Coach Gene Wolverton is pleased with the men's basketball team he has put together for the 2010-11 campaign.

“We have a very talented team that can think the game,” he said. “We will be very athletic and fast without a lot of height. Each guy is eager to improve their leadership skills and basketball skills.”

In that group of talent, Coach Wolverton has some veteran experience, including three returning players from last year’s team, a transfer from the University of Regina, and one player, Justin Wolverton, who is returning after a few years away from the game.

The Clippers are expecting a huge contribution from last season’s second team ACAC All-Conference player, Gradyn Childerhose, who is returning for his third season with the Clippers.

The two other returning players from last year’s squad are Matt Myers and James Wohlgeschaffen, who Coach Wolverton will also count on for a big impact on the floor.

Coach Wolverton also expects significant contributions from some incoming players, specifically, rookies Travis Krahn and Christian Sacoman as well as the aforementioned Justin Wolverton, who headlines a very talented group of six new players.

“My expectations are very high for this team,” said Coach Wolverton. “Each player has been training hard all summer, and they have all played at a championship level at some point in their careers. They want to learn more about what it takes to become a champion and are committed to that. When you have a group of talented players that are committed to excellence, great things will happen.”

The team has a tough pre-season schedule lined up to help prepare them for their high regular season expectations. After opening up with a pair of wins against Briercrest alumni teams as part of the annual Briercest Athletics Alumni Reunion Weekend, the team faced a talented group of U of R alumni last week in a scrimmage, from which they came away with a tough loss.

The Clippers' next pre-season action will be a couple of scrimmages against the current University of Regina squad in late September. They will then follow that up with some tough competition at the Canadian Mennonite University tournament in early October, where they will face the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba, and the host CMU team.