AU Men’s Basketball Garner National Honors Entering 2007-2008 Season

AURORA, Ill. November 12, 2007 - The 2007-2008 Aurora University men’s basketball team looks to have another successful season following a 2006-2007 season in which the Spartans won a school record 25 games and posted a 25-3 record.

The Spartans enter the season having been recognized by several different preseason rankings as a Top 25 team, including 13th by D3hoops.com, 14th by Basketball Times and 17th in DIII News. The Northern Athletics Conference Men’s Basketball Coaches also nabbed AU as the team to beat in the 2007-2008 season. The Spartans received 10 first-place votes out of a possible 12.

The Spartans return a core of players from last year’s season, including four starters. Senior forward Larry Welton (Chicago/Thornwood H.S.) the 2006-2007 Northern Athletics Conference Player of the Year and AU’s leading scorer, returns as a D3hoops.com and Street and Smith Preseason First-Team All-American. He has been recognized as an All-American by either D3hoops.com or the NABC in each of his three seasons, as well as being the Conference Player of the Year in each season.

Welton continued to add to his AU legacy during his junior season, which included moving into the top five on the AU all-time scoring list with 1,736 points, which places him fifth. The all-time leading scorer is AU legend Mickey Johnson with 2,453 points. Last season, Welton averaged 20.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Other key veterans joining Welton include junior Dusty Magee (Knightstown, IN/Knightstown H.S.), junior Chad Trudo (Yorkville, IL/Yorkville H.S.), and senior Doug Lambert (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South H.S.). Magee returns to lead the Spartans after averaging 10.5 points and 1.75 assists per game while shooting 41.3% from three-point range. Trudo, as a sophomore. averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1% from three-point range, while Lambert averaged 9.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 40.2% from three point range.

Head Coach James Lancaster returns for his 14th season, accumulating a record of 240-102 and looks to repeat history with another winning season. Since 2000, the Spartans have a sparkling record of 143-48 (.749) and are 77-8 at home in Thornton Gymnasium.

The Spartans open the 2007-2008 season on Friday, November 16, 2007, when they travel to Waverly, Iowa, to play in the Wartburg College Tip-Off Classic. AU will take on the host Knights at 8:00 p.m.

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