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JULY 20:

Straughn Completes Dickman's Recruiting Class

FREDERICK, Md.--Hood College head men's basketball coach Tom Dickman added a touted point guard in Brenden Straughn to round out his 2008-09 recruiting class.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in New Carrolton, Md., Straughn is a 5-9, 165-lb., point guard from Eleanor Roosevelt High School. He averaged 12 points, seven assists and four steals last year and led the Raiders to back-to-back Maryland 4A south regional championships. A first team all-county and honorable mention all-metropolitan selection, Straughn was also a four-time honor roll member.

"Brenden has been at the top of our recruiting list for a very long time," said Dickman. "He is the prototypical point guard from one of the state's best high school programs. Brenden should have an immediate impact on our team."
Straughn joins Dickman's other recruits: guard J'Air Brady of King College and Garrett Williams of North Carroll High School as well as forwards Chris Leggett of Century High School and Herb Bowen of Episcopal High School.


JULY 20:

King College Transfer Adds Depth to Blazer Roster

FREDERICK, Md.--Hood College men's basketball coach Tom Dickman announced the addition of another local product to the 2008-09 roster. Frederick native J'Air Brady has two years of eligibility remaining after transferring to Hood from King College (Tenn.).

Brady, a 6-2, 185-lb., guard, is a 2006 graduate of Gov. Thomas Johnson High School. Last season, Brady and the King College Tornado won the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) tournament championship and advanced to the NAIA Division II tournament. A member of the honor roll at TJ, Brady averaged 19 points, eight rebounds and two assists and was an all-conference selection for the Patriots.

"J'Air brings instant leadership and toughness to our program," said Dickman. "He is an experienced player that I have watched since his middle school days. We are very excited about his decision to attend Hood."
Brady joins guard Garrett Williams of North Carroll High School and forwards Chris Leggett of Century High School and Herb Bowen of Episcopal High School as Dickman's four recruits so far for the upcoming season.

JUNE 26:

Herb Bowen Joins Hood Basketball Family

FREDERICK, Md.--Episcopal High School product Herb Bowen is Tom Dickman's third addition to the Hood College men's basketball roster for the upcoming 2008-09 season.

Bowen, a 6-8, 215-lb., forward from King of Prussia, Pa., averaged 14 points and eight rebounds at Episcopal for coach Dan Dougherty and earned all-league plaudits during his tenure. An honor roll student and national merit applicant, Bowen was honored with the Congressional Black Caucus Award as well.
"We feel that Herb can be a difference-maker in our league," said Dickman. "He brings athleticism along with a great work ethic. Our coaching staff is very excited about working with Herb."

Other newcomers to the Blazer roster include guard Garrett Williams of North Carroll High School and forward Chris Leggett of Century High School.

MAY 24:

Dickman Adds North Carroll Standout to Roster

FREDERICK, Md.--Hood College head men's basketball coach Tom Dickman announced the addition of guard Garrett Williams of North Carroll High School to his 2008-09 roster.

Williams was an all-county and all-Chesapeake first team selection for the Panthers who averaged 14.5 points and 3.7 assists per game last season. He listed fourth in the Chesapeake Conference in three-pointers made with 42 and ranked among the conference leaders in free throw percentage, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. Also an outstanding student, Williams was a four-year member of the honor roll and earned the Gold Bar Award for academic excellence.

"Garrett gives us an athletic guard who can make plays," said Dickman. "He has excellent penetrating ability along with solid three-point range. We feel that he will give us immediate help in the backcourt."

Hood finished the 2007-08 season with a record of 15-11 and ranked third in the Capital Athletic Conference. The Blazers return 11 letterwinners from that squad, nine of whom earned a spot in the starting lineup at some point during the season.

MAY 18:

Century Product Chris Leggett Picks Hood

FREDERICK, Md.--The Hood College men's basketball team has added depth to its frontcourt. Chris Leggett, a 6-7, 185-pound versatile forward joins the Blazer squad after a successful career at Century High School.
Leggett had an outstanding senior year at Century and received numerous athletic awards. He was named the Maryland all-star team MVP, first team all conference and second team all county.

The native of Los Angeles, Calif., averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game for the year leading Century to a tie for the county championship. Leggett has been named to the Honor Roll the past three years and is a member of Minds in Motion. While at Hood he plans to major in management.

"Our coaching staff is very pleased that Chris has decided to attend Hood," said head coach Tom Dickman. "We have followed his progress at Century High School and we feel that his best basketball is ahead of him. He knows how to play and, at 6-7, he has excellent timing and skills. He is versatile enough to play inside or on the perimeter. We are looking forward to being a part of Chris’ college career."

Hood finished the 2007-08 season with a record of 15-11 and ranked third in the Capital Athletic Conference. The Blazers return 11 letterwinners from that squad, nine of whom earned a spot in the starting lineup at some point during the season.

MARCH 12:

Hood College doesn’t lock the door to its basketball gymnasium, a fact 2004 Magruder graduate Ryan Junghans takes full advantage of.

