Fans of the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team will get their first look at the 2010-’11 lineup when the team plays its Quebec conference home-opener Friday at 6 p.m. at Concordia gym on the Loyola campus.
When the Stingers take to the court to face the McGill Redmen, they will boast a greatly improved lineup over last year’s 4-12 team. Concordia has a 7-2 record in preseason action with the only losses coming against NCAA teams – Rhode Island and Vermont.
The Stingers split two roads games versus league opponents to start the season, losing narrowly to the Laval Rouge et Or and defeating the UQAM Citadins. Concordia is currently ranked No. 6 in the CIS.
“We’re pretty good offensively,” says head coach John Dore. “We have a lot of people that can score and we’re more athletic than we have been. We’ll go as far as our defence will take us.”
Three starters return from the 2009-’10 campaign. Fourth-year guard Decee Krah, a 2010 second team all-star, will be a key. Fourth-year forward James Clark will provide leadership up front and third-year forward Evens Laroche, a first team Quebec all-star last year, is always a serious scoring threat.
A couple of newcomers to look for are guard Kyle Desmarais, a six-foot-three transfer from Central Conneticut State, and Zach Brisebois, a six-foot-seven forward from John Abbott College.
Desmarais, who is in his second year of eligibility, made a big impact in the preseason, scoring in bunches. When he played at Dawson College in 2008, he was the CEGEP AAA league MVP and was a CCAA all-Canadian.
“There’s a good balance between the rookies and the veteran,” Dore says.
After the Friday clash with McGill, the Stingers will travel to Lennoxville, Que. to meet the Bishop’s Gaiters on Saturday night. Concordia wraps up the first half by hosting Laval on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 6 p.m.
