Meet The 2017-18 Notre Dame College Falcons

The Starters:


*Levi Frankland (#25)
freshman
Guard
6-foot 4-175 lbs.
Queensland,Australia (Hillcrest Christian College)

NDC Forward Will Vorhees had no problem saying how important he would be to the team right away:
"Levi is going to be our starting point guard. He is going to play huge minutes for us as a freshman. He is so good,"Vorhees said."

Guard Jack Kelsheimer spoke of the true freshman highly as well:
" Levi is a lefty, which is unique in itself. He is another Australian which speaks to the recruiting that Coach Baab and the rest of the staff do. He has a very smooth style of game and is a bigger, shifty guard. He is like a coach on the floor, Kelsheimer said."
Guard Drew Scarberry spoke of the freshman class as a whole:
"Levi, Halil, Cole and Will Butler are all very good and huge pieces to this team, Scarberry said."
He also spoke of the biggest adjustment from the high school game to college.
"The speed of the shot is a big thing Levi will have to adjust to. Once he figures that out though he is a lights out shooter, Scarberry said."

Pete's take: Levi will stabilize the team at the point guard position. He will grow as the season wears on and will be a force to be reckoned with all season long. 


Kyauta Taylor (#2)
senior 
Guard
6-foot-2-175 lbs.
Cleveland,Ohio (East Tech High School)


2016-17: Played in all 29 games, making 28 starts.  Was second in the Mountain East Conference in 3-pointer's made (97-) and- third in the MEC in points per game (20.8 ppg.)  Also averaged five rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Was Second Team All-MEC.


2015-16: Played in all 32 games, making 30 starts.  Was second on the team in 3-pointer's made (87-) and- steals (46.)  Averaged 15.1 points a game, which was good for third on the team. Also added 5.2 rebounds- and- 2.1 steals per contest.

2014-15: Played all 30 games, making 25 starts as a freshman. Averaged 12.1 points- 3.5 rebounds- 1.3 assists- and- 1.3 steals per game.  Scored 20 or more points five times, including a season high 35 against West Virginia State on January 10th.

Kelsheimer spoke of how much easier Taylor makes his job on a daily basis:
" I guard KT in practice everyday and playing against him in practice makes me better defensively all the time,"Kelsheimer said."
Kelsheimer added:
"He sucks in the defense."


Pete's take: Taylor is a very important piece to this team. He is one of the few guys who can create his own shot and is excellent at getting to the rim. He and Vorhees are the best 1-2 punch in the conference. 



Will Vorhees (#41)
senior
Center/Forward
6-Foot-8-240 lbs.
Lima,Ohio (Columbus Grove High School)



2016-17: Played in all 29 games, 28 as a starter. Was second in all of Division II in scoring average (26.8 points per game-) and- 16th in rebounds per game (10.3)  Led Division II with 305 field goals made on the season. Led the MEC in offensive rebounds with 100. Was seventh in blocked shots (32-) shot 53 percent from the field- and- averaged nearly 3.5 assists which was good for 10th in the country.  Scored 40+ points four times, including a career high 48 vs Urbana on February 25th. Was First Team All MEC- First Team All-Atlantic Region-and- a- Second Team All-American.

2015-16: Started in all 32 games. Was second on the team averaging 20.7 points- and- 9.5 rebounds per game.  Shot 52 percent from the floor. Averaged 2.7 assists per game- along with 35 steals- and- 18 blocks for the season.  Was First Team All-MEC- and- Second Team All-Atlantic Region.

2014-15: Played in 25 games, 24 starts his freshman campaign. Was third on the team averaging 14.2 points per game- and- second on the team averaging 7.2 rebounds per night.  Also averaged 1.3 assists- and- led the team with 23 blocks.  Added 17 steals as well.


Vorhees is looking forward to a very exciting season, but he spoke about the disappointment of a season ago. How it will be motivation for him and this team.
"Losing to the same team three times, we could have easily won all three. For me personally it is a ton of motivation, and I worked a lot on my free throw shooting in the off-season as well, Vorhees said."
He added this:
" Anything short of a national championship and a conference championship would be a disappointment. No team in the history of the school has ever been to the NCAA tournament and I firmly believe we will be the first team to do so, Vorhees said. "
Kelsheimer and Scarberry both commented on how Vorhees makes their job so much easier:
" He posts on the opposite side and we will get a lot of open looks that way.
 The other thing  Scarberry commented on is what a great passer Vorhees has become:
" He has become really good at passing out of double-teams. That may be the biggest improvement in his game since he has been here," Scarberry said."
  Kelsheimer had nothing but praise for his All-American teammate:
" Will is by far the best player in our conference and he is the best player in the country.  He has unreal passing ability.  It may be a bit of a stretch but I compare his passing ability to Lebron, Kelsheimer said."


