Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Ten Days of A-Sun Basketball continues with an inside look at the Campbell Fighting Camels. Coming off a season where the program had the second-best improvement in its league among 334 NCAA Division I leaders and ranked second nationally in scoring, Campbell University men's basketball coach Robbie Laing envisions more steps forward during the 2006-07 campaign. With three starters and six additional letter winners back from last year's 10-18 (9-11 A-Sun) squad, Campbell was picked to finish fifth by league head coaches in the Atlantic Sun Conference pre-season poll, the program's best prognosis in nearly a decade.

Coach Robbie Laing on the Camels

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SEASON PREVIEW - (Courtesy Campbell Media Relations)

In order to jump higher up the A-Sun ladder, Laing intends on pushing his team's pace even farther. Last year, the Camels led the nation in possessions per game, and the 2006 CollegeInsider.com A-Sun Coach of the Year hopes to play at an even more frenetic speed that a season ago.

Campbell's high-octane attack resulted in shattered school records for scoring (82.8), 3-point field goals made (276) and attempted (787) and rebounds (1098), while producing more than twice as many Atlantic Sun Conference victories (nine) than in the previous three seasons combined. The Camels ranked third in the nation in 3-point field goals made (9.9) and 13th nationally in assists (17.0) and rebounds (39.2) per game. CU also set school records for points scored in A-Sun games at home (99) and on the road (95).

The Camels led the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring (82.8), rebounds (39.2), 3-point field goals (9.9), rebound margin (3.4), offensive rebounds (15.75) and assists (17.0). Campbell faithful responded to the approach in numbers. CU sold out Carter Gym five times and filled the facility to 96 percent of its capacity throughout the campaign.

Laing will be hard-pressed to replace the energy and effort of graduated senior Maurice Latham, who was named first-team all-conference and first-team all-state after ranking 3rd among league scoring leaders (18.0) and 2nd in rebounding (8.9). Also gone are graduated forward Comerlee Poole and Diego Aguiar (transfer), both of whom ranked among the league's top offensive rebounders over the past two seasons. Sophomore center Oladapo Fagbenle, who finished third among A-Sun blocked shots leaders (1.2 per game) in '06, will sit out this season due to knee surgery.

While the front court experience on the roster took a hit, Campbell may have one of the deeper back court and wing combinations in the league. Senior Eric Smith returns after leading the A-Sun and rated sixth nationally in 3-point field goals made per game (3.8). He is the top returning scorer in the conference (16.8) and set school marks for threes made (107) and attempted (268) a year ago.

Read the full season preview

10 Days of A-Sun Basketball Schedule
Oct. 16 - Belmont
Oct. 17 - Campbell
Oct. 18 - ETSU
Oct. 19 - Gardner-Webb
Oct. 20 - Jacksonville
Oct. 23 - Kennesaw State
Oct. 24 - Lipscomb
Oct. 25 - Mercer
Oct. 26 - UNF
Oct. 27 - Stetson