‘‘Almost on a daily basis, you’ll hear a ball bouncing in there,” Hood men’s basketball coach Tom Dickman said. ‘‘When he gets shots in games, he’s probably shot that shot a million times by himself in the gym. ... Some other players feel like they’re entitled to make shots. He doesn’t feel like that. He earns his shots.”

Last week, Junghans was named to the Capital Athletic Conference all-league first team for the second straight year. The 5-foot-10 junior from Derwood averaged a team-leading 20.0 points per game, the third-best average in the CAC. He also hit 95.9 percent of his free throws for the season, the second-best percentage in all of the NCAA, Divisions I, II and III.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/031208/olnespo215004_32359.shtml 

FEBRUARY 24:

Through the efforts of two former Thomas Johnson players now at Hood College, the Blazers will get to host a first round Capital Athletic Conference tournament home game at TJ.

Tyler Snoots scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds, while Tim Abercrombie hit some big baskets down the stretch as Hood downed Salisbury 73-72 in its final regular-season game on Saturday at TJ.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/sports/display.htm?StoryID=71664

FEBRUARY 22:

What’s next for the Hood College basketball team, five overtimes?
The way things are going this year, that could happen. The Blazers went into four overtimes Monday night at Thomas Johnson High School before losing to Wesley, 111-106.

It was their fifth overtime game of the season. In addition to Monday’s four OT thriller, they have played two games that went into one overtime, one that went two overtimes and one that went three overtimes. It just might be some kind of NCAA record. Hood has lost four of the five overtime games, the lone win a 124-120 double-overtime victory over Gallaudet. Monday’s loss dropped their record to 14-9 overall and 8-6 in the Capital Athletic Conference. They are tied with Wesley for fourth place in the CAC with two games left. If Hood had won Monday’s game, they would have assured themselves of a first-round tournament home game.

READ MORE: http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=71451

JANUARY 25:

It is been quite an exciting first half of the season for the Blazers, as Charles Dickens once wrote…

It was the best of times:
1st place CAC
Holiday Tournament wins

It was the worst of times:
Overtime losses
Losing the Big Show

We are in a great conference with a lot of tough contest left. Upcoming games
York at home on Saturday at 4:00
At Mary Washington on Wednesday at 8:00

Both teams do a tremendous job and should be tough to beat.

BLAZER BULLETS:
· Nick Scott has really improved his game. Over the past three games he has shot 55% from the field including 50% from 3pt range.

· Ryan Junghans continues to lead us in scoring and FT %.

Come on out and see us in action!.

DECEMBER 2:

Well we are 4-3 right now. Not great, not terrible. A few of our freshmen have had great starts to the season. Mark McGlone and Rian McHenry have started every game this season. We are happy to have both of them with our program.

What else can be said about how "The Big Show" Jesse Gutekunst has been playing. He is truly a dominating force inside.

Andy Bennett has excelled thus far this year. He has provided excellent energy for our team.

We have 2 more conference games before exams and then our holiday tournament and a much deserved holiday break for our players. The coaches however will be on the road recruiting as usual.

We will hopefully have some updated interviews and photos soon.

Go Blazers.

AUGUST 27:

Welcome to our incoming freshmen class...

Tyler Snoots, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound post player, joins the Hood squad after a successful career at nearby Thomas Johnson High School. "Tyler has been at the top of our recruiting list for a long time and we are very pleased that he has decided to come to Hood," said head coach Tom Dickman. "He has the potential to be an outstanding college player and will be an immediate factor in our frontcourt. He is tough and athletic, just the type of player we need to continue our success in the Capital Athletic Conference."
Rian McHenry is a 6-6, 225-lb., forward from Potomac High School in Dumfries, Va. He averaged seven points and eight rebounds per contest last season for perennial state power Potomac. "We feel that Rian McHenry is going to be a very good college basketball player," notes Dickman. "He comes from one of the top high school programs in the state of Virginia and he knows what it takes to be successful. He is very athletic and he is just now scratching the surface of his basketball ability. I am really happy that Rian has decided to attend Hood and I feel he will be a very significant part of Blazer basketball for years to come."

Alan Kees is a 5-10, 155-pound guard from Gerrardstown, W.Va., who comes to Hood from Musselman High School in Inwood, W.Va. His prep squad won the conference and sectional championship twice. Kees averaged 15 points, three rebounds and five assists per outing and was an honorable mention all-state and all-area selection. Kees capped his career by garnering the Outstanding Senior Male Athlete award at Musselman. An eight-time honor roll standout, Kees is a member of the National Honor Society and graduated magna cum laude. "Allen will add quality depth to our backcourt," said Dickman. "He is a tough competitor and outstanding shooter, two qualities we really like."

Mark McGlone averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va., and guided the Spartans to back-to-back district championships in 2006 and 2007. A Washington Post all-metropolitan honorable mention selection, McGlone was also named all-district and all-area as a junior and senior. His resume in the classroom is equally as impressive. A member of the honor roll, McGlone was awarded with Minority Pyramid High Academic Achievement honors. "Mark is one of the most versatile players that we have ever recruited at Hood," tells Dickman. "He knows how to play and has excellent skills. I expect Mark to contribute for us immediately."

