Are you ready for another exciting Clarion men= s basketball season? The Golden Eagles are preparing to rock W.S. Tippin Gym again this season with a traditionally tough men= s basketball team coached by veteran mentor Ron Righter.

Clarion opens the season with two exhibition games, including a visit to D-I Robert Morris on Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30pm, while entertaining Canadian opponent Wilfrid-Laurier on Saturday, November 13 at 7:00. The official season opener will be Monday, November 15^th when the Eagles host Allegheny at 7pm.

Clarion Head coach Ron Righter, who is beginning his 17^th season leading the Golden Eagles, is the winningest coach in Clarion history putting together a 16-year record of 267-163.

Last year the Golden Eagles posted a quality 16-12 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the PSAC-West, despite returning only 1 starter. At one point in the season the Eagles were ranked 5^th in the East Region and had a 14-4 overall record. Clarion qualified for the PSAC Playoffs for the 8^th straight season, a mark that leads all PSAC teams. Remarkably, Clarion defeated PSAC Champ IUP (100-83), PSAC runner-up Kutztown (76-68), Mansfield (75-65), West Chester (57-52) and 2003 PSAC Champ Millersville (57-47).

Righter= s teams have put together an outstanding record of 150-72 over the last eight seasons, an average of nearly 19 wins a year (18.8) wins per season, including a quality 61-35 record in the PSAC-West. Clarion won its first PSAC title in 2001. In 2001 Clarion was 19-10 overall, 7-5 in the PSAC-West, won the PSAC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1981. Clarion= s PSAC title win came in an 80-77 overtime victory over West Chester (at Edinboro).

Clarion also won the PSAC-West title in 2000 with a 10-2 league mark and a 20-7 overall record. In 1999 the Eagles were 19-8 overall and 7-5 in the PSAC-West, while notching a 20-7 slate in 1998 with an 8-4 West record. In 1997 Clarion won the PSAC-West with a 9-3 mark and were 22-7 overall as the PSAC runner-up, narrowly missing the NCAA Playoffs. The 2003 Eagles were 19-10 overall (7-5 in the PSAC-West) and 15-10 in 2002 (7-5 in PSAC-West).

The 2004-2005 season? A I think this is going to be another fun season for a lot of reasons,@ said Eagle head coach Ron Righter. A This team showed everyone last year what hard work, dedication, discipline and true teamwork can accomplish. With the starting five players returning, I expect more of the same in 2005".

What kind of style should Eagle fans expect? A We= ll be a typical Clarion team. We= ll be a small,

quick, hard to match up against type of team that will depend on adapting our game to situations. We= ll work hard at being a quality defensive team, because that will help us control the game= s tempo to our liking.@

Clarion returns all 5 starters from the 2004 team and a total of 8 lettermen. Golden Eagle starters averaged 48.3ppg and 23.1 rebounds, plus 241 assists and 184 steals.

Back to lead the way are forwards Ryan Wells (Sr. Library - South Park) and Michael Clarke (Jr. Brooklyn, N.Y.), along with guards Terrance Vaughns (Jr. Uniontown), Lee Church (Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y.) And Justin Collins (Jr. Lansdale - North Penn).

Wells, a power forward, was a first team PSAC-West selection last year. A strong all-around player, he contributed 11.4ppg, 8.6 rebounds, dished out 47 assists, led the team with 60 steals and shot 70% from the free throw line and 48% from the floor. He ranked 4^th in the entire PSAC in rebounding standing at 6'2", quite an accomplishment.

Clarke, who returns at center, was second on the team in points (11.5ppg) and rebounds (7rpg), while also contributing 34 steals and 22 assists. Michael led the team with 17 blocked shots and 57% shooting from the floor.

Vaughns, a two-year starter and co-captain, returns at shooting guard. In 2004 he led the Eagles with 12ppg and was second in assists with 68 and steals with 46. He shot 86% from the charity stripe. In two seasons Vaughns has collected 636 points, 244 rebounds, 134 assists and 96 steals, while shooting free throws at an 88% rate. In 2003 he set the Clarion single season record shooting 47.7% from three-point land.

Church, who came to the Eagles last year from Stony Brook, helps run the Eagle offense at the point guard position. Last year he 4.6ppg, led the team with 81 steals and had 35 steals.

Collins, also a returning co-captain, will start at the small forward spot. Last year he averaged 8.8ppg, handed out 23 assists and shot 82% from the free throw line. At IUP last year he set a new school record when he made 8 of 8 three pointers in a single game. He led the PSAC shooting 46% from the three-point line (57 of 124). Collins has 343 career points and 76 rebounds.

