MEN'S BASKETBALL

Basketball Awakenings
It is nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.
-Albert Einstein

When Coach Eslinger and his staff arrived on the Caltech campus last fall, they immediately met with the team they inherited, knowing that the current players had been playing in a different system for years. Among those players were six dedicated and hard working seniors desperate for more success before graduation. Although they did not achieve what they ultimately desired, they left behind an invigorated hope and commitment to the vision that the new Beaver basketball culture preaches: playing hard and developing, otherwise known as gaining one's Ph.D. at Caltech, albeit in the field of hoops.

"Last year, there were only five players that had ANY experience of being on a high school basketball team," Eslinger reiterated. "It's not easy to teach or learn basketball instincts and feel for the game, and without those ingredients, the learning curve is much greater ... especially in college basketball."

What a difference a year makes. The enriched version of the Beavers introduces a dozen new faces, and features several athletes recruited by Eslinger's staff because of their basketball prowess and obvious passion for math and science.

"The latter goes without saying," Eslinger stated. "They wanted to be at the world's premiere institution for math, science, and engineering. It's the former that we are really excited about, the fact that they all love basketball and played on competitive high school teams."

The new group will join forces with a nucleus of Caltech basketball troupers. It's this burgeoning Beaver pride that the program will look to build upon this year and beyond. With an intact coaching staff returning and an unprecedented number of recruits, the community is fired up for the future. Considering the limited time the current court crew had to sprout some legs, it's impressive that there are this many basketball players standing on the Pasadena campus.

The Returners
It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.
-Charles Darwin

Elmquist will boost the Beavers

First-year captain Ryan Elmquist ('11) headlines the Beavers. At an athletic 6-6, and with a well conditioned frame, he has the ability to maneuver all over the court. Over the last 10 games of conference play last season, he scored just under 20 points per outing and was one rebound away from three double-doubles. In SCIAC play, Elmquist finished the 2008-09 slate ranked among the league's leaders in scoring (14.8 ppg, 4^th), rebounding (4.6 rpg, 13^th), 3-point field-goal percentage (.395, 9^th), blocked shots (1.5 bpg, 2^nd), and minutes played (34.4 mpg, 3^rd).

Veterans reuniting with Elmquist are new captains Christian Clanton ('10) and Jeremy Leibowitz ('10). The 6-5 Clanton, a rugged forward who has developed into a vocal leader, will battle in the paint, while the 6-3 Leibowitz will lead the charge from a wing and forward perspective. Leibowitz, who was named the program's Rookie of the Year as a freshman, is a heady defender who has also emerged as a consummate team commander.

In the backcourt, Ziying Wang ('11) and Jie He ('10) will provide ball handling, scoring, and defensive intensity. Both have worked hard to bolster the perimeter with spot-up shooting and slashing abilities. Ruslan Kurdyumov ('10) will help stabilize the arc with his 3-point bomb and feisty defense while guards Wilson Ho ('12) and ZeNan Chang ('10) return for their second stints in orange and white.

First Year Players
Give me a place to stand, and I will move the Earth. 
 -Archimedes

Highly touted Michael Edwards (Canyon Country, CA) will steer the freshmen into the NCAA ranks, and promptly provide much needed scoring and competitive experience. At 6-7, Edwards relinquished athletic scholarships and other collegiate offers in order to study with the best - and bring his brilliant ballgame to Caltech. A player with proven basketball skills and intuition, Edwards led last year's Canyon High School Cowboys in points, rebounds, and 3-pointers. A two-time all-league basketball selection and 2009 MVP of the Foothill Senior High School Game, Edwards was also named to the all-conference volleyball team as a senior - his first year playing the sport.

"We are so elated that Mike decided on Caltech," Eslinger proclaimed. "His entire family became fans of our program very quickly, and we are thankful he wanted the absolute best education possible."

In addition to Edwards, 6-9 Jesse Shevin (Calabasas, CA) and 6-5 Alex Runkel (Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany) bring sufficient length and mobility to the frontcourt. Shevin is an agile post with a soft touch while Runkel possesses both guard and forward capabilities. A standout athlete, Runkel's resume includes a school track and field record, a state tennis championship, and a senior hoops stat line of 18.2 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.5 steals per game.

"Jesse and Alex are wonderful individuals and absolutely love the game of basketball," Eslinger commented. "They are tremendous additions, and despite having other remarkable college choices, they selected Caltech knowing they could help our program immediately."

6-2 Ethan Boroson (Tucson, AZ) brings his high school playoff experience and immense basketball IQ to Caltech. A regional honorable mention from Catalina Foothills, the starting forward aided his team to the state semi-finals with his uncanny instincts and deceptive hardwood capabilities.

"Ethan is the kind of teammate that players love to be around because of his work ethic, great attitude, and fundamentals." Eslinger said. "He always seems to get his hands on the ball."

Boosts in the backcourt will be provided by a trio of 6-footers in Collin Murphy (Wasilla, AK), Pan Wang (Germantown, MD), and Mason Freedman (Falls Church, VA). Murphy - an all-state defensive back and quarterback in football - was a 3-year varsity hoopster at Colony High School in Alaska, where he also guided his basketball team to the state tournament. Wang brings to the Beavers a steady set of leadership skills and athletic competencies after competing in several scholastic sports and being named all-state in volleyball. Freedman, a graduate of the No. 1 academically ranked Thomas Jefferson Colonials, adds his expertise and shooting stroke as a steady and sophisticated combo guard.

"[Collin, Pan, and Mason] are exactly what we need," Eslinger declared. "With them, we add competitiveness, athleticism, and formal basketball abilities."

In addition, Ed Chen ('10), Marcus Lucas ('12), Christophe Kunesh ('13), Conan Gu ('13), and Arjun Chandar ('13) all join the Caltech basketball program for the first time, and round out the new generation.

"I like the energy and enthusiasm we get in practices from having a young team this year," Elmquist said. "It creates competition and makes practice fun."

Strength in Numbers
Thus the victorious army is like a ton compared with an ounce, while the defeated army is like an ounce weighed against a ton!
-Sun Tzu

Heff, Sanchez, Potts, Eslinger, Levitt, & McCreary

Eslinger's entire coaching staff is back, which only aids the overall system and brings continuity to the program. In addition to Craig Heffernan (assistant coach / leadership), Adam Levitt (assistant coach), Dennis McCreary (director of operations), and Jamayne Potts (assistant coach), Jon-Michael Sanchez aligned as an assistant and strength and conditioning coordinator. Further, Paul Nguyen (Caltech '12) moved into a student manager role after being a member of last season's squad.

"We are thrilled for this season," Eslinger said. "We understand that we are very young, but we will develop quickly and create a solid foundation as we move forward and follow our vision for this program. By the time the next class of recruits arrives on campus, Caltech basketball will be thriving and ready to embrace our next set of goals."

"It really is the start of the new wave for Caltech basketball," Leibowitz reiterated.

The men's basketball schedule features 16 home games this season and includes two classic style tournaments, the first on the road during December holiday break, and the second soon after, on January 2 and 3 at Caltech. The second annual Men's Basketball Alumni Event will be held the weekend of February 13 while Senior Night is set for February 23. The Beavers open the 2009-10 crusade with a road game on November 17. The first home contest is two days later, November 19 at 7:30 pm.