In addition to these outstanding young men we have Tyler Bardo and Blair Moore both from Pennsylvania.

MAY 5:

The Hood College men's basketball team has added depth to its frontcourt with the addition of a local product.

Tyler Snoots, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound post player, joins the Hood squad after a successful career at nearby Thomas Johnson High School.

Snoots had an outstanding senior year at TJ and received numerous athletic awards. He was named Monocacy Valley Athletic League Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the MVAL First Team. Snoots was also named to the Frederick News Post First Team.

The senior forward averaged 14.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while blocking 100 shots for the year. He finished the season as the conference leader in rebounds and blocked shots.

Snoots was also a member of the National Honors Society and received the USAA National Physical Education Award.

"Tyler has been at the top of our recruiting list for a long time and we are very pleased that he has decided to come to Hood," said head coach Tom Dickman. "He has the potential to be an outstanding college player and will be an immediate factor in our frontcourt. He is tough and athletic, just the type of player we need to continue our success in the Capital Athletic Conference."

Hood finished the 2006-07 season with a record of 21-8 and won the CAC regular season title. After advancing to the championship game of the conference tournament, the Blazers also garnered an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Blazers return three starters and 11 letterwinners from that squad.

APRIL 4:

Head coach Tom Dickman and the Blazer men's basketball team continue to reap the rewards of their outstanding season, this time by media members from across the state.

Dickman, who guided the men's basketball team to the NCAA Tournament in only its fourth year in existence, was tabbed as the 2006-07 Bob Flynn Memorial Pride of Maryland Coach of the Year. In addition, junior Jesse Gutekunst was the panel's unanimous choice for PrestoSports/Pride of Maryland Player of the Year and joined teammate and sophomore Ryan Junghans on the all-state first team.

MARCH 14:

The post season awards just keep rolling in.

Congratulations go out to the following Blazers:

Head Coach Tom Dickman was named D3Hoops.com 2006-2007 Mid Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.

Jesse Gutekunst was named 1st team Mid Atlantic Region and Ryan Junghans was named 2nd team All Region.

Our staff is headed to the National Semi finals for both Division 3 and Division 1 over the next few weeks.

Go Blazers!

MARCH 5:

Again let me say that I enjoyed the experience. My mentor Hank Galotta told me that I would enjoy this type of season, when you have good kids, who work hard and want to get better. I want to again salute the seniors, they are 3 of the classiest young men you would ever want to be around and I am truly sad to see them go, but they will always be part of a big family.

I want to thank our fans, some of which made the trip all the way down to Virginia Beach to support us. We appreciated your enthusiasm. A special thank you to the Hood College Board of directors for your special send off, and everyone else thank you.

The NCAA did a nice job wit the hotel arrangements although we didn’t have a strong wireless connection and the hot water was suspect. The food was good. I hope in the future however they spend a little more money and get neutral officials from different conferences.

We will have our post-season meetings soon and have already begun to plan for next season. With your support we can reach new and greater heights.

Go Blazers!

FEBRUARY 28:

Here are a couple of nice stories on the team:

http://gazette.net/stories/022807/burtspo224314_32327.shtml 

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/sports/display.htm?StoryID=57392

FEBRUARY 25:

I have not written a team update in about a month because we lost 3 straight after the last one, but I feel safe now:

· We won the regular season conference championship in our first season.
· We lost in the finals of our conference tournament to a very good team
  (No shame).
· We are 21-7 with a high RPI and a lot of quality wins.
· We had over 1200 watch our final home game of the season.
· We have 3 seniors who are going to graduate on time.

We have a lot to be proud of and I would love to add NCAA tournament team to our resume.

We will have to wait and see.

JANUARY 28:

16-3 overall, 9-1 in conference

There is still a lot of basketball left to be played in this season, but I am so proud of how well we have done thus far. The Capital Athletic Conference is one of the best conferences in the country. We have great players, great coaches and great traditions and right now we are at the top of the conference. We have 6 regular season games left before the conference tournament and they all will be dogfights we just hope to be the team left standing at the end.

Congratulations to Jesse Gutekunst for being named player of the week 2 weeks in a row. He has worked hard over the past 2 seasons that I have worked with him to become a better player.

We have had a number of players recognized this season: Sean Robine, Ryan Junghans, Tim Abercrombie, Jesse Gutekunst. They all deserve the recognition and we hope to keep this going.

Please check the main athletic board for game summaries.

We hope to see you at a home game real soon. We have gotten great support this season.

Go Blazers.

DECEMBER 16:

12-3 overall record, 5-1 conference record, tied for first place with 10 games left. That’s where we are as of today and it is a good spot to be.

We have played extremely collectively. We also have some guys starting to get healthy. We hope to continue working hard so we can finish strong.

