Story Photos
 Marice Tolliver fires a crosscourt pass over Garrett DeGraff with Jeray Key, left, watching during a recent practice. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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Red Devils ready for lift-off
Friday, November 28, 2008 11:27 AM PST
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleWith only two players back from last season, Lower Columbia College men’s basketball coach Jim Roffler is hoping his youthful Red Devils will learn his system quickly.
“It takes time to be proficient,” Roffler said. “They need to work their butts off on defense to give us a shot early in the season because they’re still learning the offense. If the players understand that, then the defense becomes the foundation of our plan.”
LCC hosts the Red Devil Classic beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday at Truman Myklebust Gym. The Devils take on Spokane in Friday’s final game at 8 p.m.
Roffler believes his players will become successful in the Devils’ offense when they react to situations instead of spending time thinking.
“Basketball is a game of instincts and it’s made up of repetitions,” he said. “When you get enough repetitions, they become instincts. When you’re still thinking, you’re a little bit behind in the timing department.”
The Devils have two solid sophomores in the frontcourt — center Alex King and forward Marice Tolliver. But the backcourt, including his point-guard tandem of Jeray Key (Mark Morris High) and Tim Roffler (Mount Spokane), are all newcomers.
King earned first-team all-Western Division honors after averaging 14 points, six rebounds and three assists as a freshman. Tolliver moves to the frontcourt after playing point guard last season, where he averaged nearly 11 points, five rebounds and six assists.
“There’s no better player in the conference who plays in the middle than Alex,” Roffler said. “Mo is playing a lot better inside than he did last year, and has a dimension off the perimeter where he can take people off the dribble. We also have some good shooters on the wings, and when you can gain advantages inside, it opens the perimeter.”
The backcourt tandem of Tim Roffler (the son of the coach’s cousin) and Key give the Devils depth and contrasting styles at the point.
“Both Timmy and Jeray have done a good job picking up our system,” Roffler said. “Both of them are potential starters, but we need two players at the position who can play because of foul trouble, depth and injury.”
Rounding out the backcourt are first-year guards Clint Burgoyne (Castle Rock) and Conrad Ritchie (Clatskanie). The frontcourt also includes freshmen Garrett DeGraaff (Kelso), Kekoa Carvalho (Kona, Hawaii), Jerald Ardoin (Beaumont, Texas), Jeremee Tyler (Battle Ground), Al Dickerson (Foss-Tacoma) and redshirt sophomore Ryan Freeman (Willapa Valley).
“We may not have as much quality depth as some of the teams up north, but you don’t need many players if you stay healthy,” Roffler said. “We may have to tweak our depth chart a little, because there may be situations where we have to put people in other positions to get the best guys on the floor.”
The Devils went away from tradition by opening their season a week before the Red Devil Classic when they hosted the Linfield JV on Nov. 15. LCC won 88-75.
“Although other teams have had the opportunity, we’ve never played a game before the Red Devil Classic in past years,” Roffler said. “I guess that’s the result of getting knocked out of last year’s (NWAACC) tournament in two games. We weren’t able to finish either game in last year’s tournament because we didn’t have experience and savvy. Hopefully that game will get us ready to play 40 minutes and not 38.”
Roffler is looking forward to the Devils’ league opener on Jan. 7 when they host Green River.
“What makes our league interesting is the different styles of play,” he said. “How you match up with one team may be different than how you match up with another. I’m more interested in finding the right combination for our success.”
The process, he said, can’t be forced.
“The pieces of the puzzle are there,” Roffler said. “It’s not a 100-piece puzzle, it’s a 1,000-piece puzzle and it’s going to take some time fitting them together.”
Here’s a look at the other teams in this year’s Red Devil Classic:
Clackamas: The Cougars return all-Southern Division wings J.C. Cook and Austin Dunn, who combined to average more than 43 points per game. Also back are key players Scott Martin, Jonny Brainard and Brad King, one of the tallest players in the conference at 7-foot-1. Newcomer Chehales Tapscott is pegged to be one of the top newcomers in the conference.
Everett: The Trojans of the Northern Division have a good blend of experienced sophomores and talented freshmen. Sophomore guard Chris Grounds averaged 15.5 points and nearly six assists to earn a spot on the division’s first team.
Grays Harbor: First-year coach Del Sandberg comes to the Chokers after serving as an assistant coach at Pacific Lutheran University last season. Sandberg, the older brother of former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, has two returning players (Nick Schultens and Josh Hawks) from last season’s squad coached by George Swanson.
Peninsula: The Pirates have a solid blend of sophomores and freshmen who will battle for a postseason berth in the always-tough Northern Division. Sophomore guard Jesse Bean returns after averaging 8.8 points and 3.5 assists as a freshman starter.
Southwestern Oregon: The Lakers of Coos Bay return five players from last season’s roster, including Kevin Reynolds, who averaged 10.3 points and six rebounds. Southwestern Oregon plays an up-tempo style while relying on making the extra pass.
Spokane: The Sasquatch return only two players after losing eight to graduation. First-year coach Clint Hull has 13 freshmen on the roster and hopes to turn an inexperienced squad into an Eastern Division contender.
