In doing research on this Clarion basketball team, I found a nicely done preview on their athletics website, www.clariongoldeneagles.com. I have already written a preview on Eastern this morning, so I am going to just quote some excerpts and then forward you on that way.

Going into this thing, the only thing I knew about Clarion is that they were Division II and that John Calipari played point guard there. Here is some more info on the Golden Eagles.

From ClarionGoldenEagles.com – The Golden Eagles finished 11-16 overall and 2-12 in the PSAC-West finishing out of the PSAC playoffs for just the second time since 1997. It marked just the fourth losing season in head coach Ron Righter’s time at Clarion. Righter, who enters his 22nd year as the Golden Eagle headman is the school’s all-time winningest coach in terms of victories with 365.

Despite their stuggles last season, the Eagles have brought in a bunch of new guys to prevent a repeat.

From ClarionGoldenEagles.com – For Clarion, that talent includes a pair of very athletic guards that should help the Golden Eagles be a quick, athletic team that creates problems on both ends of the floor.

Junior college transfer Lloyd Harrison, a 6-foot-1 point guard, comes to Clarion off a sensational season at Colorado N.W. Community College where he averaged 26.3 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds per game last year.

Another junior college transfer guard, Jamar Harrison, who is no relation to Lloyd, is a 6-foot-3 quick guard who can play either the one or the two. He averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 63 percent from the field at Bakersfield Community College a year ago.

The Harrisons will be joined in Clarion’s starting lineup by three returning players.

Junior guard Mike Sherry averaged 10.6 ppg and added 64 assists and 56 3-pointers last season. In his third season as a starter, Sherry has 619 career points, 116 career assists and 128 career 3-pointers.

Fellow junior Shameel Carty, a 6-foot-3 guard who also plays forward, started 16 games last season and averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He has 302 career points and 145 career boards.

Sophomore Paul McQueen (6-foot-5) is Clarion’s tallest starter and played in 27 games last year with two starts averaging 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a freshman.

Guard/forward Greg Parker (2.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg) also returns for Clarion this season, while additional key newcomers could be junior transfer Julius Berry (47 points, 37 rebounds) at Henderson St. and freshmen Brandyn Mungo (14 points, 6 rebounds per game as a high school senior) and Jordan Lessane (14 points per game as a high school senior).

Clarion will face a NCAA Division I opponent in an exhibition game under current head coach Ron Righter, who is in his 22nd year with the school. He has compiled a 341-226 record.

From ClarionGoldenEagles.com – He has averaged 20 wins a seasons from (1997-2001). The 2005 team won the PSAC-Western Division and finished 19-9. The 2001 team qualified for the NCAA Playoffs, along with winning Clarion’s first PSAC title. The Eagles also won PSAC-West titles in 2000 and 1997. Clarion was 19-10 in 2003 and 2001, 20-7 in 2000, 19-8 in 1999, 20-7 in 1998 and 22-7 in 1997. He was named PSAC-West “Coach of the Year” in 2005 and 1997.

Other top seasons include a 19-8 mark in 1992, 17-9 in 1993, and 16-10 1991. Great players during his tenure include Kwame Morton (1992-95), the NCAA’s leading scorer in 1995 at 32.5ppg, and the PSAC’s career leading scorer (2,543 points). Oronn Brown (1993-97) held the D-II record for career steals with 361, and the list goes on.

Much of this article is courtesy of ClarionGoldenEagles.com