The 2009-10 Lynchburg College men's basketball team will have a different look this season. Head coach Hilliary Scott has brought in his first recruiting class and will also implement an up tempo system this winter. The team will have a challenging schedule this year that features two road contests at Division I foes Virginia Military Institute and Radford University along with several strong teams from the always tough ODAC and USA South Conferences.
This year's squad returns several upperclassmen that will bring valuable experience to a team featuring nine underclassmen. Seniors Steven Echols (Martinsville, VA/Carlisle), KC Mendez (San Antonio, TX/Winston Churchill), Jack Burgess (Durham, NC/Cardinal Gibbons), Jeff Langrock (Southbury, CT/Pomperaug), and Brad Puffenbarger (Blue Grass, VA/Highland) played in a combined 128 out of 130 games and accounted for 51% of the team's total minutes last year. 
Headlining the senior class is 2007 and 2009 honorable mention All-ODAC performer, Steven Echols. Echols is one of the most dynamic and athletic guards in the league, will be counted on as a go-to player for the Hornets, and needs just 189 points to break the 1,000 point plateau. Mendez had a breakout season as a junior and was the team's third leading scorer with 9.2 points per contest, utilizing his strong midrange game and floater to full effect. Burgess returns to the team as a redshirt senior despite graduating last spring and will be pursuing a 
Masters degree in Business Administration. An all-around solid player, Burgess is capable of scoring in multiple ways but is also valued for his passing and on-ball defensive skills.
Langrock is one of the most athletic players on the team and is an efficient scorer as he shot 58.1% from the field last season and has shot 51% for his career. Puffenbarger is arguably the best pure shooter on the team and is more than capable of lighting up a team from beyond the arc as he made seven threes against Christopher Newport in 2008.
The junior class boasts two players likely to be counted on this season. Danny Reed (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora) provides valuable leadership qualities for the Hornets and is a solid presence on the boards and in the scoring column. Brad Kenney (Advance, NC/Bishop McGuinness) 
should see an increase in playing time this year with a marked improvement in his postup game after being recruited as a deep threat out of high school. Additionally, sophomore Casey Sutherland (Alexandria, VA/Bishop Ireton) returns to the team and will compete for time at power forward.
The recruiting class is composed of a bevy of talent and depth that will help move the Hornets up the ODAC 
standings immediately and in the years to come. Nate Campbell (Cary, NC/Cary), a sophomore transfer from Liberty University, will make an immediate impact on the frontline as he will contribute greatly in scoring and rebounding for Lynchburg.
Brandan Connor (Chesterfield, VA/Benedictine), a guard that was a high school teammate of UNC's Ed Davis, and Michael Glover (Verona, VA/Spotswood), a guard from Verona, VA, are strong players that possess good shooting skills and are stout defenders. Josh Caldwell (Harlan, KY/Harlan County), a post player from Harlan, KY, is a tough and physical player that can score in the low post.
Mike Roach (Ruckersville, VA/William Monroe) and Michael Wims (Standardsville, VA/William Monroe) were scholastic teammates at William Monroe High School in Standardsville, VA. Roach was the Player of the Year in the district and is an athletic guard with a scorer's mentality. Wims, a forward, has only played organized basketball for four years but is an extremely athletic player that has a high ceiling with good ball handling skill for a forward.
Robby Kaiser (East Stroudsburg, PA/Stroudsburg), a guard from East Stroudsburg, PA, has one of the best jump shots on the team and is deadly from three point range. Austin Chillemi (Richmond, VA/Trinity Episcopal), a center from Richmond, VA, is a skilled big man that can score around the basket and out to 15 feet. Quintin Aldridge (Fredericksburg, VA/CD Hylton) is a transfer from Germana Community College that will be a leader for the team and can take defenders off the dribble.
Coach Scott and the rest of the staff will work to gel together the new faces with the returners to guide Lynchburg College up the ODAC standings.
