The Collegian

Issue date: 11/15/04 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Karyn Gilbert Leon Franklin attempts to get around Jerry Beverly during a practice a week prior to the season starting. [Click to enlarge]

Success can often be a double-edged sword, especially in the world of sports. With success comes not only the burdens of expectations, but a mentality of being perpetually hunted. Up and coming teams are always looking to grease the pedestal of a top team. League champions fly under no ones radar; the element of surprise is not an option. That sword of success is often razor-thin, with failure lurking ominously on the other side. Whether they want to or not, the

2004-2005 Mustang men's basketball team, last years League Champions, will have to confront those expectations and all of the subplots that come with it.

The Mustangs will have to reproduce their 22-6 championship year with the typical community college bugaboo-high player turnover. Most notable is the transfer of key cogs Jesse Satterfield and Kevin Young, both of whom received scholarships to Stanislaus State University.

One glaring weakness is the gaping hole of athleticism left by Kevin Young's departure. Relying on jump shots is the basketball-equivalent of Russian roulette, so the onus of getting easy buckets transfers from one player to the collective. Delta will look to bridge that gap through a combined effort.

Head coach Brian Katz, entering his twelfth season, acknowledges the losses, but sees salvation in the team concept. " We are probably not going to have an individual player who will grab ten offensive rebounds like Kevin Young did on three different occasions, but maybe as a group we can get those offensive rebounds and manufacture easy points off the press and in transition. Those are things we need to figure out as the season unfolds," said Katz.

Before one breaks out the Kleenex for Coach Katz, keep in mind he will have two returning All-League players at his disposal: sophomores Chris Walker and

Continued...

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