Pete's take: Vorhees is the heart and soul of this team. He will get his numbers, but needs to get his teammates more involved game in and game out if this team is going to make some noise this season.  


Angelo Cugini (#34)
redshirt junior
Forward
Six-Foot-Seven-220 lbs.
Akron,Ohio (Cuyahoga Falls High School) 

2016-17: Redshirt

2015-16: Appeared in 11 games, including four starts for Alderson Broaddus(West Va.) Averaged nearly 23 minutes per game. Averaged 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds a night.

2014-15: Appeared in 25 games for the Battlers. Averaged 2.2 points- and- two rebounds a game. Shot 40 percent from the 3-point line.

Scarberry spoke of the importance of Angelo in the lineup:
" Angelo is a good guy to have out there, as he knows the runs of the offense.  Once he gets adapted and fits in like he should he will be a big piece," Scarberry said."


Pete's take: Cugini should fit right in with this team. He is a wing who can spread the floor with his 3-point shooting ability. Will be a big part of what this team does all season long.


Drew Scarberry (#44)
redshirt sophomore
Guard
Six-Foot-Six- 200 lbs, 
Franklin Furnace,Ohio (Northwest High School)


2016-17: Played in all 27 games his freshman season, making eight starts. Was third on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game.  Led the MEC shooting at a 45 percent clip from the 3-point line.  Was second on the team in 3-pointer's made (78.)

2015-16: Redshirt

Vorhees commented on how Scarberry helps the offense so much:
" Drew is another weapon. He does a very good job of spacing the floor for our team, if other teams don't work on defending that he makes them pay,"Vorhees said."
Kelsheimer also commented on the shooting ability that Scarberry has:
" Drew is really good at spreading the floor. Other teams have to face guard him to keep him off the 3-point line.  When he is hot he is impossible to guard,"Kelsheimer said."


Pete's take: Scarberry is the best pure shooter on this team. His only struggles in the past have come when he can not get enough open shots. Expect a big year from Scarberry now that he is a year older. 


The Bench:

Ja'Sean Lewis (#0)
junior
Forward
Six-Foot-Eight- 205 lbs.
Columbus,Ohio (Canton Glen Oak High School)


2016-17: Started all 29 games, averaging 33.7 minutes per night. Ranked second in the MEC in blocks per game (2.28-) fourth in assists per game (5.21-) and- fifth in rebounds per game (10 per night.)  Was the only player in Division I or II to average at least 10 rebounds and five assists per game.

2015-16: Played in all 32 games as a freshman, making 30 starts.  Led the MEC in blocks with 74.  Led the team with 9.8 rebounds per game.  Averaged 8.2 points a game, while shooting 54 percent from the floor.  Also had 75 assists and 27 steals on the season.
  Vorhees had good things to say about his post mate.
" Ja'Sean brings another element to our team when he is playing the best he can.  He really helps the defensive scheme on our team, especially the way he can blocks shots.  He is also a very good passer, as evidenced by the fact that he averages more than five assists per game," Vorhees said.
Kelsheimer and Scarberry agreed:
" Ja'Sean is a big part of what we do as a team. He is also the focal point on both offense and defense,Scarberry and Kelsheimer said."

Pete's take: Ja'Sean is a big part of what this team does. He could very easily start this year. Decent shooter for a big man as well. 


Daniel Atcheson (#1)
junior
Guard
Five-Foot-10-185 lbs.
Brisbane, Australia (Marist College Ash Grove)

2016-17: Played in seven games recording one defensive rebound.
Kelsheimer commented on Atcheson:
"Daniel was our spark in Toronto. He played really well in our exhibition games there," Kelsheimer said."


Pete's take: Atcheson will play more than he did last season. Still will have to pay his dues though before he plays big minutes. 


Oliver Megins (#5)
senior
Forward/Center
Six-Foot-8-245 lbs.
Adelaide, Australia (Christian Brothers High School)


2016-17: Played in 20 games, making seven starts.  Averaged 7.0 points- 4.1 rebounds- and- 2.4 assists per game.

2015-16: Played in 17 games Averaged 1.9 points- 1.9 rebounds- and- 0.6 assists per game.

2014-15: Played in all 30 games, making 17 starts.  Averaged 6.1 points- 3.7 rebounds- and- 0.6 assists per game.  Shot a solid 39 percent from the 3-point line.  Scored a season high 23 points versus Shepherd on January 3rd.
Kelsheimer spoke of Megins shooting ability:
" Ollie is a difference maker, he can change the game with his shot. He spreads the floor and is a very good 3-point shooter for a big man,"Kelsheimer said. "
Vorhees spoke of his versatility:
" Ollie can guard anyone on the floor. Any position 1-5, Vorhees said."


