Falcons must replace Klausmeier, but should be dangerous

BY SCOTT WILHELM
FOR THE SALISBURY POST

If there was one thing you could depend on from the Pfeiffer men's basketball team last year, it was a truckload of 3-point attempts.

On any given night, they'd rifle up more shots than a hunter at a firing range. While it may have looked like reckless abandon to the untrained eye, sharpshooter extraordinaire Damien Klausmeier proved there was a method to the Falcons' madness.

Now, with Klausmeier gone, you might think the ''mad bombing'' would stop, but Falcon head coach Dave Davis doesn't want to change a thing. Even though he lost one of the best 3-point shooters in college basketball, Davis feels he's still got a few dangerous bullets left in his team's chamber.

''Damien was an outstanding offensive player,'' said Davis. ''He's probably the best shooter I've coached. But we won't miss him a great deal because we have Emory Smith stepping in to his starting spot. We also have Willie Bullock, whose new, but can do some of the things Damien did. Also, we're going to ask Mitchell Johnson, who shot well last year, to shoot more. That's no knock on Damien. It's a credit to the players still in the program.''

Davis will count heavily on three seniors - Johnson, Bullock and Tommy Parks.

Parks, more versatile than a Swiss-army knife, will be asked to fill many roles.

''Parks is just an absolute all-round player for us,'' said Davis. ''He does a little of everything. Last year he led us in any kind of hustle points you can think of. He made big plays and 3-pointers. And he is doing the best job of any player of helping prepare his teammates for this year.''

Johnson, a New Orleans native, nicknamed ''Magic,'' led the CVAC in assists a year ago. He's not as flashy as his namesake, but has proven just as efficient. He never takes a bad shot and makes his teammates' jobs easy on the offensive end. The textbook point guard will be asked to skip a chapter or two in the book, as he will be called upon to score more in 1998-99.

''We didn't ask Mitchell to score last year,'' said Davis. ''But he still had some big scoring games for us.''

Bullock, a transfer from Florida A&M, is also a point guard. He'll use his ankle-breaking dribble and superior court vision to help his teammates make more baskets than a Lake Waccamaw store.

After the seniors, Davis will look to his strong sophomore class.

''I'm excited about that class,'' said Davis. ''They're ready to play and win right now. They give us a group of guys that can be the core of something special here for years to come.''

Leading the sophs are CVAC freshman of the year Nem Sovic and Smith, who finished second in the balloting for the award.

Sovic works the low post in high gear, and is working on the rest of his game.

''You have to have players like Nem to be successful at this level,'' said Davis. ''Nem has reached a great level of offensive skill, and now he's working hard to make himself a complete player.''

Smith will be stepping into a bigger and brighter role in Klausmeier's absence. He's a slasher who can shoot, and brings maturity to the squad.

''He's improved,'' said Davis. ''He's experienced and mature physically and mentally.

Other sophs who will contribute are Thomasville native Terrence Baxter and North Stanly product Eric Jackson. Jackson has added 12 pounds of muscle, and may start.

High-hopping freshman Jarrett Nobles will also see considerable court time.

Pfeiffer faces many challenges this season, chief among them will be its first meeting ever with a D-1 team - the College of Charleston. The Falcons will take on the perennial NCAA tourney team in Charleston on Nov. 23.

The Falcons' conference schedule will also be tough. Queens and St. Andrews figure to be the league's top dogs, with the Falcons in a pack right behind them.

Pfeiffer will also be in a tourney with rival Catawba on Dec. 4-5.

Pfeiffer opens its season on Nov. 21 in the Bobby Lutz Classic.

Scott Wilhelm, a student at Pfeiffer, covers the Falcons for the Post. est