The ETSU men’s basketball team is ready to suit up for the 2004-05 season. In fact, the men have been ranked 39th in the preseason Associated Press Poll. The Bucs received four votes putting them ahead of schools such as Tennessee, LSU and UCLA.
Some key factors lie ahead for the Southern Conference Champions such as the assimilation of new players, having a continually productive Tim Smith and filling the shoes of Jerald Fields and Zakee Wadood.
With Fields and Wadood graduated and playing in Spain, Bartow hopes the new guys will pick up where they left off.
Dillion Sneed a 6-7, 265-lb. forward, Andrew Reed, a 6-8, 200-lb. freshman and Chris Mitchell, a 6-6 transfer from Highland Community College, will be the new guys to look for to fill Wadood’s and Field’s shoes.
“No one is going to come in and replace them (Wadood and Fields),” Bartow said. “We like the new guys. Chris Mitchell is an inside guy who can score and Dillion Sneed is a big strong inside guy who can do everything. Andrew (Reed) is an exciting freshman athlete. We have to be patient with them.”
Smith continues to be the focus of the Bucs’ success. He was picked as the SoCon’s preseason Player of the Year. Defensively, Smith is expected to have improved, his shooting percentage should be better and his decision-making process at the helm is expected to be better too.
If anything changes in SoCon it’s that more anticipation will be put upon the Bucs shoulders. Bartow expects the SoCon to be strong as usual.

“It’s going to be the same cast of subjects,” Bartow said. “Georgia Southern maybe the most talented team. Davidson will be good and the College of Charleston is always good.”
In their non-conference schedule the Bucs will face two preseason AP Top 25 teams. ETSU will face the Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 18) Dec. 1 then they will travel to Memphis (No. 24) less than a month later. Fresno State will be traveling here Nov. 27.
Smith is most willing to call this team his team. With last year’s leaders departed he will take the reigns.
“Yeah I definitely feel this is my team,” Smith said. “I was a captain last year along with Zack and Jerald. I’m the only one remaining, it’s my team and that’s the way I look at it. I have to step up this year it’s just something I have to do.”
The feel around the whole team is that everyone is improved from last season, including senior guard James Anthony. Anthony’s forte last season was hitting big 3-point baskets right when the team needed them, but near the end of last season going into the Southern Conference and NCAA Tournaments, he hurt his shoulder.
“I put in a lot of work this summer so hopefully it will pay off,” Anthony said. “I’m continuing to hit the three pointer and mix it up and go to the hole a little more. My shoulder is doing well. I feel it here and there sometimes but not enough to bother me.”
The Bucs will play an exhibition game Saturday at 4 p.m. in Brooks Gym.
Their regular season starts Nov. 20 against UVA-Wise at home.

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