This is the time of year where things get heated. The rest of the season we are in conference play and our conference is good. Good games every night, good teams, good coaches we just hope to be the ones standing at the end.

If you have the opportunity, come check us out.

DECEMBER 9:

It’s good to be 7-2. We are heading into the exam period on a good stretch. We are competing every night against some of the best teams in the country and our hard work is paying off. Now don’t get me wrong, it is a long, tough season and we are only at the beginning, but for a young program we are building confidence one game at a time. Time will tell but it is a great start.

Some shoutouts!

Our three seniors have really been fantastic this year. Sean Robine is playing like a senior should. He is consistent and giving us a lot of energy. Darnell Edmonds is the toughest point guard I have ever coached and Justin Junghans is just a class act.

What can I say about Ryan Junghans? This kid terrorized me for years as a high school coach and we are on the same team. He is a tough piece of leather and keeps getting better.

Andy Bennett has done an outstanding job replacing the injured Tim Abercrombie in the starting line up.

Well, well it’s a big show. Jesse Gutekunst has been a consistent force on the court this year as well,

We are off until our tournament December 29 and 30th at W and L. Until then it’s time for another installment of in da hood.

In da Hood with…Clyde Moore

Clyde is our director of basketball operations (that’s a fancy way of saying manager)

In Da Hood with ….Clyde Moore

Favorite Book: Beloved

Movie: Scarface

TV Show: Sportscenter

Pro teams: Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Wizards

Food: Chicken

Musical Performer: Jay Z

Song: The Message

Hobby: Writing

Most memorable basketball moment: Michael Jordon’s game winning shot over Craig Ehlo.

Greatest impact: My grandfather

Why Hood: I like the close knit family atmosphere.

What do you like best about Hood: The teachers

Three people for dinner: Michael Jordon, Morgan Wootten, Phil Jackson

Ideal place for a road trip: Florida

Best player you have played against: Tywon Lawson

Fantasy job: NBA Executive

If I had a million dollars I would: pay off my student loans and use the rest to buy a house.

Historical figure you would like to meet: FDR

One word to describe yourself: Dedicated.

NOVEMBER 27:

It has been a good start to the season thus far. We won the Rinso Marquette Tournament at Lebanon Valley College during our opening weekend. It was our second tournament title in school history. Sean Robine was named MVP and Ryan Junghans was named to the all tournament team. We defeated a game Montclair State club from New Jersey and a good McDaniel squad.

We loss to McDaniel on Tuesday in a very close game. We will finish the Pride of Maryland tournament on Saturday and Sunday.

I really love the concept of the Pride of Maryland tournament and I hope they continue it for years to come.

In Da Hood with…Nnamdi Uzoukwu

Nnamdi is a sophomore Post Player from Laurel High School.

Favorite Book: Things Fall Apart

Movie: Friday

TV Show: Martin

Pro teams: Wizards and Ravens

Food: Spaghetti

Musical Performer: Too many to name

Song: ditto

Hobby: Bball, psyche that’s my job.

Most memorable basketball moment: Jordan’s game winner at Utah.

Greatest impact on my life: My parents

Why Hood: Financial Aid

What do you like best about Hood: Great place to be smart.

3 people for dinner: Me, myself and my i-pod

Ideal place for a road trip: Florida

Best player you have played against: Rudy Gay

Fantasy job: Retired Billionaire

If I had a million dollars: invest, check portfolios, do the economist thing, you dig?

Historical figure you would like to meet: MLK

One word to describe yourself: Eclectic

OCTOBER 25:

2006-2007 Basketball Preview

Head coach Tom Dickman has enjoyed substantial success in his 30+ years of developing basketball players in the State of Maryland. But the task before Dickman in 2006-07 is one that the former state championship mentor meets with both great anticipation and uncertainty…coaching a Hood College men’s basketball team with its first class of seniors in one of the most competitive conferences in the country.

Dickman, the winningest coach in Maryland public school history, has been at the helm since the program’s inception in 2003 and is ecstatic at the fact that his squad is represented by each of the four classes for the first time.

“The first year of the program, we were playing with all freshmen against schools with all four-year players,” admits Dickman, who posted an impressive 13-11 record with that group of first-year players. “Now we’re finally to a point where we have seniors and we have a good senior class.”

Dickman hopes that group of three seniors is poised to lead the Blazers into a new conference, the prestigious Capital Athletic Conference, with a heightened sense of urgency to make their mark by the time March draws near.

“I have really been on them, encouraging them that this is an historic moment in Hood men’s athletics. This is the first men’s class that has gone through and played for four years. We have a chance now to be in a league and I’d really like for them to go out with their guns blazing.”

Forced to shuffle some of his athletes into unnatural positions on the court in previous years, Dickman is hopeful that this year’s team will be able to showcase their talents with some of the best teams in the country.

“Size-wise, we’re more like some of the teams that we are playing. I think we can match up with some teams now that we couldn’t match up with in the past.”

