It would have been easy for the guys on the Franklin College men’s basketball team to pack it in last season when 20 of the first 21 games ended in defeat.
Amazingly, though, the Grizzlies stuck together — and their patience and resolve were rewarded.
Franklin won three of its final four games, and with most of the key players returning and a strong group of freshmen coming in to augment the roster, optimism is at a much higher level than it usually is for teams coming off a 4-21 season.
“Throughout that whole stretch, guys knew that we were better than what the results reflected,” Franklin coach Kerry Prather said. “That gap existed; you couldn’t deny that. But I think because every game was a one-possession, two-possession finish, they realized how close we were.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Indeed, many of the Grizzlies defeats were tight ones. Franklin suffered three overtime losses, dropped two other games by two points each and had three additional setbacks of five points or less.
There were several factors involved, but one of the biggest was a lack of depth — a problem that Prather hopes will be alleviated with the arrival of a big and talented freshman class.
Franklin returns its leading scorer in senior guard Aaron Mann, who poured in 20.6 points per game a year ago. Junior forward John Beineke also scored in double figures (11.3 ppg), and seniors Trey Boles, Brett McCory and Robbie Prather are also expected to play large roles again this year.
But in an up-tempo system like the one the Grizzlies employ, more bodies are needed to make the system work.
“We played seven last year,” Kerry Prather said. “That’s ridiculous for us.”
Fortunately for the coach, there are plenty of other capable bodies on hand this season. Sophomores Zac Cleaver, Blake Oakley and James Polston will be counted on to deliver more minutes, and at least a couple of the newcomers should jump right into the rotation.
Kerry Prather feels that Kale Morris, a sharpshooting guard from Clinton Prairie, and Kyle Meyer, a 6-5 forward from Milan, both have the potential to blossom into stars, and he believes former Bedford North Lawrence standout Braxton Day also could contribute immediately.
Mann has seen good things from the freshmen already, noting that the upperclassmen haven’t been able to push them around as much as they might have expected to.
“This is the best freshman class we’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “Not only are they mentally strong, but they’re also very competitive and fast learners.”
Thanks in part to that infusion of fresh talent, Franklin is coming into the season with momentum and confidence. Kerry Prather likes what he has seen defensively in the preseason, and he says that the improvement on that end will be the key to fueling any potential turnaround.
The confidence gained late last season also should help.
“That helped us make the argument that this wasn’t some mirage, that we thought we were close when in fact we really weren’t,” the coach said of the Grizzlies’ closing stretch.
Mann and the players aren’t expecting to go from 4-21 to 21-4; expectations are far more tempered and realistic. All they want is to win a few more games and punch a ticket to the conference tournament. From there, who knows?
“I think if we get in the conference tournament, we can definitely make some noise,” Mann said, “but coming from last year, winning four games, just winning double-digit games and getting our foot in the door would be a realistic goal for us.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Scouting the Grizzlies” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Coach: Kerry Prather
Last year: 4-21 overall, 4-14 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Who’s back: John Bieneke, senior F (11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 22 blocks); Trey Boles, senior F (4.4 ppg); Caleb Giles, sophomore G (2.0 ppg); Aaron Mann, senior G (20.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 27 steals, 43.8% 3-pt); Brett McCory, senior F (5.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg); Blake Oakley, sophomore G (4.4 ppg); Robbie Prather, senior G (9.7 ppg, 2.1 apg)
Who’s gone: Matt Niehoff, F (7.2 ppg); Trae Washington, G (16.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.9 apg)
New kid on the block: Kale Morris, freshman G;
Outlook: Last year couldn’t have gone much worse for the Grizzlies, with just about every break seemingly going against them during a 4-21 campaign. Most of that team is back, though, and they’re eager to turn things around. Mann should again be the focal point offensively, with Bieneke, Robbie Prather and McCory all likely to continue filling large roles. A strong group of freshmen should add depth, which might help avoid some of the late-game problems last season’s team faced. The results should be far better this time around. How much better? We’ll find out soon enough.
Coach Prather says: “We sat on top of this league for a long time, and this has been a frustrating period. … They can see now that this is starting to come together again.”
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”2016-17 schedule” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Date;Opponent;Time
Nov. 16;DePauw;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21;at Florida College;7 p.m.
Nov. 22;at Eckerd;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 30;at Centre;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 3;at Defiance;4 p.m.
Dec. 7;Rose-Hulman;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 10;Earlham; 3 p.m.
Dec. 17;at Bluffton;4 p.m.
Dec. 19;Wabash;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 29;Cornell College;7 p.m.
Dec. 31;Thomas More;3 p.m.
Jan. 4;at Manchester;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 7;Mt. St. Joseph;3 p.m.
Jan. 11;at Transylvania;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 14;at Anderson;3 p.m.
Jan. 18;Hanover;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 21;Bluffton;2 p.m.
Jan. 25;Manchester;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28;at Earlham;2 p.m.
Feb. 1;at Rose-Hulman;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 4;Defiance;4 p.m.
Feb. 8;at Hanover;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 11;at Mt. St. Joseph;2 p.m.
Feb. 15;Transylvania;7:30 p.m.
Feb. 18;Anderson;3 p.m.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
