Michael Jordan?s championship-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals is one of Greg Sprink?s favorite sports moments.
Jordan?s shot against the Utah Jazz gave the Chicago Bulls its third straight title and was the last highlight of his career with that team. Sprink, a senior guard for Navy, would like nothing more than to end his basketball career in similar fashion.
But, Sprink isn?t blessed with a supporting cast like Jordan had with players like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman backing him up. Navy is predicted to finish seventh in the eight-team Patriot League after going 14-16 overall and 4-10 in conference play.
That preseason outlook does little to diminish Sprink?s optimism as the 6-foot-5, 205-pound California native feels his team is ready to move forward in its fourth year under Coach Billy Lange. Sprink, the top returning scorer in the Patriot League at 16.9 points per game (17.9 in league play), is the first Midshipmen since Chris Williams seven years ago to be named to the preseason all-league team.
“To me, winning a Patriot League championship would allow me to go out with a bang and a perfect finish to my career coming here from [the Naval Academy Prep School] and helping Coach Lange turn this thing around. After that, anything can happen.”
Navy has not won the Patriot League tournament or qualified for the NCAA tournament since 1998 and hasn?t had a winning record since the 2000-01 season. But, the Midshipmen have steadily improved in each of Lange?s years in Annapolis,
This year, Lange gets back more than 75 percent of his offense and six of his top eight scorers from last year. Along with Sprink, Lange expects more offense from players like junior guard Kaleo Kina (9.2 ppg) and junior forward Adam Teague (7.4 ppg.). Those players should also receive help in the low post from a pair of 6-foot-10 freshmen forwards in Jeremy Wilson and Mark Veazey, who should help fill the void created when Trey Stanton transferred to Rice.
“These guys? excitement as basketball players are at an all-time high,” Lange said. “They love to play basketball. That is very important at a place like the Naval Academy.”
Lange said many of his team?s younger players are following the example set by Sprink. He added Sprink value to the Midshipmen goes far beyond his statistics.
“He?s been outstanding in practice so far,” Lange said. “So far, he leads us in dives, he leads us in defensive rebounds and he leads us in deflections. Those are the things you want your senior captain doing out there.?
Sprink and Navy begin their season Friday with a non-conference game at Longwood before opening their Patriot League schedule Jan. 11 at Bucknell (22-9, 13-1). The Bison shared the regular season title with eventual tournament winner Holy Cross (25-9, 13-1).
“It?s a big jump in our league,” Sprink said. “There?s the top two and then three through eight are kind of bunched together. You just have to show up one night, get a win and keep it rolling.”
MIDSHIPMEN AT A GLANCE
Coach: Billy Lange (Fourth season 34-52, 73-71 overall)
Last Year: 14-16 overall, 4-10 Patriot League. Lost to Bucknell 62-43 in Patriot League quarterfinals
Returning players: G Greg Sprink, 6-5, 16.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, .379 three-point FG percentage; G Chris Harris, 6-2, 3.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg; G Bryce Brigham, 6-4, 3.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg; F T.J. Topercer 3.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .793 FT percentage; G Kaleo Kina 9.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg; F Adam Teague 7.4 ppg, 3 rpg, .447 FG percentage
; G Derek Young, 6-3, 0.9 ppg 0.6 rpg; G Clif Colbert, 6-4, 1.2 ppg, 1 rpg; F Brian Richards 1.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg; F Scott Brooks 0.5 ppg, 0.6 rpg; F Ben Biles 0.7 rpg.
Top Newcomer: C. Jeremy Wilson. The 6-foot-10 freshman averaged 19.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a senior at O?Connor High School in Helotes, Texas.
Big Game: Nov. 29 vs. Towson. A local rivalry is renewed in this game as Towson takes on Navy for the first time since 1996. Towson won that game, 76-68, and leads the all-time series 6-1.
Key to the Season: Navy needs to prove there is more to the team than Sprink. Kina provides the Midshipmen with a viable second scoring threat. However, Navy is very young in the low post and production from players like Wilson or center Mark Veazey, who is also 6-foot-10, to give the perimeter players more room for three-point shots, which is a staple of Lange?s offense.
Tickets: $8 adults, $4 students. For information call (800) US4-NAVY
Key number: 13. Games decided last season by 10 or fewer points. Navy was 6-7 in those games.
SEASON SCHEDULE
>>Nov. 9: at Longwood, 7:30
>>Nov. 11 at Drexel, 4 #
>>Nov. 14: Robert Morris, 7
>>Nov. 17: at Texas-San Antonio, 7
>>Nov. 20: Canisius, 7
>>Nov. 23: vs. Seton Hall (in Philadelphia) ##
>>Nov. 24: at Penn/ vs. Virginia (in Philadelphia) ##
>>Nov. 27: at Howard, 7
>>Nov. 29: Towson, 7
>>Dec. 3: Mount St. Mary?s, 7
>>Dec.17: at San Diego State, 7
>> Dec. 22: at UMES, 1
>>Dec. 29: at St. Francis (NY), 7
>>Jan. 2: NJIT, 7
>>Jan. 5: Longwood, 7
>>Jan. 11: at Bucknell, 7*
>>Jan. 16: Lehigh, 7*
>>Jan. 19: Lafayette, 7*
>>Jan. 23: at Holy Cross, 7*
>>Jan. 27: Army, 12*
>> Jan. 30: at American, 7:30*
>>Feb. 2: Colgate, 7*
>>Feb. 9: bucknell, 7*
>>Feb. 13: at Lehigh, 7*
>>Feb. 16: at Lafayette, 1*
>>Feb. 20: Holy Cross, 7*
>>Feb. 23: at Army, 2*
>>Feb. 27: American, 7*
>>March 1: at Colgate, 1*
>>March 5-14: Patriot League tournament, TBD
# Philly Hoop Group Classic preliminaries
## Philly Hoop Group Classic finals
* Denotes Patriot League games