Yakima Valley: The defending NWAACC champion Yaks return seven players to blend with six newcomers. Sophomores Jody Johnson (10.3 points, 8.1 rebounds), Ben Wilson (10.7 points) and Nico Sandoval (10.2 points) will be key components in the Yaks’ defense of the conference crown.
A glance at the Red Devils
Here’s a player-by-player look at what LCC coach Jim Roffler has to say about his 2008-’09 squad:
Tim Roffler (5-9 freshman guard): “Tim has good quickness. He’s picking the system up well and getting to the point where he doesn’t have to think too much and reacts more. Tim needs to stay positive and show maturity, and be a leader while keeping other guys in the game.”
Jeray Key (6-1 freshman guard): “Jeray is more of a Big East type of guard, a physical strong player. He brings a different style of play to the point than Tim does, and is doing a good job learning a new position. I really like the dimension Jeray brings to the floor.”
Clint Burgoyne (6-3 freshman guard): “Clint has unbelievable savvy for a freshman. He’s a raw-boned guy who lays it on the line and throws his body all over the place.”
Conrad Ritchie (6-foot freshman guard): “Conrad was a shooter at Clatskanie and a very good one. He’s going to face some bigger players in college, so he needs to learn to take the ball inside. I like him coming off the bench because he can come in and immediately hit a key shot. Conrad can hit shots in his sleep.”
Garrett DeGraaff (6-2 freshman forward): “Garrett is probably as solid of a player and as cerebral as anyone out there. He’s always in the right place and that’s hard to come by. You can trust him out there and he’s never going to hurt you because he knows the game.”
Alex King (6-6 sophomore forward): “Alex is lightning-quick and explosive to the basket. He’s the big presence in the game for us, and if he doesn’t get 25 points, it’s because other people are open because teams are concentrating on keeping him down.”
Marice Tolliver (6-5 sophomore forward): “Marice is moving from the backcourt to his more natural position in the frontcourt this season. He’s shown his versatility, and his ability to create shots and drive to the basket. Marice sees the court well and gets the ball into the hands of the open shooter.”
Ryan Freeman (6-4 sophomore forward): “Ryan redshirted (non-participant) for us last year and had to have his knee worked on. He’s a pure shooter who hasn’t gotten on track because he doesn’t have the instinct back yet. When he finds his niche in the offense and gets in the flow, he can really shoot it and will be dynamite.”
Kekoa Carvalho (6-2 freshman forward): “Kekoa has a good feel for the game. He could be the guy to give us depth up front because he knows how to play against bigger guys and position himself. He has a great attitude and is a very patient player.”
Jerald Ardoin (6-4 freshman forward): “Jerald has been dinged up a little. He’s learning to use his finesse play against the power players so his natural abilities can come out. Jerald runs and jumps well, he needs to get his feel.”
Jeremee Tyler (6-4 freshman forward): “Jeremee will be ineligible until grades are posted. He’s been slowed by injuries. He has a great mentality, but we’ll have to wait and see what he brings when he’s totally healed and eligible.”
Al Dickerson (6-8 freshman center): “Al never played organized basketball but moves well for his size. His hands are decent, and if there’s anyone on the team who needs experience, it’s him. Al needs to learn to get comfortable, and we’re being very patient getting him minutes so he can understand what’s going on.”
Jyles Petersen (5-7 freshman guard): “Jyles will redshirt this season. He has a young body and we’re going to give him a chance to mature and get stronger so he can be more explosive. He has a great feel for the game and a knack for scoring.”
Tyler Benson and Kyle Benson (twin 6-6 freshman forwards): “Tyler and Kyle are only 17, and both need time to mature as redshirts. We’re being patient to get them experience in practice. We want to get them stronger, and they are coming along well.”
Red Devil Classic at Lower Columbia College
Friday
G1: Grays Harbor vs. Clackamas (1 p.m.)
G2: Everett vs. Yakima Valley (3 p.m.)
G3: Southwestern Oregon vs. Peninsula (3 p.m.)
G4: Spokane vs. Lower Columbia (8 p.m.)
Saturday
G5: G1 loser vs. G2 loser (1 p.m.)
G6: G3 loser vs. G4 loser (3 p.m.)
G7: G1 winner vs. G2 winner (6 p.m.)
G8: G3 winner vs. G4 winner (8 p.m.)
Sunday
G9: G5 winner vs. G6 winner (noon, fourth and sixth places)
G10: G7 loser vs. G8 loser (2 p.m., third and fifth places)
G11: G7 winner vs. G8 winner (4 p.m., championship)
LCC home schedule
Dec. 5: Chemeketa (7 p.m.)
Dec. 6: Mount Hood (8 p.m.)
Jan. 7: Green River (8 p.m.)
Jan. 14: Tacoma (8 p.m.)
Jan. 21: Highline (8 p.m.)
Jan. 24: Clark (7 p.m.)
Feb. 7: Pierce (7 p.m.)
Feb. 14: Grays Harbor (7 p.m.)
Feb. 18: Centralia (8 p.m.)
Feb. 28: So. Puget Sound (7 p.m.)
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