Dickman’s floor general, senior Darnell Edmonds, returns for his fourth season as the Blazers’ point guard. Edmonds, who averaged 5.7 points and 4.3 assists in 2005-06, was ranked among the nation’s leaders in Division III in both steals and assists.

“Darnell has a lot of game experience and he’s a tough competitor,” comments Dickman. “We’re going to need his leadership qualities this year more than ever and I think he’ll step up to the challenge. That’s just the kind of person he is. I am looking forward to him having a really good year.”

Dickman is also proud of the fact that his squad will boast more depth at the point guard spot than ever before with the additions of Nick Scott and Ryan Junghans. Scott is a product of Heritage High School in Leesburg, Va., while Junghans is a transfer from CAC competitor St. Mary’s College of Md.

At the two-guard, Dickman will turn to senior Justin Junghans as well as his younger brother, Ryan, to provide some quality outside shooting. In addition, newcomer Anthony Bennett, a transfer from Delaware State, looks to make an immediate impact. Justin Junghans came off the bench in 21 games as a junior and nailed 10-of-22 shots from behind the arc.

“Justin has provided instant offense at different times during his career. We’re anticipating him doing the same thing this year,” notes Dickman. “Ryan is a great three-point shooter as well and Anthony Bennett has a knack of being able to get to the basket. He’s very quick and can penetrate and make plays.”

In the front court, one of Dickman’s most consistent performers is sophomore Tim Abercrombie, who averaged a team-best 33.4 minutes per outing in his rookie year as a shooting guard. He contributed 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and was second on the team with 72 assists and will likely transition to one of the forward positions this year.

“Tim has gotten a little bigger and a little stronger and we’re going to need him to rebound more than he did last year, but he will be a legitimate scoring threat for us all the time,” admits Dickman.

Two other newcomers who should figure significantly into Dickman’s frontcourt lineup are Mike McCarrick from Fairfax, Va., and local standout Joe Carpenter from Urbana High School. McCarrick come from an outstanding prep program, Flint Hill, which won three conference championships, while Carpenter is a multi-sport athlete who at 6-4 will give the Blazers added size and strength.

“Mike is a very good outside shooter and Joe could be one of the best athletes we have,” noted Dickman.

Dickman’s top returning scorer and rebounder is senior Jesse Gutekunst who ranked among the leaders in Division III in field-goal percentage, rebounding and blocked shots. He contributed nearly a double-double every night out, registering 14.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and at 6-8 is Hood’s tallest man on the roster.

“Jesse’s got good size and we’re hoping he is in great shape once practice starts because he’s a difference maker for us,” tells Dickman.

Two other veterans return to bolster Hood’s inside presence in sophomores Nnamdi Uzoukwu and Jeff Willison.

“Both Jeff and Nnamdi have improved tremendously since their freshman year,” observes Dickman of his two forwards who averaged 7.2 and 6.4 minutes, respectively, per night last year. “I look for both of them to get quality minutes again and more minutes than they played as freshmen.”

Senior Sean Robine is a multi-faceted player who contributes in virtually every statistical category for Dickman’s lineup. A starter in 22 games last season, Robine averaged 5.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and knocked down 20 shots from behind the arc as a junior. Dickman pointed out that as Robine goes, so goes his team, and if he is 100% healthy this year, that he could be that “X” factor for the Blazers in 2006-07.

“Sean is a four-year starter who can play inside and outside,” stated Dickman. “When Sean had good games last year, we seemed to do pretty well. He’s been bothered by a shoulder injury off and on during his sophomore and junior year but I think he’s 100% for the first time now. He can make outside shots and he’s probably our best post defender.”

Dickman is confident that no matter what style of offense he runs or who his opponent is, on any given night, he and his staff will be afforded some creativity with this mix of veteran experience and untapped talent from the newcomers.

“I told our assistant coaches, this could be the most fun that we’ve had coaching a team just because going into the first practice, we don’t know exactly what style we’re going to end up playing,” admits Dickman. “We’ve got to be able see all these guys play and then pick a style that we’re going to play. Usually up to this point, we already have pin-holed what we are going to do because we knew who we had.”

“I think this will be a quick team, I think we’ll fast-break a lot and I think we’ll be a much better three-point shooting team than we’ve had in the past,” Dickman continues. “Whether that translates into more wins or not, I have no clue, but I think that’s the way we’ll play and I think it will be fun to coach. “If we can get a few breaks along the line, win some games early and get some confidence, we could cause some noise in that league.”

The Blazers will be tested right out of the gates as they will face Montclair State in their season opener at the Rinso Marquette Tournament hosted by Lebanon Valley College. Hood will then take on either the host Dutchmen or local rival McDaniel College in the second game of the tournament. The Blazers will then participate in the second annual Provident Bank Pride of Maryland Tournament, which pits eight of the nine Division III schools in the Old Line State against one another in a three-day event around Thanksgiving. Hood’s home opener on November 29 will also serve as its CAC debut against Gallaudet University.

