no doubt his presence has made the inside players not just tougher but better. 

At power forward seniors LeRoy Wright and Keith Swagerty split time.  You could not go wrong with either.  Both are tough, physical performers who like to bang with anyone.  To watch these two pound in practice was heaven for Coach Edwards.  They definitely make each other better.  Their games are much more similar than complimentary.  Both are rebounding machines who can bang down low with any of the beasts on the West Coast including Russell or Walton.  Swagerty is a little more gifted offensively (but not much as neither is exactly the Big E on the blocks) but there is virtually no difference in the two except their backgrounds.  Swagerty is from just up the road in San Jose (the Tigers biggest rival is in fact San Jose State) and chose the Tigers over his hometown Spartans.  Wright on other hand was born in New York City and was a multi-sport star in Rockdale Texas (State Champion in both football and basketball his Senior year) but decided to come West for college. Yes, he is the lone non-Californian on the returning roster as stated above.  Both are physically imposing though Swagerty is a little thicker and man do they love rebounding.  The competitions these two must have when Edwards put on a the ‘lid’ to the basket must have been brutal and epic.  Edwards cannot complain with having three Warriors like these four up front for the Tigers. 

At the 3 spot Edwards again has choices though not quite the talent as the four and the five spots.  Edwards went with sophomore Ron Cornelius for the majority of minutes last year because of his ability to light up the scoreboard.  Cornelius may be the Tigers most consistent offensive weapon.  His only weakness is that he is not as athletic as some of the other small forwards in the Big West.  Realistically, Cornelius is not a three but more of a four.  He wanted to play however and was not going to beat out the ridiculous rebounding tandem of Swagerty and Wright.  And Edwards needed offense on the court and Cornelius is Mr. Offense, at least in Stockton.  Cornelius was a huge recruit from Santa Ana and started every game last year since he chose the Tigers over the likes of Louisville and Arizona to stay closer to home and his single mother Mom!   Cornelius is tall at six nine but skinny (195) and gets the job done with solid skills and a great feel for how to play the game.  He can play down low but has adjusted well to being on the wing and does not take bad shots or force them as his 57 shooting percentage can attest.   Cornelius is a fine outside shooter for a big guy and can run the floor though he is not exactly Kevin Magee on the break.  Cornelius game is akin to that of a European player and fits perfect on this team as he does not need to do the dirty work down low.  Speaking of Europeans, Thomason is bringing in a huge prospect from of all places Sweden.  Like the kid from Lagos (and we are not talking Stryder), not much more is known of this kid except that he is a forward and he can shoot and he does play that Euro style.  Seniors Bob Krulish and Jack Toomay are both in the mix for minutes here and both are pure small forwards but nowhere the offensive weapon Cornelius is.  Krulish at 6’6 200 has the best chance of stealing minutes from the kid named after the chimp in Planet of the Apes.  This Sacramento product (this is truly a NoCal roster) can score inside and out and does run the court.  He is not a long-range shooter but does have range up to 18 feet and will play.  Toomay from Ontario California (not Oregon) is also 6’6 but a bit thicker at 215 and is more of an inside player.  He kind of got left in the dust and might not get many (or any) minutes this year.  Players like Junior Jim McCargo (a bull down low) and Sophomore Matt Waldron (a multifaceted wing who is a true small forward) would play on other teams but on this one they are stuck behind a pretty dang good group of big men.  This duo dominated the JV team last year so they will be in the mix and if Waldron, a 6’7 210 pounder from Sonoma, can acclimate to the big time he has a shot at some healthy minutes.  McCargo is tough as nails but is 6’6 power player behind a group of men who have more size and experience and similar games.  6’6 senior Pat Foley and 6’8 junior Myron Jordan are also in the mix at the three as this team is loaded up front.  Jordan led the JV team in steals and is the best defensive wing on the team by a mile.  This Oakland kid might be the answer at the 3 if not this year then soon.  If the Tigers would have had only to fill three positions they might have made the Big Dance but you have to fill five and the back court was definitely the Achilles Heel for this team. 

The issue for the Tigers has been the inconsistent back court especially point guard.  Senior David Fox, Junior John Errecart, Terence Carney and Leonard Armato are battling for the lead role.  None really took the bull by the horns though Armato seemed to have the upper hand until an injury cut his season short.  He can really spread the floor with his passing and is an assist machine. He began the year as the starter and is a driver and distributor.  He transferred in from USC and has a keen sense of the right decision but his best attribute is the way he bonds with his teammates.  The other players seem to really respect him and he is the friendliest guy on the team who is infamous for his beach bashes that include beach volleyball and all night clambakes.  Errecart is also a gifted leader who seems to have ice running through his veins.  He can also pass and is a much better scorer than Armato.  He a tough nosed player who is a shut-down on ball defender.  He loves taking the big shot and is a natural leader that came on strong after he took over the starting role.  Fox is another option who can pass and score some and is solid on defense. He is the quickest of the group and is the only one that is a scoring first one guard.   Carney is moving up from JV and did well down there for two years but is last in line, at least for now.  All are solid players but none are the type of player you build at team around and thus help is on the way.  Thomason will be a huge factor in bringing in new kids and has already grabbed a couple from some Jucos.  Edwards might be better off platooning them all until someone breaks free from the pack like he did last year but sooner or later you got to have a lead dog even if you are Tigers.  

Shooting guard is a little better off.  Senior Ken Stanley is a solid scorer who can shoot and also get to the hoop.  This 6’3 200 pounder from Oakland was 2nd on the team in scoring and loves to go inside with the big boys.  He helps out on the boards (not that those big cats need it) and finished strong.  His outside shooting is a bit inconsistent but he is developing a nice rhythm from beyond the arc.  His defense is not great and he cannot leap over small buildings but he is solid and by far the best this team has on the wing and will continue to start and get big minutes in Stockton.  Fellow seniors Dave Klurman and Bruce Parsons will battle for the leftover minutes but they are nowhere near the player Stanley is.  Klurman is 6’1 and better offensively while Parsons is a 6’3 defender but both will be in trouble if Thomason has found anyone a little more dynamic in his recruiting.   

The Pacific Tigers have developed a reputation of having as talented a group of big man as any on the West Coast outside of Westwood and perhaps San Francisco.  Still, they cannot get over the hump of the elite of the Big West because of an inconsistent backcourt.  They have talent everywhere but too bad most of it is accumulated as post players who can board all day.  That might not be filet mignon but it isn’t chopped liver either.  The Tigers are losing a few players but Coach Edwards has plenty coming back and with the help of super recruiting new assistant (and former player) Bob Thomason at his side the Tigers do have up and coming talent to replenish their shelves.  Foremost of these is the most talented (and biggest) Tiger ever to play in Stockton and he had to cross the Atlantic to get here.   But nobody knows how good this kid can be and besides the front line is set anyway.  Now if some of the guards Thomason has brought in can get his big teammates the ball and shoot enough to open up the key this team could compete for a title this year in the Big West.  But that is a big if?  And with their style of play more reminiscent of twenty years ago and this league being as up and down as it gets with the fast paced Rebels ruling the roost, those old school sets might need to be put on hold.  But that is what this program is all about so if pounding and banging and scratching and clawing is no longer En Vogue, than this team is never going to get it!