Loos vs. Loos as Division II power helps basketball Govs open exhibition season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
F-05 BK/BK 11/6/430
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. ? Dave Loos has mixed feelings about Monday's 7 p.m. exhibition basketball opener
against Central Missouri.
The head coach knows his basketball team needs to play a basketball game but he is not sure about playing a
basketball team where his son, Brad, is an assistant coach, especially versus a Division II basketball program that is
ranked as high as 10th in national preseason basketball rankings.
"This is going to be a unique experience as it relates to Brad," said Loos of his son who formerly played and
coached at APSU. "I am very proud of Brad and wish him well but Monday night he is on the other team. We are
going to treat it like any other game. l think that is how he would approach it as well. I am the opposition (for him)
Monday night."
The reason the two teams are playing? The younger Loos largely has been responsible for recruiting four
Tennessee junior college players.
"It was important to get those kids back here (to Tennessee) to play in front of family and friends," Loos said. "I
agreed to this and should have my head examined for doing it."
In fact, their leading scorer a year ago, guard Michael Hicks (16.9 ppg), is from Smyrna. Their third leading
scorer from 2004-05, guard Corey Brown (11.6 ppg) is a Memphis native.
"Central Missouri is a very good basketball team," Loos said. "Off the top of my head, this could very well be the
best team we have ever played in our exhibition games over the years. This is certainly going to a challenge for us."
The Mules head coach is Kim Anderson, who follows a long line of successful coaches who were spawned at
Central Missouri, including Phog Allen, Gene Bartow, Joe B. Hall and Jim Woolridge, current Kansas State head
coach. Anderson is the former No. 1 assistant coach at Missouri under legendary Norm Stewart. Loos has known
Anderson from their days back in Missouri.
"I have a world of respect for Kim Anderson," Loos said, "both from basketball standpoint but as a person as well.
He has done a terrific job with that basketball program and Brad is very fortunate to work from him, starting his
coaching career working someone who does things right and does them pretty well."
Loos especially is anxious to see how his young players respond. He will start two seniors?6-2 guard Maurice
Hampton (14.7 ppg) and 6-9 center Zac Schlader (12.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg), both Ohio Valley Conference all-tourney
selections, with the remainder of the top nine spots either freshmen or sophomores. In fact, expected to join the
senior duo in the starting lineup are 5-8 sophomore point guard Derek Wright (3.4 ppg), 6-4 sophomore forward
Fernandez Lockett (5.0 ppg before being medically redshirted) and 6-7 freshman forward J.P. Felder, who has
improved rapidly in the last few days to force his way into the initial five. Off the bench will include 6-5 sophomore
guard Todd Babington (4.0 ppg), 6-5 freshman guard/forward Kyle Duncan plus a pair of sophomore post players, 7-
0 Tomas Janusauskas (0.8 ppg) and 6-7 Justin Hunter (0.5 ppg).
"We have a lot of questions and we will be using this game to fill in the blanks," Loos said. "We are anxious to
play someone else to get a feel of where we are. Our young people need to see what college basketball is all about.
I think they will learn that Monday night.
"Our biggest question mark right now is in the post. We have several candidates. If we are going to be the team
we aspire to be, we need at least two of those guys to step up and give Zac some help."
This will be the Govs only preseason exhibition game before they open the 2005-06 season at Western
Kentucky, Friday, Nov. 18. The Govs will conduct their other exhibition, Dec. 5, against Lambuth.
"This game has come at good time," Loos said. "We need to play someone else. I am anxious to find out where
we are and then have another couple of weeks to get ready for the regular season."