Wright State’s Brownell Just Wins
Sept 28, 2008 8:33:38 GMT -5
Post by Raider Rowdies on Sept 28, 2008 8:33:38 GMT -5
Wright State’s Brownell Just Wins
September 27th, 2008
By Ray Mernagh
This is the first in a series of previews/features I plan to do on different teams leading up to the beginning of the 2008-09 basketball season. Today’s subject is the highly successful coach Brad Brownell and his Wright State Raiders.
In college athletics, there inevitably comes a time for those in charge to make a decision that could make or break a program. Former Wright State athletic director Michael Cusack faced such a decision in March of 2006 when Paul Bianchardi was hit with a recruiting ban that made it impossible for him to remain in charge at the Dayton school. Cusack not only needed a new basketball coach fast, he needed the right coach. Adding to the pressure of the situation was the fact that there were more than a few jobs open at the time. On the last day of March Cusack hired Indiana native Brad Brownell, who — due to what can aptly be described as a dysfunctional administrative situation — had decided to move on from a successful four-year run as head coach at UNC-Wilmington.
Cusack, who retired earlier this year, hit a Ruthian type blast with his hiring of Brownell, a young coach who’d already taken his first school to two NCAA tournaments in four years. His overall record at UNCW was 83-40. Even more impressive was the SeaHawks record in the postseason under Brownell (52-20 in the CAA and 9-2 in the CAA Tourney). Brownell would immediately build on that resume in his first year as coach of the Raiders.
Taking a team that had finished 13-15 the year earlier, Brownell — inheriting an amazing point guard in DeSean Wood and adding a recruit by the name of Vaughn Duggins — led the Raiders to a 23-10 finish, winning the Horizon League tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament (Brownell’s third Big Dance in his five years as a head coach). The following year the Raiders weren’t expected to contend but they squashed all that noise with a 21-10 year and second place finish in the Horizon. Duggins capped off a fine sophomore season by being named first team all conference.
Now comes year #3 for the Raiders under the direction of Brownell. They should be strong on the perimeter with Duggins and fellow junior guard Todd Brown (12.7 ppg last year) back. They also add Duquesne transfer Scott Grote. Grote is a 6-6, 210 pound hard-nosed player that always impressed me in a solid freshman year at Duquesne. Brownell likes his team, but realizes he’ll need players on the interior to step up if the Raiders want to reach their full potential.
“We need the Ronnie Thomas’ on our roster to step up,” says Brownell. Thomas is another Duquesne transfer, a 6-9 center who battled injuries last season. “Hopefully Ronnie will be healthy,” says Brownell, “because he’s certainly going to get every opportunity to start for us at center.” Thomas isn’t the only big Brownell expects to fill a void left by departing bigs Scotty Wilson (10 and 7) and Jordan Plyman (25 minute a night guy who brought a physical presence defensively every night).
Cory Cooperwood is a 6-7 JC transfer out of Alabama. Cooperwood was the two-time juco player of the year in Alabama and last year averaged 16 and 8 on a 32-1 team (Wallace St CC). “Cory is an athletic kid with some size that will definitely play some,” adds Brownell. No doubt some will expect Wright State to fall off this year (similar to last year’s previews) but I’m thinking Brownell and his charges will find a way to win another 18-22 games.
This is a coach raised by a high school coach in southern Indiana and schooled under Jim Crews and Royce Waltman — both coaches who learned under the wing of a guy by the name of Knight.
Quick story about Brownell’s recruiting and coaching philosophy: I was in an Indianapolis gym watching a kid play in an AAU event a few summers ago. The kid was an incredible athlete who just kind of flowed around the floor, making plays and always seeming to be in the right spot. Several MAC and Valley coaches were looking at him and their comments made it clear what they were seeing –”he played soccer, he really doesn’t shoot it that well for a guard” etc etc. They saw what the kid couldn’t do right then, not what he might be able to do once an athlete of his caliber was able to focus strictly on basketball. Brownell saw the kid and thought he’d be a helluva player once he got to work with him.
That kid was Vaughn Duggins. He is one of the best players in the Horizon League and has two more years left to hit game-winners and lock up the other team’s top scorer (something he’s done often in his first two years). Brownell was confident the kid would be a player because A) he knew what kind of kid Duggins is and B) what kind of coach he is.
