By James Zuhlke Opening night on the hardwood has all the promise of an event filled with splendor and excitement. A basketball doubleheader featuring top programs on both the men’s and the women’s side, a championship banner and ring ceremony commemorating last year’s accomplishment and a special tribute to a coach who captured the hearts and souls of 18 women and pushed them to achieve goals never before thought attainable.
The Maggie Dixon Classic, which will open the 2006-07 Army women’s basketball season on Sunday, Nov. 12 at West Point’s Christl Arena, consists of a four-team event featuring a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader. Army’s women’s squad hosts Ohio State at 3:30 p.m., after Pittsburgh’s men’s team, coached by Maggie’s brother, Jamie, takes on Western Michigan at 12 p.m. Both contests will be televised live nationally on ESPNU.
In a special presentation prior to the Army-Ohio State game, the Army Athletic Association will present both Jim and Marge Dixon, parents of Maggie and Jamie, with a Patriot League championship ring from last season.
The Patriot League Championship banner and a 2006 Patriot League coach of the year banner, celebrating Maggie’s honor, will also be raised to the rafters in Christl Arena.
It marks the second year in a row that Army hosts one of the nation’s premier women’s programs. Ohio State advanced to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a No. 2 ranking in The Associated Press poll. Last season, the Black Knights entertained 2005 NCAA champion Baylor.
Pittsburgh’s visit to West Point will rank as the first time since 1969 that the Panthers’ men’s basketball squad will play at West Point. Western Michigan will be making its first trip to the Academy.
The Black Knights women’s team, under the direction of first-year head coach Dave Magarity, returns 14 players from a squad that went 20-11 last season, won the Patriot League Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time in program history.
Magarity, who spent last season as an associate head coach with the women’s program assisting Maggie Dixon in her first year as a head coach, is no stranger to the Hudson Valley. The imposing figure on the sidelines coached Marist men’s basketball squad for 27 seasons, authoring an impressive resume in the process.
Army was selected to repeat as Patriot League champions in the preseason poll of head coaches and sports information directors. Additionally, junior guard Cara Enright was selected as the Patriot League preseason player of the year. The backcourt standout is coming off a sophomore campaign during which she averaged 16.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She currently ranks 18th on Army’s all-time scoring chart with 881 points.
“Our most immediate goal is to defend our championship,” Magarity said. “I think anytime you win a league championship and then represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament, and have a considerable percentage of your production back, people are going to assume you are a strong contender – if not the favorite – to win again.
“There is no question it is going to be really hard to repeat. No one ever said it was going to be easy, but I would rather go into this year knowing I have some pretty good players returning. The players believe in themselves and know they can win. The biggest thing is staying healthy and focusing on accomplishing the goal.”
The challenge ahead for Army’s women cagers will be to honor the past, while moving forward. Sunday, Nov. 12 promises to be an afternoon full of emotion, and after reflecting on last year’s devastating loss, being able to put those feelings on a shelf and play a basketball game against one of the top programs in the country.
The men’s basketball squad, which returns 12 letterwinnners and four starters from their 2005-06 team, begins its 105th season Nov. 10-12, at the John Thompson Foundation Classic in Columbia, Mo., where the Black Knights will play three games in three days. Army’s men were selected to finish eighth in the Patriot League preseason poll of head coaches and sports information directors.
“Beginning a new season always brings excitement and optimism,” Army men’s basketball head coach Jim Crews said. “I am eager to begin practice and see what kind of team we’re going to have this year.
“We are getting older and more experienced. That experience results in us having a lot of the pieces in place at this point in time. It will be interesting to see how we all come together,” Crews added.
The Army backcourt will be led by senior Matt Bell and junior Jarell Brown, who combined to average more than 27 points per game last season. Brown, who connected on a team-high 49 three-point field goals a year ago, led the Black Knights in scoring and ranked fourth in the Patriot League, averaging 14.3 ppg. Bell, a second-team All-Patriot League selection in 2004-05, ranked second on the team and listed seventh in the conference, averaging 13.0 ppg.
Up front, Army returns five letterwinners, led by senior Jimmy Sewell (1.9 ppg.) and junior Corban Bates (5.7 ppg.). Sewell, who is closing in on the Academy’s blocked shots record, is a 6-11 forward capable of affecting the game on both ends of the floor. Bates is a 6-4 ‘banger’ who led Army in rebounding last season, averaging 5.1 rpg.
Rising sophomores Kenny Brewer (3.1 ppg.) and Doug Williams (1.1 ppg.) both appeared in at least 16 games last season and are poised for bigger things in 2006-07.
Sophomore letterwinner Curtis Koszuta (0.0 ppg.) also returns to the mix. He will battle freshmen Eric Zastoupil, Will Schuh and Chris Walker for spots in the Army frontcourt rotation.
Army will tangle with Stetson (Nov. 10), Missouri (Nov. 11) and North Carolina A&T (Nov. 12) at the John Thompson Foundation Classic.
The Black Knights open their home slate on Nov. 18, against Hartford at Christl Arena.
Photo: Dave Magarity Photo Courtesy: AAC
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