Division III college basketball is largely a guards’ game because good big guys often get gobbled up by the Division I and II teams.
That’s not to say that good bigs don’t find their way onto Division III rosters, but often when they do they are players who come in with limited skills. These guys are usually referred to as “projects,” players who need a year or two to improve their shooting and/or ball-handling skills before they can contribute.
Danny Brooks was one such player. Brooks, at 6-6, averaged 12 minutes and 4 points a game as a Lebanon Valley freshman in 2010. By his junior year he was scoring 21 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in 35 minutes a game, earning first-team all-conference honors. In his senior year, he averaged 20 and 8, made first-team Commonwealth again and was named an honorable mention All-America. He scored 1,355 points in his career.
Darren Pugh was a gangly 6-8 when he came to Annville. He didn’t score much as a freshman but when he got on the floor he flailed away, grabbing rebounds and working as hard or harder on defense than when his team had the ball. By the time he graduated in 2003, Pugh was a dominant big man, averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds a game. He scored 1,136 points in his career and finished as LVC’s all-time rebounding leader with 936.
When a 6-7 player who can shoot 3s, pass and handle the ball decides that he wants to try to play at the Division III level, he receives major attention.
Which is what could have happened with Conrad Weiser’s Andy Orr.
Early on in the recruiting process though, Orr decided to limit his focus to two Berks County colleges — Alvernia and Albright — and Lebanon Valley. All happen to play in the same conference.
Orr had a stellar senior year, averaging 18 points a game, including a career-high 26 against a terrific defensive team in Cedar Crest. Orr shot 76 percent from the foul line.
After narrowing his focus to Alvernia and Lebanon Valley about a month ago, Orr made his final decision Sunday, calling LVC coach Brad McAlester with the good news.
McAlester is not yet permitted to comment about Orr due to NCAA rules, but here’s what a couple others had to say about him:
Cedar Crest coach Tom Smith called Orr “a huge pickup for LVC” in an email and added, “He was by far the most skilled big we played this year. If he was a little quicker he would have been above the D-III level in my opinion. He has great feet in the post, he has great range and his ball skills are strong.”
Mike Drago covers high school hoops for the Reading Eagle and has watched Orr progress. “I like him a lot, and think his best game is ahead of him,” Drago said in a text message. “He had a growth spurt after ninth grade, so he’s only been playing in the post for a while. That’s why the rest of his game is so good. He’s comfortable with the mid-range game and I think his 3-point shot will come on. Really good from the line, too. He played against some good comp here, going against (Berks Catholic). Also a really terrific kid, so that’ll be a plus.”
Orr is an outstanding student and plans to major in business.
His addition will help balance a roster that was unusually short this season, both in height and numbers, due to injuries. The Dutchmen’s only players over 6-4 had their seasons ruined by injuries. Nick Pappas, a 6-6 athletic low-post player, injured a knee in preseason workouts and didn’t play a game in what would have been his senior year; he had surgery, red-shirted and will return next season. Freshman Nate Dawson, the 6-8 New Covenant Christian School graduate, played in just four games due to injuries and is also recovering from surgery. He showed enough potential in his limited playing time to make it reasonable to think he will be a contributor next season. Several other players also lost games due to injuries and, in a few games, just nine players dressed.
McAlester is still working hard on recruiting and hopes to add more good players. Northern Lebanon’s Sam Light, Cedar Crest’s Andrew Eudy and Lebanon’s Blayde Reich are all possibilities, along with players from outside Lebanon County. Their decision deadline is May 1.
Orr, though, is a gem. Unlike most 6-7 players in D-III, Orr can face the basket with confidence and do damage from the arc. Or he can drive and dunk. And, as Drago noted, his upside is huge. As he gets stronger, he will be tougher to handle inside and become a better defender.
Orr will join a team that loses just two seniors and has an honorable mention All-America point guard returning in Kevin Agnew, who averaged 26 points a game. Forwards Kyler Burke (10 ppg, 4 rpg) and Luke Berguson (6 and 5) and guard Kevin Donahue (5 and 3) return. Three freshman guards — Zach Mrozek (5 ppg), Travis Conrad (4 ppg) and Zach Faulkner (2 pgg) — will compete for more playing time. Mrozek provided great energy off the bench and was a big contributor in several wins while Conrad, the son of a coach, hit some key shots.
After two frustrating, injury-plagued 9-16 seasons, the immediate future for Lebanon Valley looks like it will be much different — especially if a couple more recruits join the party — when a new campaign starts in November.
Follow along on Twitter @sesnyderleb.