GETTING INSIDE

Consider this the Buzz Peterson era No. 2 at Appalachian State.

Peterson, who coached at Appalachian State from 1996-2000 and led the Mountaineers to a 79-39 record, returned to his old stomping grounds after the school fired former coach Houston Fancher following last season.

As with most coaching changes, Appalachian State believes it might have the missing piece to go with all that talent Fancher assembled on the court.

That talent was limited last season, when Appalachian State’s inconsistency marred what was expected to be a Southern Conference-contending lineup.

The Mountaineers won more than two games in a row only one time during the 2008-2009 season. Instead, Fancher’s team went on to a series of disappointing losses until the season was ended by Davidson in the Southern Conference tournament.

Now, most expect Peterson to inspire the sort of turnaround he did in 2005-2006 at Coastal Carolina—his previous coaching stop. At Coastal, Peterson inherited nearly the same lineup that suffered through a losing season in the previous year and took the Chanticleers to within one game of an NCAA tournament appearance.

It isn’t a shock that Peterson, who spent the last two years in the front office of the Charlotte Bobcats after leaving Coastal Carolina, brought some of the success with him from Coastal.

Assistant Jamie Kachmarik joined the Mountaineers after having a successful six-year stint at Coastal Carolina, primarily as a recruiter.

At Appaclachian, Kachmarik will again lead the recruiting charge. Peterson also added Jason Capel, a former North Carolina standout and the brother of Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel.

The trick for the Mountaineers and their new coaches will be getting the most of out a strong corps of returning players. Appalachian State brings back 12 players and all five starters from the end of last season.

Appalachian State’s bench is also loaded, as this year’s non-starters spent significant time on the court in the Mountaineers’ high-octane offense last season.

If all those pieces can be fitted together properly, the Mountaineers should be able to rebound from last year’s sub-par record.

NOTES, QUOTES

• The Mountaineers bring back two of the premier rebounders in the Southern Conference from a year ago. Junior forward Isaac Butts finished second in the conference with 8.5 rebounds per game and senior forward Josh Hunter was fourth at 7.2.

• Senior guard Ryann Abraham’s status on the team was up in the air at the end of last season, but now, he appears to be in good standing with coach Buzz Peterson. Abraham, who was suspended in January for what former coach Houston Fancher deemed “attitude” issues, was allowed back on the team and played solid minutes in the team’s two-game trip to the Bahamas in August.

• In terms of experience, no team in the league may be able to imitate what Appalachian State is returning. The Mountaineers have 11 players on the roster who played at least nine minutes per game a season ago.

Last Year:   13-18 overall, 9-11, fourth in the Southern Conference North Division.

Head Coach:   Buzz Peterson (career 201-134); first year in second stint at Appalachian State (79-39).

Quote To Note:   “Those practices and games were great for us. The staff got a chance to evaluate each player’s strengths and weaknesses and gave us the opportunity to see what kinds of different lineups we can use throughout the year.”—First-year coach Buzz Peterson, on what 10 August practices in preparation for an exhibition trip to the Bahamas did for the Mountaineers.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   As two of the team’s four new players are transfers and will sit out this season, the quest to squeeze new faces into an already experienced lineup won’t be quite as difficult. However, it might still be a task to find minutes for Nathan Healy and Ryan Kilmartin, talented freshmen who come in with impressive high school backgrounds. Healy, a 6-foot-7 forward from New Bern, N.C., averaged 19.7 points and 12 rebounds a game as a high school sophomore. Kilmartin, a 6-foot-4 guard from Charlotte, was part of a ton of overall success at both the high school and AAU level, as well as a spot on the Wales 2006 silver-medal squad in the FIBA European Championship.

Key Early-season Games:   It might be difficult for the Mountaineers to gauge much from their non-conference schedule. Appalachian State will play several teams that are perceived to be either on a much lower or much higher level than themselves, including games against Arkansas (Nov. 20) and Louisville (Nov. 23). The best non-conference measuring stick might turn out to be a Nov. 30 game at home against Winthrop in the return game from last year’s ESPNU BracketBusters event. Conference play will hit full swing when the Mountaineers play host to the Citadel on Jan. 6.

Program Direction:   Few argue that this load of talent has anywhere to go but up after the Mountaineers finished 13-18 last year. With the locally well-known Peterson back in Boone, N.C., the Mountaineers have to be considered one of the top teams in the Southern Conference. When orchestrating minutes and keeping players happy is your No. 1 problem, it stands to reason that wins could pile up in droves.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Ryann Abraham, G Kellen Brand, G Donald Sims, F Isaac Butts, F Josh Hunter.

Roster Report:  

• The Mountaineers’ top two big men, Josh Hunter and Isaac Butts, both spent time easing back onto the practice court after they suffered minor knee injuries during the postseason. However, both have healed and are expected to be at full strength soon.

• Two Appalachian State guards are on pace to top the 1,000-point mark for their careers this season. Senior Kellen Brand stands only 21 points short of the scoring mark, while junior Donald Sims is 221 shy.

• The lone holdover to the coaching staff at is Matt McMahon, who will be entering his 10th season on the bench after playing for Peterson during the head coach’s first four years heading the program.

• Buzz Peterson plucked two former Big South honorees to play for the Mountaineers during the off-season. Former Charleston Southern forward Omar Carter, the Big South’s Freshman of the Year in 2007-2008, and Anthony Breeze, another member of the 2007-2008 all-freshman team in the Big South, will sit out this season and have two years of eligibility remaining.