The men's basketball program at Mary Washington College continued to turn the corner in 1999-2000, showing flashes of becoming one of the top teams in the Capital Athletic Conference and the Mid-Atlantic-Region in NCAA Division III. Despite just one returning starter and four returnees in all, the Eagles used a nucleus that featured quality minutes for eleven players. That balance allowed MWC to score victories over top teams like CAC finalist Goucher College and Drew University.
Facing a schedule that included the likes of NCAA Toumarnent-bound Marymount University, Catholic University, and McMurry University, the Eagles played one of the top schedules in the region, playing in tournaments at Shenandoah University and Randolph-Macon College. The 1999-2000 season saw several changes to the Eagle lineup, including a liberal substitution pattern that led to quality playing time for eleven players, Mid-season transfers also contributed to make MWC a dangerous opponent on any given night.
Among the returnees for 2000-2001, sophomore Brett Lively leads with an 11.8 PPG average. Lively, who transferred in to MWC at the holiday break a year ago, went on to finish first in the nation in three-point field goal percentage, making 40 of 78 attempts (51.3%). He led the team in scoring four times, and in those games the Eagles went 3-1.
Lively's game-high 23 points (including a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line) sparked MWC to a 76-63 CAC win over Goucher in January, and he buried a season-high six three-point baskets in a 79-41 win at Gallaudet in February. In addition to his three-point prowess, Lively ranked among the CAC leaders with
an 80.0 free throw percentage (56-70).
Another key returnee for the Eagles will be senior Eric Vierow, who as a junior transfer last year finished second on the team with 8.0 rebounds per contest.
The 6' 11" Vierow also ranked among the CAC leaders in blocked shots, with 24. Vierow's top performance came against Villa Julie College, when he scored 17
points and hauled in a season-high twenty rebounds in 28 minutes of action.
Junior guard Ryan Kenna played out of position for much of the season at point guard, and improved steadily while netting 6.6 points and three assists per game. Kenna will move back to his customary shooting guard position this winter, thanks to MWC's stellar recruiting year.
Also returning to the fold is sophomore forward Dan Dupras, who started every game as a freshman in 1999-2000, and scored 8.2 points per game. Dupras drilled 29-72 three-point attempts (40.3%), and also grabbed 4.2 rebounds per game as MWC's inside/outside threat.
Senior forward Paul Stoddard has worked diligently over his career to rise from reserve to an important cog in the Eagle machine. A tenacious defender, Stoddard improved greatly a year ago, when he developed a three-point shot in addition to his inside game. Junior forward John Kidwell led the squad in scoring in victories over Gallaudet University (17) and Drew University (15), and netted 4.1 PPG for the year.