Elmhurst College Athletics

ELMHURST, Ill. - After posting a 20-8 overall record and making the NCAA Tournament last season, the Elmhurst College men's basketball team will have a new look for the 2009-10 season.

The Bluejays graduated all-conference performers Brent Ruch, Ryan Burks, and Robert Strzemp, who combined to account for over 55 percent of the team's points and 49 percent of the team's rebounds last season.

"We obviously lost some special players in Brent, Ryan, and Robert," said Elmhurst Head Coach Mark Scherer. "We'll be looking for a new core of players to step up and provide us with leadership both on and off the court"

Dustin Bainter

"Dustin has a very mature and even-tempered approach to the game. We'll be counting on him to step up his game and become a consistent double-figure scorer for us. Joe is an emotional leader who sets the bar with his intensity and work ethic in every game. Zack is still a young player, but I believe he has the potential to develop into an all-conference performer this season."

The Bluejays return the most depth in the backcourt. With a backlog of talented guards, Scherer believes that the line between point guard and shooting guard will be blurred for the Bluejays.

"We feel very comfortable combining the point guard and shooting guard positions on the floor. The majority of our guards are capable of running our offense and also putting points on the scoreboard."

Chris Childs

"Chris is the type of player who can score while also making all of his teammates better on the offensive side of the floor," said Scherer "We'll be looking for Chris to really work on competing end-to-end on defense as well. If his game becomes more consistent, he could be the spark we need to have another great season."

Scherer also expects sophomores Mike McCurdy and Jimmy Saris to build upon their solid debut seasons with the Bluejays. McCurdy averaged 4.1 points per game and totaled 44 assists last year. Saris missed the entire 2008-09 season with an injury but averaged 3.4 points and tallied 40 assists during the 2007-08 campaign.

"Both Mike and Jimmy had strong freshman seasons for us," said Scherer. "We're eager to see how their game matures with more playing time."

Junior Matt Bernier, Bradley University transfer James Robertson, and freshman D'Ante Foster will also be counted on contribute for the Bluejays.

"Matt and James are two offensive specialists who can knock down long-range shots," said Scherer. "We'll hope that their offense can help ease the loss of Ryan Burks' 3-point shooting touch. D'Ante is also a very talented guard who has been competing very well in practice. He is more than capable of pushing this entire group for playing time."

Scherer expects Boyd to shift to his natural position out on the wing. Boyd started 25 contests in 2008-09 and averaged 6.6 points per game in his freshman season.

"Zack is going to move to his more natural position on the wing," said Scherer. "The move allows him go to the glass and be more of a rebounder for us. Last year, he couldn't really focus on rebounding as he was dropping back on defense. He"s gotten stronger in the offseason and we're anticipating him building on his freshman year numbers."

Junior transfer Jordan Fairbairn is also expected to see plenty of time on the wing for the Bluejays.

"Jordan is a transfer from Kishwaukee Community College," said Scherer. "He was a great player on a very good Neuqua Valley High School team, and we believe he can succeed at this level as well."

Junior Erik Ellingson and freshman Mike Jackson are also expected to compete for playing time on the wing.

Scherer anticipates Acosta to jump into a starting role at forward for the Bluejays.

"Joe is coming off a very solid year and does all the little things for us on the court," Scherer said. "We don't really have a traditional power forward on our squad so that role will be filled by the team's best all-around player."

Scherer believes junior Aaron Schroeder and freshmen Baile Barnett and Erik Dornfeld will also challenge for playing time.

With the loss of Ruch, a two-time All-American center, the Bluejays' starting spot in the post is wide open. Sophomores Wes Dukeman and Brian McMahon along with freshmen Matt Kaban and Rich Thomas should all compete for playing time.

"We will definitely have a new face in the paint this season," said Scherer. "None of our post players have logged substantial varsity minutes, so they're going to have to learn as they go."

Scherer is also excited with the addition of newcomers Antonio Little, Christian Dillon, Doug Small, Ethan Koehler, and Myles Burton.

"I truly believe that from top to bottom, this is one of the best and deepest recruiting classes we've had at Elmhurst," he said.

With non-conference match-ups at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Aurora University, and a two-game road trip to California, the Bluejays will have to prove they can win outside of R.A. Faganel Hall in a hurry.

"We're going to have to become road warriors this season," said Scherer. "We have some very challenging non-conference opponents both at home and on the road, so I expect us to be well tested before the CCIW (College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) season."

Despite the loss of the team's three leading scorers from last season, Scherer believes the Bluejays can still be successful in the CCIW.

"I know we are not the only team in the conference to lose talented players, so we feel like this is a good year to be transitioning to a core of new players," he said. "I believe the CCIW should be wide open to anyone who can step up and play good basketball. This season will be a real test of our program's sustainability. Traditionally, very few teams have been successful in this league when they lose a lot of senior leadership. Our success will depend on how quickly our young squad comes together on the floor. We are one of only two teams to have qualified for the CCIW Tournament every year, and I want that streak to continue in 2010."

Elmhurst begins the 2009-10 season by traveling to Hamline University on November 15.