Pete's take: Look for Megins to bounce back for his senior season.  He had a rough go of it last year that included being suspended for an undisclosed violation. He will be back and hungrier than ever this season. 


Jacob Sawman (#10)
junior
Center
Seven-Foot- 185 lbs. 
Hartville,Ohio (Marlington High School)

2016-17: Appeared in 29 games, including 10 starts. Averaged 1.5 points- 1.7 rebounds- and- 0.6 assists per game.  Added six blocks and four steals.

2015-16: Played in 28 games, making 11 starts.  Averaged 1.9 points- 1.4 rebounds- and- 0.4 assists per contest.  Recorded 10 blocks and two steals on the year.  Shot 52 percent from the floor.
Vorhees spoke of the defensive presence Sawman brings:
" Jacob has great size and blocks/alters a lot of shots. He is a hard worker and has more confidence this season," Vorhees said."


Pete's take: Sawman has problems with big physical teams. This year he came in a little stronger, hopefully that will translate to game action now. 


*Cole Hayes (#11)
freshman
Guard/Forward
Six-Foot-Six- 185 lbs. 
Ridgecrest,California (Burroughs High School)

Vorhees reiterated that Cole is a big part of this team:
" Cole, Levi, Will and Halil are all huge pieces to what we do,"Vorhees said.
  Scarberry and Kelsheimer both spoke about Coach Baab and Koenig:
" TK and Coach Baab made a great find in Cole. It speaks to how they do their homework in who they recruit, Kelsheimer and Scarberry said."


Pete's take: Cole may be the most talented of the Freshman on this team. That is saying a lot considering the class they have.  Expect some big games and a lot of minutes for Hayes. 


Jack Kelsheimer (#14)
sophomore
Guard
Six-Foot- 2- 175 lbs. 
Westlake,Ohio (Cornerstone Christian Academy)


2016-17: Played in 14 games, seeing 77 minutes of action his freshman year.  Scored six points- grabbed five rebounds- and- dished out two assists.
Vorhees spoke of the minutes increase this season:
" Jack will see a lot more minutes this season.  He is a really hard worker and will fit right into what we do. He will play a lot of productive minutes this season, Vorhees said."


Pete's take: Kelsheimer will see his work-load increase dramatically this year. He may be the most improved player on the team from a season ago. 


*Will Butler (#20)
freshman
Guard/Forward
Six-Foot-Two- 240 lbs. 
Euclid,Ohio (VASJ High School)

Butler was a member of the VASJ State Championship team last season.
Vorhees commented on his ball handling skills:
" Will is a real good ball-handler for a guy his size. He handles it more like a point guard, Vorhees said."
Scarberry agreed:
" Will is a good post-player as well. He opens up the floor on the opposite side when he posts up, Scarberry said."


Pete's take: Butler will need to adjust to the speed of the college game. He will get better as the season wears on. 


*Halil Parks (#24)
freshman
Guard
Six-Foot- Two- 170 lbs.
Arlington, Va. (Wakefield High School)

Scarberry commented on his new teammate:
" Halil is fast, explosive, and shifty. Also is all over on the defensive end, Scarberry said."


Pete's take: Another piece to this loaded group of freshman that will play heavy minutes this season. Parks will be the back up point guard.  He will be real fun to watch. 


* Ethan Ching (#4) 
senior
Guard
Five-Foot-11-170 lbs.
Taguig,Phillipines (Impact Academy)

(No Stats Available) 

Vorhees commented on Ching the teammate:
" Ethan is a great teammate. He is a very good locker room guy. He makes everyone else around him better.  He is an all-around good guy, Vorhees said."
Scarberry agreed:
" Ethan brings great tenacity. He is a really good team player as well,Scarberry said."


Pete's take: Ching is a solid teammate. What he lacks in size he makes for in tenacity and busting his butt in practice everyday. 


Redshirt:
Kobie Johnson (#3)
sophomore
Guard
Six-Foot-1- 155 lbs.
Middletown,Ohio (Middletown High School)


2016-17: Had a solid freshman season.  Played in 24 games, making 22 starts.  Averaged 7.8 poins- 3.3 assists- and- 2.4 rebounds a game.  Had 19 steals and blocked four shots on the season.
Vorhees spoke of the injury Kobie had last season:
" Kobie was not all the way healthy last season.  We got off to the best start in school history and then Kobie getting hurt was big.  When he is at his best he is really hard to guard. He is really good at getting into the paint with his driving ability.  When he was at his best the team was at there best last season, Vorhees said."
Kelsheimer agreed:
"Kobie was never 100 percent last year.  He is getting better and better everyday physically, Kelsheimer said."


Pete's take: Kobie will be missed this season.  But with the depth of this team, especially the freshman class it was a no-brainer to red shirt him until he is 100 percent healthy.  


Key: * indicates a player that is new to the program this season.