Men's Basketball: Rockets Open Season Vs. Lithuania Select
11/3/2000 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
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Nov. 3, 2000
TOLEDO, OH - The University of Toledo men's basketball team opens its preseason schedule tonight when it hosts the Lithuania Select team at 7:00 p.m. in Savage Hall.
Coach Stan Joplin's team is picked to finish a close second behind Ball State in the MAC's West Division by the MAC News Media Association. UT is coming off an 18-13 season and has posted 37 wins over the last two years, the most by a Rocket squad in nearly 20 years.
"We're looking at this exhibition as a chance to get our young players some playing time," said Joplin. "It's a chance for us to evaluate them under game conditions, and we'll use this game to see what areas we need to work on."
UT has three senior starters returning in two-time first-team All-MAC selection Greg Stempin as well as forward Robierre Cullars and center Craig Rodgers. Stempin participated in practice on Monday and is expected to play tonight after sitting out several days of practice last week with a thumb injury.
Joplin expects sophomore Nick Moore and freshman Terry Reynolds to form UT's backcourt and join the Rockets' senior trio in the starting lineup on Friday.
For the Lithuanians, the contest will be the first of a seven-game exhibition tour. It will also include games vs. Bowling Green (Nov. 4), Oakland (Nov. 6), Defiance College (Nov. 7), College of Wooster (Nov. 8), Youngstown State (Nov. 10) and Kent State (Nov. 11).
Stempin Aiming for MAC Player of the Year Honors
Senior forward Greg Stempin, who is looking to become the fourth Rocket ever to earn first-team All-MAC honors on three occasions, is shooting to become the Rockets' first MAC Player of the Year since Harvey Knuckles in 1981.
The Macomb, MI native averaged 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last year, making it two years in a row he has paced the Rockets in those categories.
The other UT players to receive All-MAC accolades three times are Tom Kozelko (1971-73), Steve Mix (1967-69) and Phil Martin (1952-54).
Rodgers Hoping To Carry Over Breakout Season into Senior Year
Senior Craig Rodgers will be looking to carry the momentum he built in last year's second half into the upcoming campaign. The 6-11 center was named the team's "Most Improved Player" last year.
The 6-11 Minerva, OH native had scored just 32 points entering the 1999-2000 campaign. And in the Rockets' first 15 games last year he averaged 2.9 ppg, so not much had changed.
But Rodgers took over the starting spot in the pivot against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 22 and averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds as a starter in the season's final 12 games.
Rodgers broke out with a career-high 18 points and eight rebounds in Toledo's 66-61 victory over Ball State on Feb. 16, and also netted a team-high 15 points vs. the Cardinals in the MAC Quarterfinals at Gund Arena.
Kirsh Looks to Make Impact for Rockets
Sophomore Milo Kirsh, a 6-7 forward, is eligible to play for the Rockets after transferring from Bradley. He sat out last season after enrolling in the fall.
Kirsh played in 28 games for Bradley in 1998-99 as a freshman, starting 11. He averaged 4.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and blocked 23 shots. Bradley finished with a 17-12 record, losing to Butler in the first round of the NIT.
Rockets Looking to Replace School's All-Time Three-Point Shooter
One of the Rockets' goals for the 2000-01 season will be to find someone to replace the oustide shooting of Chad Kamstra.
Nick Moore is the frontrunner for that position after leading UT in three-point field goal percentage (.467/28-60) last year.
Kamstra finished his career as the Rockets' best three-point shooter ever and holds school records for three pointers in a season (86) and a career (229).
Rockets to Open Regular Season in Kansas City
The Rockets will spend their Thanksgiving weekend this year in Kansas City, MO.
UT will be competing in the Energia Systems Thanksgiving Tournament on Friday-Sunday, Nov. 24-26. The three-day tournament features four games each day in Municipal Auditorium, the site of more NCAA Final Fours (nine) than any other arena in the country.
In addition to the Rockets and tournament host UMKC, the other teams in the field are three NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago -- Auburn, Southeast Missouri State and Creighton -- as well as Providence, Cleveland State and Robert Morris.
Rockets to Make Four TV Appearances During Regular Season
Four Rocket basketball games will be televised in the upcoming 2000-01 campaign, and three more television appearances will also be possible in the 2001 MAC Tournament, including an appearance on ESPN2 in the MAC Championship Game.
Two Rocket contests will be televised on ESPN Plus, the first being UT's appearance vs. perennial power Cincinnati in the Rock-N-Roll Shootout at Cleveland's Gund Arena on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 6:00 p.m. Toledo's game vs. Kent State at Savage Hall on Saturday, Feb. 3 will also be shown. As a result, the starting time for that contest has been changed from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Local coverage for both games has yet to be determined.
A pair of UT's road games will be televised on the Fox Regional Sports Network -- Monday, Jan. 29 at MAC East preseason favorite Marshall and Monday, Feb. 26 at arch-rival Bowling Green. The contest against the Falcons has been changed from its original 7:00 p.m. start time to 8:00 p.m.
Simon Joins Rocket Coaching Staff
Bob Simon enters his first season on the Rockets' coaching staff.
A 1989 Eastern Michigan graduate, Simon comes to Toledo following nine years at Wayne State, where he served as the associate head men's basketball coach for eight seasons (1991-99) before assuming the reins as the head women's basketball coach for the 1999-2000 season.
Also serving on the staff is student assistant Clayton Burch, who enters his second season as a coach with the program. The Lansing, MI native's playing career with the Rockets ended prematurely due to a heart ailment midway through the 1998-99 season.
Burch started in every game at guard in his UT career, a total of 69 consecutive games. As a freshman, he averaged 11.3 points to earn a spot on the MAC's All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore, he scored 8.3 points per contest.
Rockets' Schedule Packed With NCAA Tournament Teams
The Rockets could potentially face eight opponents who competed in last year's NCAA Tournament.
In addition to Southeast Missouri State, Auburn and Creighton in the Energia Systems Thanksgiving Classic, UT will meet St. Bonaventure and Cincinnati in non-conference contests on Dec. 8 and Dec. 30, respectively.
In the Rockets' trip to Trend Homes Classic in Fresno, CA on Dec. 19-20, all three opposing teams in the field (Fresno State, UL-Lafayette and Samford) appeared in the NCAAs last year.
UT also will take on defending MAC Tournament champion Ball State on Jan. 17, 2001 and March 3, 2001.
Rockets to Battle Cincinnati at Rock-N-Roll Shootout
The Rockets will take on the University of Cincinnati at the Rock `n' Roll Shootout at Gund Arena in Cleveland as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, Dec. 30.
The Toledo-Cincinnati contest will be followed by a matchup between Kent State and Xavier.
