Lehigh University Athletics
Reed announces Lehigh men’s basketball captains
10/19/2010 5:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Seniors Rob Keefer and Michael Ojo along with sophomore CJ McCollum have been named Lehigh men's basketball captains, as announced by head coach Brett Reed on Tuesday. The trio brings a wide range of experience to a Mountain Hawks' squad vying for its second straight Patriot League Championship.
“We are pleased to announce the captains for this upcoming season,” said Reed. “Each of them brings a different set of attributes and strengths that complement each other [to create] the core leadership of our team.”
Keefer has enjoyed a strong career since day one, beginning with a Patriot League Rookie of the Year season in 2007-08. He averaged 7.8 points per game, then improved to 8.8 as a sophomore. Last year, he was a key contributor and steadying veteran influence during the team's championship run.
“Rob's character has continued to come to the forefront,” said Reed. “He makes good decisions. He has tremendous relationships with his teammates and is a very dependable person for their interpersonal relationships.”
Lehigh's sixth-man last season, Ojo saw significant minutes off the bench while averaging 6.8 points per game. One of his highlight performances came at Colgate, scoring a career-high 22 points to help lead the Mountain Hawks to a crucial late-season victory.
“Michael has really progressed and developed not only as a player throughout the course of his career, but also as a leader,” said Reed. “He brings emotional energy. He's very passionate about the game and is very well respected by his teammates.”
The Mountain Hawks' third captain is McCollum, who is coming off a historic freshman season. He became the first men's basketball player in Patriot League history to win both Player and Rookie of the Year. He was also the nation's leading scorer among freshmen, averaging 19.1 points per game.
“CJ is someone who has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from his teammates, primarily based on his performance on the court, but also because of his humility and the fact that he continues to put the team above his own individual accolades,” said Reed. “He is someone who we'll have to look to on the floor - despite only being a sophomore - to really produce in pressure situations.
“The respect that was demonstrated by his teammates reiterates the fact that he will be a solidifying element, particularly out on the floor,” continued Reed. “And he continues to grow in that role of a leader, especially with the complimentary strengths of Rob Keefer and Michael Ojo.”
The Mountain Hawks are deep into practice in preparation for the 2010-11 season, which begins on Nov. 12 at Penn State. They then return home for their home-opener against Wagner on Nov. 15. Tickets for all home games are now on sale and may be purchased on Lehighsports.com or by calling the ticket office at (610) 7LU-GAME.
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