There's nowhere to go but up after a 1-13 conference record.
It looks like James Kinney and DJ Brown as the backcourt starters for the Spartans. The 6-foot-2 senior Kinney led in scoring last season at 15.8 points per game but has to better his 85/92 assist-to-turnover rate to more like what the sophomore Brown achieved at the point, 73/39.
Look for 6-foot-2 JC newcomer Xavier Jones to add a physical presence in the backcourt. He shot well at the foul line and overall but (if the numbers are correct) went 1-19 from beyond the arc so it looks like his game is moving towards the hoop with the ball as he attempted 145 free throws.
6-foot-4 seniors Chris Jones and Lavanne Pennington are back as wings/guards -- Jones is a pesky, mix-it-up guy and the latter heralded as a shooter (although his accuracy was a paltry 28% in 2011-12).
It's an interesting mix at the wing with little-used 6-foot-6 sophomore Jeleel Williams returning and two newcomers arriving in 6-foot-6 JC transfer Louie Garrett and 6-foot-7 prepster David Andoh.
It's just a hunch but look for Coach George Nessman to elect to go with Kinney, Brown and XJones as his out-of-the-paint starters.
With bigs, Joe Henson has left the program due to knee problems so it's 6-foot-7 sophomore returnee Stephon Smith, 6-8 transfer from Santa Clara Chris Cunningham plus newbies Alex Brown and Mike VanKirk upfront.
Smith is strong and bulky but still in search of an offensive game. It's hard to discern Cunningham's game from his previous stats but he's likely the starter at the four.
The 6-foot-11 Brown is a JC transfer who will be the man in the middle because of his shotblocking talent while the 7-foot-1 VanKirk is still in development.
In summary, newcomers Jones and Brown will help but it's still going to be hard to hold opponents to less than what the Spartans will score.
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