Like I said earlier, Cusack hit a homer.
hoopwise.com/
September 27th, 2008
By Ray Mernagh
This is the first in a series of previews/features I plan to do on different teams leading up to the beginning of the 2008-09 basketball season. Today’s subject is the highly successful coach Brad Brownell and his Wright State Raiders.
In college athletics, there inevitably comes a time for those in charge to make a decision that could make or break a program. Former Wright State athletic director Michael Cusack faced such a decision in March of 2006 when Paul Bianchardi was hit with a recruiting ban that made it impossible for him to remain in charge at the Dayton school. Cusack not only needed a new basketball coach fast, he needed the right coach. Adding to the pressure of the situation was the fact that there were more than a few jobs open at the time. On the last day of March Cusack hired Indiana native Brad Brownell, who — due to what can aptly be described as a dysfunctional administrative situation — had decided to move on from a successful four-year run as head coach at UNC-Wilmington.
Cusack, who retired earlier this year, hit a Ruthian type blast with his hiring of Brownell, a young coach who’d already taken his first school to two NCAA tournaments in four years. His overall record at UNCW was 83-40. Even more impressive was the SeaHawks record in the postseason under Brownell (52-20 in the CAA and 9-2 in the CAA Tourney). Brownell would immediately build on that resume in his first year as coach of the Raiders.
Taking a team that had finished 13-15 the year earlier, Brownell — inheriting an amazing point guard in DeSean Wood and adding a recruit by the name of Vaughn Duggins — led the Raiders to a 23-10 finish, winning the Horizon League tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Tournament (Brownell’s third Big Dance in his five years as a head coach). The following year the Raiders weren’t expected to contend but they squashed all that noise with a 21-10 year and second place finish in the Horizon. Duggins capped off a fine sophomore season by being named first team all conference.
Now comes year #3 for the Raiders under the direction of Brownell. They should be strong on the perimeter with Duggins and fellow junior guard Todd Brown (12.7 ppg last year) back. They also add Duquesne transfer Scott Grote. Grote is a 6-6, 210 pound hard-nosed player that always impressed me in a solid freshman year at Duquesne. Brownell likes his team, but realizes he’ll need players on the interior to step up if the Raiders want to reach their full potential.
“We need the Ronnie Thomas’ on our roster to step up,” says Brownell. Thomas is another Duquesne transfer, a 6-9 center who battled injuries last season. “Hopefully Ronnie will be healthy,” says Brownell, “because he’s certainly going to get every opportunity to start for us at center.” Thomas isn’t the only big Brownell expects to fill a void left by departing bigs Scotty Wilson (10 and 7) and Jordan Plyman (25 minute a night guy who brought a physical presence defensively every night).
Cory Cooperwood is a 6-7 JC transfer out of Alabama. Cooperwood was the two-time juco player of the year in Alabama and last year averaged 16 and 8 on a 32-1 team (Wallace St CC). “Cory is an athletic kid with some size that will definitely play some,” adds Brownell. No doubt some will expect Wright State to fall off this year (similar to last year’s previews) but I’m thinking Brownell and his charges will find a way to win another 18-22 games.
This is a coach raised by a high school coach in southern Indiana and schooled under Jim Crews and Royce Waltman — both coaches who learned under the wing of a guy by the name of Knight.
Quick story about Brownell’s recruiting and coaching philosophy: I was in an Indianapolis gym watching a kid play in an AAU event a few summers ago. The kid was an incredible athlete who just kind of flowed around the floor, making plays and always seeming to be in the right spot. Several MAC and Valley coaches were looking at him and their comments made it clear what they were seeing –”he played soccer, he really doesn’t shoot it that well for a guard” etc etc. They saw what the kid couldn’t do right then, not what he might be able to do once an athlete of his caliber was able to focus strictly on basketball. Brownell saw the kid and thought he’d be a helluva player once he got to work with him.
That kid was Vaughn Duggins. He is one of the best players in the Horizon League and has two more years left to hit game-winners and lock up the other team’s top scorer (something he’s done often in his first two years). Brownell was confident the kid would be a player because A) he knew what kind of kid Duggins is and B) what kind of coach he is.
Like I said earlier, Cusack hit a homer.
hoopwise.com/