“We really don’t have any easy games, I mean none,” warns Dickman. “Going into the Capital Athletic Conference, it’s a definite step up on a nightly basis. We’ve played a lot of these type teams in the past but not on a game-by-game basis. We’ve played four or five games with teams who have been to the Final Four so that part of it is not new to us, but in this league, everybody is good. The last place team can beat anybody else. In men’s basketball, it’s one of the best leagues in the country. I think our guys are looking forward to it, I know our coaches are. It will be quite a challenge to compete with these teams.”

So for the first time in his collegiate coaching career, Tom Dickman will be directing a special group of student-athletes who just three years ago helped build the foundation of Hood men’s basketball. Now with a conference championship up for grabs and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament on the line, the Blazers are anxious to embark on an historic year in the chronicles of Hood College Athletics.

SEPTEMBER 12:

We are all back on campus and have begun pre season conditioning. Everyone is excited about being in the always tough Capital Athletic Conference. To have the opportunity to compete for an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is a tremendous honor. Stay tuned for further updates.

SEPTEMBER 3:

All of our players have returned to classes and have all begun pre-season conditioning. Stay tuned for individual interviews.

JULY 9:

We have big news to report. Ryan Junghans has transferred to Hood. Ryan, who was an arch rival during my high school coaching days, is a tremendous competitor. He shoots the ball extremely well and has a great toughness to him. He comes to Hood with previous college playing experience and will have 3 years of eligibility left.

Our newcomer class is as follows:
Ryan Junghans So Transfer from St. Mary's College
Michael McCarrick Fr Flint Hill HS (Va)
Nick Scott Fr Heritage HS (Va)
Joe Carpenter Fr Urbana HS (MD)
Jamaal Gray Fr St. Bernard (Mass)

We are extremely excited about our incoming recruiting class. We are confident that together with our upperclassmen we will continue to grow and develop.

JULY 3:

The Hood Blazers have signed a player from Massachusetts. Jamaal Gray is going to be a welcomed addition to our program. Please read the full press release on our men's basketball page.

JUNE 19:

We would like to officially welcome Joe Carpenter to the Hood family. Joe will be an outstanding addition to our freshman class. He is a 6'4 Guard/Forward who played for Silas Chung at Urbana HS. His team made it to the 3A West Regional final. He is also an outstanding student.

MAY 25:

It is my pleasure to introduce the two newest members of the Hood Blazer Family Michael McCarrick and Nick Scot.

You can read the Hood press release by clicking more news at the top of the page, but here are more tidbits about these two outstanding young players.

Michael McCarrick 6’4 Forward Flint Hill High School
3 year Varsity Player
2x Mid Atlantic Conference champions during his time at Flint Hill.
His teams had a .716 winning percentage during his 3 years at Flint Hill
Team MVP and Co Captain as a senior.
Can play both inside and outside.
A legitimate Dallas Mavericks fan
Dirk is his favorite player.
Chose Hood over Mary Washington

Nick Scott 5’8 Guard Heritage High School
3 year Varsity Player
His team was undefeated in conference play as a senior
His team won District Regular Season title
Average 10 points, 6 assists and 6 steals a game
Name Player of the year in the Dulles District
Named 1st Team All-District and Honorable Mention All-Met
A pure Point Guard
Bench Presses over 220lbs.

Both of these, who happen to be friends from playing pick up games in Northern Virginia, come from very supportive families.
We are very fortunate to have both young men join our program as we prepare for our first season in the Capital Athletic Conference. We will have interviews with both of these young men soon.

MAY 11:

Congratulations to the following players for receiving these awards at our post season banquet:

Most Outstanding Player: Santo Provenzano
Newcomer of the year: Tim Abercrombie
Coach’s Award: Justin Junghans
Unsung Hero: Jesse Gutekenst

APRIL 1:

The dates for our summer camp have been released. The Blazer Basketballs camps will have two sessions July 10-14 and July 17-21. Both camps will be located at Hood College. Camp runs from 8:30am-12:30pm. The cost of camp this year is $125 per week and $230 if you attend both sessions. Please visit the Hood Basketball main page to print out a brochure or contact Coach Tom Dickman at 301-845-4490 for more information.

FEBRUARY 28:

With the regular season over it is time to focus on next season. Before we do this let's take a look back at the 2005-2006 season:

We won 14 games (School record for wins)
Won the 1st in season Tournament in school history (Moravian)
Santo Provenzano was 30th in the nation in scoring.
Jesse Gutekunst was 27th in the nation in blocks.

Next season will be a tough transition. The Capital Athletic Conference is outstanding with a lot of top competition. We will have more updates soon.

FEBRUARY 28:

Well it's over.

Our season ended today when we were not selected for an ECAC bid. Although we did not have the opportunity to play in the post season this year, we had an extremely successful season.

- We set the school mark for most wins in a season 14.

- We won our 1st in season tournament.

- We return all of our players next year, plus we hope to add some talented players in the off season.

- We are very excited about our future.

Stay tuned for future updates.

