As head coach Tom Dickman enters his sixth season at the helm of the Hood College men’s basketball program, the hallmarks of this year’s Blazer squad will focus on solid perimeter shooting with an up-tempo flair. Contributions from Dickman’s upperclassmen will be pivotal, as the Blazers return some of the most consistent athletes ever to wear the blue and gray. Hood enters its third season in the prestigious Capital Athletic Conference, where it finished third in the regular season standings a year ago (15-11 overall, 9-7 CAC).
    With eight letterwinners returning to the hardwood, Dickman has quality depth in both the backcourt and frontcourt. But with the conspicuous absence of Hood’s all-time leading rebounder and shot blocker Jesse Gutekunst, Dickman notes that he has had to adjust his style to fit his personnel.
    Senior shooting guard Ryan Junghans returns for his third season with the Blazers and will be looked upon to shoulder much of the scoring once again this year. A two-time all-CAC first team performer, Junghans averaged 20 points per game as a junior and was the top free-throw shooter in all of NCAA Division III with a .959 percentage from the stripe.
    Senior Jeff Willison and sophomore Rian McHenry have improved their conditioning and will patrol the post. The tandem combined to average close to 10 points and seven boards last season and both are expected increase their production in both areas. Sophomore Tyler Snoots showed flashes of brilliance off the bench last season and has the potential to earn a starting role at the center position.
    The one spot in the Blazer lineup that remains untested at the collegiate level is the point guard position. Dickman brought in Eleanor Roosevelt High School standout Brenden Straughn to quarterback the Blazer offense this season. Straughn averaged 12 points, seven assists and four steals for the Raiders and led his squad to back-to-back Maryland 4A south region titles.
    Another top backcourt recruit is North Carroll product Garrett Williams, who was an all-county and all-Chesapeake pick for the Panthers 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. Williams, along with Junghans and Straughn, will provide versatility at both guard positions.
    Freshman Devon Tucker and sophomore Chris Carson are two other athletic guards who can penetrate and beat defenders off the dribble. Both will be valuable reserves in the Blazer backcourt.
    Seniors Tim Abercrombie and Anthony Bennett were among the squad’s top scorers last season and should be fixtures in the starting lineup once again. Both have been hampered by injuries throughout their careers but combined to drain 38 three-point baskets last season and will provide leadership at the wing.
    Dickman expects big things from forwards J’Air Brady, a junior who played locally at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School and transferred to Hood from King College (Tenn.), and Chris Leggett, a freshman from Century High School. Brady possesses a strong knowledge of the game and his tenacity in the preseason could earn him a starting role. Dickman feels Leggett has a bright future with the program both for his ability to shoot the long-range jumper and put the ball on the floor. Brady and Leggett should be constants in the Blazer front court rotation.
    Senior Billy Kim and sophomore Herb Bowen will add depth to Hood’s front court contingent. Kim, slowed by injuries in preseason, is one of the squad’s top defenders and has worked hard to improve his offensive skill set. Bowen, who transferred to Hood from Purdue University and hails from King of Prussia, Pa., is an excellent shooter and should be a substantial contributor offensively.