Also returning for the Eagles are point guard Bobby Franklin (So. Pgh-Plum) and guard-forward Craig Wellman (So. Masury, Oh. - Kennedy Catholic).

Franklin is expected to challenge Church for the starting point guard spot. Last year Franklin averaged 5.3ppg, dished out 45 assists, made 33 steals and shot 73% fro the foul line. Lightning quick, he can change the tempo of the game at any time.

Wellman, a physical small forward who can shoot, contributed 3.1ppg last year. He showed flashes of what he could bring to the table, especially with a quality 9 point, 3 rebound playoff performance at Cal last year.

Also back in the fold are veteran guard Frank Torbert (Jr. Imperial - West Allegheny) and center Chris Buchanan (So. Altoona).

Torbert, who can play at the #2 or #3 spots, contributed 2ppg last year. Buchanan, meanwhile saw action in 15 games, scored 8 points and hauled in 13 rebounds.

The Golden Eagles have added talent in newcomers Maurice Madden (So. North Hills - Upper Dublin) and Garrett Heath (Fr. Emlenton - Keystone) at the guard spots, with Patrick Craig (So. Chicora - Karns City), Khary Moore (Fr. Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Elijah Everett (Fr. Sharon Hill - Academy Park) added at the forwards.

Madden transferred to Clarion from Drexel, where he played in 7 games a year ago. A versatile guard, he can play all three guard positions. From Upper Dublin High, he averaged 22ppg, 7 assists and 6 rebounds his senior year for a team that was 22-6.

Heath, a local product from Keystone High, was the D-9 and KSAC A MVP@ last year. He averaged 22.4ppg, 9 rebounds and three assists while helping Keystone to three D-9 titles. A second team All-State player, Heath had 2,215 career points.

Craig, another talented KSAC product from Karns City High, comes to Clarion from Butler Community College where he was 7^th in the nation in scoring at 25ppg. Also the KSAC A MVP@ his senior year, he averaged 21.3ppg and 11.5 rebounds.

Moore, a red-shirt freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a very strong athlete and described as a A slasher@ inside. He starred at Bishop Ford (20ppg, 8 rebs) and the Hill School (14ppg, 7 rebs).

Everett, also a red-shirt freshman, is a raw talent inside who will only get better with playing time. Everett averaged 13.5ppg and 14 rebounds as a senior.

CLARION NOTES: Clarion= s coaching staff returns Al Modrejewski as assistant, Ivan Jackson as the graduate assistant coach and Jeremy McCool, now a member of the Clarion Admissions Staff, as a volunteer coach... McCool (Keystone 1990) played at NCAA Division I Vermont an graduated in 1995... Righter has an unbelievable home record of 164-67, a 71% winning rate over his 16 seasons ... The last 8 years Clarion is 92-28 at home, a winning rate of 76.7% ... Clarion will have 14 home games this season ...PSAC-West starts on January 12^th when the Eagles travel to Shippensburg ... Dating back to 1971 Clarion has an overall men= s record of 571-337, a 63 % winning percentage ... The Golden Eagles have won the PSAC-West 11 times including 1971, 73, 77, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 85, 97 and 2000... 1971 and 73 under Ron Galbreath, 77, 79, 80 and 81 under Joe DeGregorio, 83, 84 and 85 under Dr. Richard Taylor and the last two under coach Righter... Prior to 1981 Clarion went to the NAIA Nationals in 1976-77 when the team went 27-3 and in 1979-80 when the Eagles were 23-6... In the 1977 NAIA Tournament Clarion defeated Augsburg (88-84), then lost to Grand Valley (79-65)... In the 1980 tournament Clarion defeated Grand Canyon (83-75), Loras, Iowa (79-71), then lost to Huron S.D. 61-52... The PSAC went completely to the NCAA the following season and Clarion went to the NCAA Playoffs in 1981 ... The Eagles defeated Monmouth 80-78 in the semi final game, then lost 84-61 to Cal Poly SLO in the Regional Finals at Monmouth, New Jersey... All three tournament appearances were under coach DeGregorio ... DeGregorio won 159 games in 8 years and held the record for coaching wins prior to Righter ... Clarion= s 1952 team won the NAIB District title and went to the NAIB Nationals under Ben Kribbs and lost their first tournament game to Utah State 85-68.