FEBRUARY 19:

Our regular season came to an end with a solid victory over Penn State-Altoona. With that won we end our regular season with a 14-11 record which sets the school record for victories in a season. I can'tt begin to tell you how proud I am of our teams play. We finished the season winning 7 of our last 8 games. We may have the opportunity to continue our good fortune with the possible opportunity to receive an ECAC bid as well. Hopefully we will have an update soon.

FEBRUARY 10:

We played well against York but fell short. I have to tell how proud I was of their effort. One guy in particular is Darnell Edmonds. Darnell (Dink) is our starting point guard and really goes unnoticed a lot. However he is the glue that keeps us going. He is always matched up with the other team?s best guard. Plays most of the game going 94 feet and has to take all of the grief that a point guard is supposed to take. Yet he comes back everyday ready to work. He is also an outstanding student in the classroom.

We have two games left in the regular season. We have a chance to get to 14-11 on the season which will be a new school record for wins. Hopefully we can finish the season strong.

FEBRUARY 4:

I must admit that I am so proud of the way we have bounced back this season. At one point we were 4-8 and headed towards a losing season. Then we got ourselves going by winning the Moravian tournament over some quality competition and to quote Austin Powers, "We got our Mojo back". We are now 12-10 winning 5 in a row, tying a school record and winning 8 out of our last 10 and really looking forward to closing our season with three homes games beginning with nationally ranked York College on Monday. The game time is 8:00.

I am really proud of Jeff Willison. Jeff has practiced hard all year and because of the depth we have at the post position really hasn't had a chance to play much. But instead of complaining he continues to work hard and has had the opportunity to play some extended minutes recently. Against Waynesburg in particular he had an outstanding performance. What was really great however was the support his teammates gave him. That's one great thing about our program is the level of support the guys give each other. So this week I want to salute guys like Jeff, Terry (Stu) Griggs, Nnamdi Uzoukwu, Pat Yoo, Steve Mahaney, Justin Junghans, and Corey Tressler. We can't be successful without them giving their all everyday at practice and stepping up when called upon. Well done gentlemen.

JANUARY 26:

We are currently playing very well; we have won 3 straight games and 6 of our last 8. That has taken us back to a .500 record at 10-10. I can't begin to explain how excited I am seeing how well the guys are playing. We have played an extremely difficult schedule and have done well enough that I am confident we can compete with some the teams in the CAC and look forward to finishing up the year strong and moving on to conference play next season.

On a much lighter team note, I must formally congratulate Tim and Justin for their respective teams reaching the Super Bowl. Both players are true fans to the end and are not bandwagon riders. Some of the players may even send in their Super Bowl predictions. We will see.

Congratulations to Santo for scoring his 1500 point. If you ever get a chance to sit down with him you will find out that he is an exceptional bright young man who works hard and he's Dobbs Ferry tough.


Our final 4 games of the season are:

Thursday February 2 vs. Lancaster Bible
Monday February 6 vs. York
Thursday February 9 vs. Patrick Henry
Tuesday February 14 vs. Penn State-Altoona

All games will be played at Thomas Johnson High School and will begin at 7:00. Don't miss it. Be There.

JANUARY 18:

I must tell you the Gaulludet loss was tough. To lose a game that you were in control of is always tough. In our next few games we are going to have to reestablish our base if we want to make this a winning season. I am positive that we can recover from this loss and move forward.

If you have the opportunity come out to a home game and support the Blazers.
 

JANUARY 10:

When I was hired in May 2005 I was very excited about the opportunity to be with a young program as it experienced a lot of firsts. This weekend we hit another milestone as a program. Our first ever tournament championship.

That win for me personally ranks right up there with a lot of big wins because of the fact that the guys came together and found a way to win as oppose to a way not to lose.

Please if you have the time read the game article on the Hood basketball page (Link is at the top of the page).

We have a 5 game home stand coming up, three games against future CAC league opponents. If you have the opportunity please come out and support the Blazers.

DECEMBER 28:

It is a great day to be a Blazer.

It has just been announced that we will join the Capital Athletic Conference beginning next season. You can read the press release on the Hood website.

I am excited to have the opportunity to compete in a conference with an automatic bid and chance to reach the NCAA tournament. The Capital Conference also gives us a chance to play most of our games within a 2-3 hour radius from campus.

Again I say it is a great day to be a Blazer.

DECEMBER 14:

We are currently 4-5 right now. We have played against very good competition, but unfortunately we have been inconsistent. I am confident that we will continue to work hard and improve.

We fly out Monday to viva Las Vegas. It is well documented that Vegas is my spot. Not my liver spot, not my dog spot, but my spot. I am looking forward to playing some top teams, doing some holiday shopping and enjoying a little sun.

I may do a Vegas log if the spirit moves me.

Here is a link to our holiday tournament site.

Hood Basketball will soon be in a conference according to a story posted on D3hoops.com. I am not at liberty to divulge any insider news (because I don’t have any) but it has and will continue to be interesting to follow the developments.

Happy Holidays.

