<em>College Basketball:</em> DVC a Freedom Conference Frontrunner
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) - Usually at this time of year, the athletic headlines at Delaware Valley College are dominated by the exploits of the Aggies' fine wrestling program.
While the Aggies grapplers are, as usual, nationally ranked, this year they have to share the spotlight with the Del Val men's basketball team.
The Division III Aggies are 12-6 on the season overall, 6-1 in the Freedom Conference. And that is good for a two-game lead.
A lot of the credit for this success goes to third-year head coach Casey Stitzel, who has turned around the Del Val program during his tenure.
The Aggies won 25 games in their first two seasons under Stitzel's tutelage, and that was the highest two-year total for the program since the mid-'80s.
He says he was confident that those years set the stage for a breakthrough year in 2010-2011 for the Aggies.
"I did -- because our three seniors, (guard) James Jones, (guard/forward) Chris Ellis, and (guard) Jason Goldheimer really have been great leaders and they are all good basketball players," he told KYW Newsradio this week. "But more importantly, they are better kids. And when you have good seniors you have a chance to be good. And we have had a couple of freshmen have nice years. A sophomore, Jeremy Beckett, has had a real outstanding year as well. So we have a nice mix of some younger guys, but our rocks have been our three seniors," Stitzel said.
Read the entire Casey Stitzel interview in this CBS Philly SportsPod...
The Aggies have done a great job of finding ways to win. They have six victories by four points or less, and Stitzel thinks that's no accident.
"We lost a couple of close games to start the year off against some really good basketball teams, and our non-conference schedule this year is by far the toughest schedule that we've played since I've been the head coach here," he said. "And I did that on purpose thinking that this team could handle it. And what's ended up happening is losing those close non-conference games has really helped us win some close conference games. They've learned how to win down the stretch, with a minute to go."
The Aggies are being led this season by Jones, the senior guard, who is averaging 19.8 points per game and back on January 22nd he poured in a career-high 43 points in a 77-73 win over Wilkes. That's the second highest single-game point total in program history.
Delaware Valley College puts its six-game winning streak on the line on Saturday as they visit Misericordia.
Reported by Matt Leon, KYW Newsradio 1060.
