I am excited for the Eastern men’s basketball team to start its season.

Not because I think they are going to go crazy and post an undefeated season or sweep the Ohio Valley Conference and make the NCAA tournament.

I am excited because the Panthers have one of the best point guards in the conference and they will be fun to watch.

Let’s face it, losing 10 of their last 11 games and missing the OVC was much worse than anyone predicted the Panthers would finish.

I know the team will not focus on how it finished in 2011, and with a solid recruiting class it should be in store for a solid season.

Remember, Eastern was picked to finish third on the OVC last season, now just one season later it is picked ninth.

The OVC has gotten better, and Austin Peay will be very tough to beat, but I think the Panthers will do much better than ninth.

The team looked solid in its one and only exhibition game against Olivet Nazarene.

I am not getting over excited about this because Nazarene doesn’t have nearly as much talent as the Panthers.

Eastern has the talent on this team to be one of the better teams in the OVC. It just has to get it together.

Sophomore forward Alfonzo McKinnie is one of the most athletic forwards in the conference, and I think he has the potential to be great.

He is already a good shot-blocker, if he can get a little bit bigger and develop a go-to move in the post he will be tough to stop.

Senior guard L.C. Doss is also a great athlete and a gifted scorer.

Doss scored 13 points and made it look pretty easy against Nazarene. He hit jump shots and got to the rim a few times.

With Doss and senior guard Jeremy Granger, the Panthers should not have trouble scoring in their back court.

The post players lack size, but if they can play solid defense and finish the chances they are given, Eastern should have not trouble returning to the OVC tournament this year.

Rob Mortell can be reached at 581-7944 or rdmortell@eiu.edu.