Vanguard leaning on experience

VU men’s hoop season preview storyLions have veteran starting five and talented newcomers, but face uphill battle in Golden State Athletic Conference.With four seniors and one junior in the projected starting lineup, the Vanguard University men’s basketball team has no shortage of experience. But after a 10-19 season, the quality of that experience has not been what the Lions had hoped.

Still, Coach Bob Wilson believes the combination of seven veteran returners and seven newcomers could create a foundation for a much better undertaking this season.

“This team has a chance to be as good a team as Vanguard has had in a while,” said Wilson, whose team opens the season tonight on the road at Holy Names University in Oakland.

But the strength of the Golden State Athletic Conference -- with three teams ranked in the NAIA Division I preseason top 25, including No. 1 Azusa Pacific -- the Lions will be hard-pressed to avoid their eighth straight losing conference record.

The Lions were 10th in the 11-team GSAC a year ago (5-15), when injuries and other issues cut into their roster. The team lost 11 of its final 13 games.

Vanguard also lost leading scorer Brian Kim, whose 14.8 points per game as a senior ranked eighth among GSAC players.

Back, however, are full-time starters Tim Burnette and Leon Rosborough, both seniors, as well as part-time starters Levi Seekins, a senior, and junior Kevin Dalafu. Also returning is senior Horace Wormely, who redshirted last season after starting all 32 games in 2003-04.

Those five will start tonight, Wilson said, and their contributions may determine how many games the Lions win.

“We have some senior leadership that we have not had for a couple years,” Wilson said.

The 5-foot-6 Wormely may be most responsible for setting the tone at point guard. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.1 assists in 2003-04.

“I think he’s one of the top two point guards in the conference,” Wilson said. “He has great quickness and can make good decisions, which is something we didn’t have late in games last season.”

Seekins, a 6-6 forward, averaged 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds as a junior, when Wilson said he was the team’s best player down the stretch. He also shot 60.4% from the field to rank fourth in the GSAC.

Rosborough a 6-4 guard, averaged 11.8 points and 3.3 assists and Wilson called him the team’s best defender.

Burnette (6-7, 235 pounds) averaged 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds as a junior, the latter ranking 10th in the conference.

“He’s our strongest player and he has really improved,” Wilson said of Burnette. “He has potential to be an all-conference player.”

Dalafu, a 6-2 guard who missed 14 games last season due to a leg injury, has returned to health and is a three-point threat. He averaged 8.7 points and started 10 games last season.

Brian Roberts, a 6-1 sophomore guard, is expected to contribute to the team’s depth. He shot 45.4% from three-point range as a freshman (28 of 49), ranking fourth in the GSAC.

Wilson said he expects Miguel Rosales, a 6-7 junior transfer from East Los Angeles Community College, to make an impact. But Rosales severely sprained an ankle in the first practice of the season and may not be available until the conference season opens Nov. 29.

DeAuonte Johnson, a 6-5 junior, averaged 21.7 points and 10.5 rebounds at Allan Hancock College last season and should help out off the bench. Daniel Wojan, a 6-8, 240-pound junior transfer from Solano Community College, could provide an inside presence off the bench.

THE LIONS

2 Cameron Done Fr.

3 Horace Wormely Sr.

4 Levi Seekins Sr.

5 Tim Burnette Sr.

10 Greg Gusiff So.

14 Brian Roberts So.

15 DeAuonte Johnson Jr.

20 Kevin Dalafu Jr.

22 Alex Dimotsantos Fr.

31 Curt Watson Jr.

32 Daniel Wojan Jr.

33 Leon Rosborough Sr.

34 Morgan McGovert Fr.

44 Miguel Rosales Jr.

Coach: Bob Wilson (third year)20051104F41KJMRJNo Caption20051104hqqvwxkfDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Vanguard’s Horace Wormely drives and looks for a passing lane during a 2003 game.