Although most men's basketball teams would consider 20 wins a historic season, at Colby it has practically become the standard. Last season's dip to 16-11 and the loss of All-American David Stephens '96 to graduation might have signaled that Colby fans should lower their sights a bit. No need. Led by a corps of unseasoned but talented upperclassmen, the Mules returned to prominence, compiling a 20-5 record and a top-10 national ranking.
John Hebert, a senior from Van Buren, Maine, was the only returning player with any significant experience, and he needed someone to help take charge. Enter Andrew Black, a 6-foot, 8-inch senior center from Lincoln, Mass., who was named a First-Team All-Star in NESCAC and Player of the Year by the Maine Coaches and Writers Association. With Black scoring inside--he averaged 18.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game--and Hebert hitting three-pointers from outside, the Mules surprised several early season opponents and kept right on winning.
"Andy Black enjoyed a fantastic senior year in which he led by example, met the challenge of every man he faced and excelled under pressure," said head coach Dick Whitmore, who was named Coach of the Year for the fifth time by the Maine Coaches and Writers Association. "John Hebert was outstanding, and we received strong performances from Lucas Penney and Dave McLaughlin as starters and Chad Higgins and Mark McInnis in reserve. Whenever you are fortunate to have a large group of seniors, the results are usually very positive."
The Mules spent a week atop the New England Division III rankings and were rated as high as eighth nationally. Though they lost games at Tufts and Bates late in the season, the team capped the schedule by defeating Bowdoin for a third time and garnering an NCAA playoff berth. Seeded fifth among the elite eight, Colby traveled to Amherst, where they lost 83-60.
Hebert, who was named a New England Division III All-Star and won the AT&T Long Distance Award for the highest three-point shooting percentage among all Division III players, collected his 1,000th career point in the quarterfinal game.
Next season, with Black and Hebert gone and Paul Conway, a junior from Manchester, N.H., the lone returning starter, Whitmore again will be looking for younger players to step into leading roles. Mules opponents probably won't underestimate his ability to find them.--Pat McBride '97

Coming off of a 7-17 record last year and laden with newcomers, the women's basketball team wasn't burdened with high expectations at the start of the 1996-97 season. But a top-10 New England ranking midway through the year raised some eyebrows. Opponents' scouts became a familiar sight among the noticeably bigger crowds in Wadsworth Gymnasium, and even a hard-boiled Echo sportswriter proclaimed, "This Team Is Good."
Second-year head coach Tricia O'Brien, who was voted Coach of the Year by the New England Women's Basketball Association (NEWBA), guided the Mules to a 19-7 record and the top seed in the ECAC Division III tournament. Middlebury defeated Colby, 72-65, in the semifinals, but for a program that hadn't been to the playoffs since 1991, there was a lot to celebrate.
"The victories were that much sweeter," said co-captain Lynn Kenoyer, a senior from Augusta, Maine, who was named to the NEWBA All-Star team. "The first-year students may not know how frustrating it was [in previous seasons], but it's nice to know that because of Coach's recruiting, the program will flourish after I've graduated."
Erin Cole-Karagory, a first-year student from Caribou, Maine, was part of the infusion of new talent. The starting forward averaged 18.1 points per game, was voted Rookie of the Year by both the Maine Women's Basketball Coaches Association and New England Women's Basketball Association and was NESCAC Freshman Player of the Year. She says she's glad she passed over Division I programs, including Boston College and UNH, for the success and friendships awaiting her at Colby.
"From the moment the first-years started working with the team at captain's practices, the seniors made us feel welcome," she said. "We were a tight team on and off the court. People would see us in the dining halls or around campus and say, `Uh-oh, here comes C.W.B.'"
O'Brien, an All-American who played on a national champion team at Salem State College, enjoys the new respect for Colby women's basketball. "It felt good to hear other coaches say things like `I love watching your kids play,'" said O'Brien, who will lose only two starting players to graduation. "One of the questions prospective players frequently ask concerns our seating capacity and average attendance. I'll be much happier answering that question in the next recruiting cycle."--Marc Glass