NOVEMBER 23:

Well after the first week of the season we are 2-2. Not bad, not good, just average. We have a lot of potential. We just need time to gel.

I have to tell you how impressed I've been with Santo Provenzano. He is a true competitor. He plays with a lot of enthusiasm. He made the All-Tournament team at the Pride of Maryland tournament.

Jesse Gutekunst is a heck of a presence. He had an outstanding tournament as well.

The Pride of Maryland tournament was an outstanding idea and very well run. Unfortunately St. Mary's College did not compete in the tourney this year. Next year Washington College will not be able to compete in the tourney due to blind draw. They will rotate a different school every year.

This week's Schedule:

Friday November 25 at Gallaudet vs. Widener. Tip off is at 8:00.
Saturday November 26 at Gallaudet vs either John Jay or Gallaudet at 1:00 or 3:00.

Come out and support the Blazers.

NOVEMBER 16:

You can now check out the updated schedule and roster for the 2005-06 season. Both are now available on the Hood College Athletics website. You can also find a season preview as well.The season begins on Friday as we will be participating in the Pride of Maryland Tournament. We open up against Washington College.

NOVEMBER 3:

We have our first scrimmage coming up this weekend.

The NCAA limits us to 2 scrimmages. As a high school coach I am used to 5-6 scrimmages so this is an adjustment.

I am really pleased with our development and look forward to seeing us against another good team. We have 15 players on our roster and we are eager to get started with our game schedule.

We have also recently finished an instructional video for coaches. Coach Dickman and myself conducted a clinic recently at St. John's Prospect Hall and videotaped it for release. The topics on the tape include screening, practice drills and defensive stations. If you are interested in purchasing the tape please email me at CoachKAdams@aol.com

Blazer Bullets will soon be posted as we introduce our players to our fans. We will also occasionally have guest columns by some of our players and coaches in the team news section as well.

It's a great time to be a Blazer.

OCTOBER 19:

Practice is going well. This season the competition has increased and the players are pushing each other in an extremely positive way. The coaching staff has been impressed with the development of the underclassmen and the upper classmen are showing great leadership. Stay tuned for Individual player interviews.

SEPTEMBER 8:

The 2005-2006-season schedule was released. Some of the highlights include several tournaments including a trip to Las Vegas a week before the Christmas Holiday and several games against Nationally ranked teams. Below is the official press release.

HOOD COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL FACES STERN TEST IN 2005-06

FREDERICK, Md.—As the Hood College men’s basketball team continues to assert itself as an up-and-coming program, it will have to do so this season against perhaps its toughest competition in its three-year history.

Head coach Tom Dickman announced an aggressive 25-game schedule Thursday that features five in-season tournaments, including a December trip to Las Vegas, Nev., and a home date against 2005 Final Four participant York College. The Blazers, coming off a 12-13 campaign, will play eight home games at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School and travel to four states and to Washington, D.C.

“We feel this schedule is not only extremely challenging, but also very attractive and one that will test our team each and every night,” said Dickman, whose team could also face off against as many as 21 mid-Atlantic region foes. “During the regular season we will compete with teams representing (at least) five different conferences and one of the nation’s top independents, Lincoln University. York College also presents a tremendous test here at home in early December.”

The Blazers open their third-ever season Nov. 18-20 in the inaugural Pride of Maryland Tournament, held at Goucher College, Villa Julie College and Johns Hopkins University, which features eight NCAA Division III schools from the state. Hood opens with Washington College on Friday, Nov. 18 and will play two more games against in-state rivals over the weekend.

A trip to Mount Aloysius follows before Hood heads to Gallaudet University for a tournament where they will square off against Widener College on Nov. 25. York, which went 28-4 last year and won the Capital Athletic Conference crown on its way to the Final Four, comes to town Dec. 5 in what will probably be Hood’s most-anticipated home game in its short history.

The Blazers will play in the Messiah Holiday Tournament on Dec. 9-10 and then play at Goucher College, a team that went 18-9 a year ago, Dec. 12.

The Adidas Division III Shootout in Las Vegas, Nev., looms for Hood from Dec. 19-23 and marks the farthest the program has ever traveled. In the first round, Dickman’s squad will take on Defiance College. Other participating teams in the tournament include three top-25 programs from 2004-05, Aurora University, Wartburg College and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

In the new year, Hood makes the short trip north to Gettysburg College and then will play in the Moravian College Tournament on Jan. 7-8.

Seven of the Blazers’ final nine games of the season are at home, which includes Villa Julie College (18-10 last year) and Lincoln (an Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament participant last year). The last two road trips are to Shenandoah University on Jan. 25 and to Waynesburg College on Jan. 31.

A home date Feb. 14 against Penn State-Altoona rounds out the regular season slate.

This year, for the first time ever, Hood will be eligible for additional postseason play by virtue of the school’s affiliation with the ECAC. The ECAC offers a postseason tournament that Hood could potentially qualify for with a strong enough regular season and if the team doesn’t earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Click here to see the entire Hood men’s basketball schedule.