Junior guard Kynard leads promising LEC men

Storm looking to build on last season’s surge

Third-year coach Kyle Conley and the Lake Erie College Storm are on the rise in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

From a 4-28 record in Conley’s first season at the helm, the Storm last season took a quantum leap forward. They finished 1614 overall and 10-10 in the G-MAC.

Advancing to the postseason tournament for the first time since the LEC program made the jump from Division III to Division II in 2008, the with our talent and depth, No. 7 seed we can make that jump.” Storm bettered Conley has a solid core No. 2 of returning players, led by seed Walsh point guard Gabe Kynard. in the quarterfinals, The 6-foot-junior from Toledo St. John’s High School 76-67. They last season averaged a were beaten team-high 15.0 points, 4.6 by No. 3 seed rebounds and 2.3 assists. Hillsdale, Also looming large in 75-63, in the semifinals. Conley’s plans are 6-4 junior

“We’re excited about the guard Jordan Humphrey growth of our program,” (8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds) Conley said. “Last season, and 6-7 redshirt we played in some meaningful sophomore forward Lamont games in February Rhodes (6.8 points, 5.3 rebounds). and March for the first time since we went Division II. Both of those players

“This program went from won’t be available for early really bad to pretty good. season games while serving Going from pretty good to suspensions for what Conley elite is a sizable jump, but said were unspecified violations we want to be a championship-level of team rules. program in the Humphrey is slated to G-MAC,” Conley added. “If return for the home game we’re able to be consistent, against Edinboro on Nov.

“... We want to be a championshiplevel program in the G-MAC.” — Lake Erie coach Kyle Conley

17. Rhodes won’t rejoin the team until a still-to-be-determined date in December.

In their places, the likely starting five will be Kynard, sophomore guard Harrison Riggs (3.1 points), junior guard Erron James (6.1 points, 3.7 rebounds), senior forward Brogan Scott (7.7 points, 3.8 rebounds) and 6-7 redshirt junior centerforward Mitch Loomis (3.9 points, 3.8 rebounds).

Set for back-up roles are senior center David Dunnigan, senior forward Isaiah McQueen (Cornerstone Christian), freshman forward Kevin Peterson and freshman guard P.J. Jones.

The Storm was picked for sixth place in the G-MAC preseason poll.

Last season, Kynard’s averages were both tops on the team, and he was named to the G-MAC AllConference Team as an honorable mention.

Also returning for the Storm are Humphrey (Jr.) and Scott (Sr.). Humphrey was tapped G-MAC Player of the Week once last year after helping the Storm win games on the road at Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins with 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Conley