Preseason picks to finish at the tail end of the KCAC under first year head coach Tim Swartzendruber, the Bulldog men were one of the surprises in what would be an unpredictable year in the 10-team conference, ending the season in a tie of sixth place.
For Swartzendruber, this was to be a season of blending together six returning players with limited varsity experience, including just one senior, with an incoming class of seven transfers and four freshmen.
Still, entering the Christmas/New Year’s break, the Bulldogs were tied for the conference lead with a 3-1 KCAC record and 8-4 overall.
With their first four games following the holiday break on road, the Bulldogs settled into a pattern of winning one, then losing one before going 1-4 in the final two weeks of the regular season to finish 8-10 in the conference.
The Bulldogs’ 14-14 season came to a close in the quarterfinals of the conference post-season tournament with a tough, road loss at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth as a 7½-minute scoring drought spelled the final difference.
Earning all-conference honors at the season’s conclusion were senior Brandon Cameron and junior Mike Reece, both of whom were named to the All-KCAC honorable mention squad.
With Cameron and Mark Johnson as the only seniors on the 2009 squad, the foundation has been laid by Swartzendruber for the Bulldogs to make a jump in the KCAC standings in the years ahead.
