Cardinal walloped by injuries

[IE]

KEY PLAYERS: Junior guard Marcus Allen (6.4 points, 3.5 rebounds); sophomore forward Reid Travis (6.2 points, 5.6 rebounds), sophomore forward Michael Humphrey (3.1 points, 2.7 rebounds).

SCOUTING REPORT: The Cardinal, which lost three senior starters including career scoring leader Chasson Randle, begins the season facing a serious manpower deficit in its backcourt with both starters sidelined by injury. Sophomore point guard Robert Cartwright has a compound fracture in his arm and is out for the season. Marcus Allen, one of the team's leaders, has a stress fracture in his foot and is out indefinitely. . . . Marcus Allen's brother Malcolm, returning soon from a broken wrist, could take over at the point, or the job could go to wing Christian Sanders or freshman small forward Cameron Walker. . . . Stanford will rely heavily on its sophomore frontcourt duo of Travis and Humphrey.

Both were touted recruits who showed glimpses of their promise last season but also battled injuries. . . . Senior Rosco Allen (7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds) can play inside or on the perimeter. Center Josh Sharma and guard Marcus Sheffield, both freshmen, also could see early opportunities to play. . . . Stanford's depleted status will make a challenging preseason schedule even more difficult. The Cardinal plays SMU, Villanova and Texas before Christmas.

 

[IE]

Underdog UWGB men seek an upset at Stanford



The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men?s basketball team is an underdog entering its season-opener at Stanford on Friday night.

But there is little question the Phoenix is playing the Cardinal at the right time, making an upset a bit more plausible in UWGB?s first regular-season game under Linc Darner.

Not only is Stanford looking to replace three starters from last season, including leading scorer Chasson Randle, but it also will start the season without some of its best returning players.

Sophomore point guard Robert Cartwright is out for the season with a compound fracture in his arm. Junior guard Marcus Allen is dealing with a stress fracture in a foot, while his twin brother Malcolm Allen has missed time with a broken wrist. Senior center Grant Verhoeven likely is out until next month with a heel injury.

Stanford went 24-13 last season but was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-12 preseason poll. Things haven?t gotten better since, and UWGB will attempt to take advantage despite going through a transition of its own.

?We will see when we get there how many guys are out, who?s not,? Darner said. ?You will never know until warmups. You read where this guy is out, but he is starting to do things and come back. Will he play?

?The one thing is, it looks like they have a lot of guards out. We may have to try to do some things to wear them down. If they really have four guys out, they only have eight healthy bodies. Foul trouble could be a big key. Attacking them. Making them have to guard us.?

The Phoenix has prepared to possibly face a lot of zone defense, which would help Stanford stay out of foul trouble. There also is some unfamiliarity UWGB will face.

With so many new faces for the Cardinal, the Phoenix can?t be sure who might step up.

It could be reminiscent of the time UWGB hosted Wisconsin at the Resch Center in 2013, a game in which Frank Kaminsky finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. The Phoenix hoped the Badgers would go inside to Kaminsky that night because nobody knew how good he was at the time.

?It will be a challenge,? Darner said. ?They have a high school All-American in (sophomore forward) Reid Travis down low, they have got a shooter back in (senior forward) Rosco Allen, but other than that we don?t know what the others players can do. It?s going to be a feeling out process while we play.?

The same could be said for Stanford, which will face a Phoenix team that no longer has two-time Horizon League player of the year Keifer Sykes.

UWGB is counting on senior Carrington Love, who is one of two returning starters along with senior guard Jordan Fouse, to take over the point guard duties from Sykes.

Junior forward Kenneth Lowe is expected to also start against Stanford, with junior guard Charles Cooper, junior forward Turner Botz and sophomore guard Khalil Small among the players who could start at the other two spots.


Having different personnel and a new system, as far as myself goes I always want to play good against bigger name teams,? said Love, who had 20 points and nine rebounds in a win at No. 15 Miami last season. ?I think it brings the best out of me, and I think the guys on our team are also ready.?

Perhaps just as challenging as the opponent is the travel schedule the Phoenix face to start the season, playing three road games in seven days as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off.

UWGB will return from California at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. It plans to practice in the early morning on Sunday to prepare for its 5 a.m. game at East Tennessee State on Tuesday, which will be televised on ESPN2 as part of its College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

Then it?s off to Atlanta for a game against Georgia Tech on Thursday.

One of the concerns for the East Tennessee State game is when and what to feed the players. UWGB has called coaches who have been part of an early game and asked for suggestions. One said they didn?t wake their players until an hour before the game and arrived at the arena 30 minutes before tip-off.

Darner still is debating the best course of action, but he and his team are excited by the exposure playing on ESPN2 will give the Phoenix.

?The biggest thing is being on the road for three games straight,? Love said. ?Me personally, I love playing at the Resch in front of Green Bay fans, but a game is a game.

?I?m ready to get the season started.?

 

[3 putt pete]

Sykes was all everything for GB so it will be interesting to see how they transition without his presence.

Good stuff IE