Post by wsu97 on Dec 1, 2005 21:47:18 GMT -5
Detroit's Blue Ribbon Preview:
COACH AND PROGRAM
Losing season for the Detroit Titans? That happens about as often as the Tigers win the pennant or the Lions make it to the Super Bowl.
OK, slight exaggeration, but the point is that basketball season is a time for the University of Detroit to shine. Last winter's 14-16 record was an aberration and Horizon League observers are expecting the Titans to bounce back strong in 2005-06.
Four starters are back this season, a stark contrast to this time a year ago when Perry Watson, dean of the Horizon League coaching fraternity, was having to figure out how to replace four starters. "We did a lot of teaching last year and had to show a lot of patience,'' Watson said. "We're hoping this year to reap the benefits.''
Count on it. Look for Detroit to get back on the winning side of the ledger and even challenge for the conference title. Under Watson, the Titans had strung together nine consecutive winning seasons, the last five of which included at least 18 victories. A slow start (1-6) last year killed the streak, even though Detroit got better as the season played out and finished 9-7 in the conference. In fact, the Titans barely missed out on going to the NCAA Tournament when they lost a 59-58 heartbreaker to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Horizon League Tournament title game.
PLAYERS
This time around Watson has his two favorite elements: depth and experience. Five seniors and three juniors figure in the rotation and no freshmen will be relied upon. "Veteran teams are the teams that do well in the Horizon League,'' Watson said. "All my teams that have achieved well have been those veteran teams."I'm probably two deep at every position and I like my depth because it's experienced depth.''
Just because four starters return doesn't mean those four names are carved in stone. In reality, only guard Brandon Cotton (18.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and center Ryvon Covile (7.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) can claim that distinction.
Cotton, a 6-0 junior, transferred from Michigan State and became eligible the second semester. He went on to become the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was denied the scoring title only because he was one game short of the minimum requirement. Cotton led the Titans in scoring 20 of the 22 games he played. He brought the unique resume of McDonald's All-American to the league and backed it up.
"Obviously we knew we were bringing in a real talented player,'' Watson said. "Now the key to a good team is how all those talents mesh. We knew he was a prolific scorer, but this being basically his first year of college basketball, he had to learn how to blend those talents and maybe not dominate the ball. It was an ongoing process. What makes some young players great is having supreme confidence in themselves. It's easier to say, 'I'll do it myself,' but that's not the way we play team basketball.''
Detroit played its first eight games without Cotton and, quite frankly, struggled. "All of a sudden, here comes Brandon,'' Watson said, "and we've got to tweak the schemes to take advantage of what Brandon can do. It wasn't a problem. It was more of an education.''
Cotton isn't a great outside shooter, hitting only 30.6 percent from three-point range. Where he excels is getting into the paint and exploiting his quickness. He gave Detroit its best penetration threat (to score or pass) since the days of Rashad Phillips.
The departure of starting point guard James Thues (10.2 ppg) raises the possibility of Cotton having the ball in his hands more often. Watson, however, said it will be a gradual process. "We're going to work Brandon toward that,'' Watson said, "because when a kid's got a chance to play at the next level you take them toward that. Brandon will probably get some reps on the practice floor. But in his evolution, we still want to simplify and let him do the things he does well instead of putting too much on his plate.''
The job of running the offense will be a battle between 5-10 sophomore Jon Goode (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore Brandon Bell, a transfer from Marquette. Goode will get a head start because Bell can't play until second semester. Both candidates have good genes. Bell is the younger brother of former Michigan State star Charlie Bell. Goode is the son of former Michigan player Eric Turner. Goode averaged 12.6 minutes as a freshman and isn't afraid to look for the outside shot.
"He's really a talented kid,'' Watson said." He's got great genes. He sees things and makes passes that I say, 'We didn't teach him that. That was his genes.' I think he has the ability to score a little more than Bell and defensively, he has a lot of James Thues in him. He has great feet from years of playing soccer and can really pressure the basketball.''
Bell is more of a traditional floor general. Pass first, shoot second. He was a quarterback on his high school football team and leadership comes naturally. Sitting on the bench in street clothes last year, he wasn't shy about making vocal contributions. The only newcomer in the rotation should be a contributor in the second semester.
"The guys who replace James Thues are different type of players than James,'' Watson said, "so they don't have the pressure on them to try to do the things James did. He was a very good scorer at the point and he could be disruptive on the offensive end and defensive end so we had to give him the freedom to do that. These guys are more standard point-guard typesget the offense going, get people in their spots.''
The Titans need to get more offense going than last year. Aside from Cotton, they struggled, shooting only 43.6 percent from the field, 30.1 percent behind the arc and 65.4 percent at the free-throw line. Watson is encouraged because of the experience factor. More mature players lead to a more mature understanding of maximizing possessions by finding the good shot.
Increased production in the paint is one goal. Covile, a 6-9 senior, had a disappointing junior season. A formidable defender (and two-time member of the HL All-Defense team) Covile's offensive numbers slipped slightly in a season in which he was expected to evolve into one of the league's top big men. Part of the hang-up was the adjustment to Cotton becoming the go-to scorer.
"He had a disappointing year,'' Watson said, "because he had been used to playing with experienced guards. Brandon Cotton wasn't going to throw it in the post as much and Ryvon probably didn't get as many touches. He was kind of in a funk, but I'd be shocked if he's not the best big man in the league this year.'' The power forward spot is a battle between returning starter Torvoris Baker (7.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Chuck Bailey (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Both are seniors. The 6-7 Baker was selected the team's most improved player while Bailey is a good bet to win that honor this year.
"That will be a tremendous battle,'' Watson said. "Baker is one of those guys that gives you all that good blue-collar stuff. I'd be shocked if Chuck doesn't take his numbers up.''
The 6-5 Bailey transferred from Michigan and sitting out a year took its toll. A chronic knee problem never got fixed in his days in Ann Arbor and the surgery he had before his red-shirt year at Detroit kept him off the practice floor for an extended period of time. "He didn't practice much (in 2003-04),'' Watson said, "and to be honest, he probably underestimated our league coming down a level from Michigan. He told me we get after it down here a lot more than they did up there and he didn't realize a lot of four men in our league are really a guard in disguise. He ran up against some of those guys and realized it's doggone tough. It was a wake-up. I think all his numbers will be up.'' (Presumably Bailey's free-throw accuracy will be up from 50.9 percent.)
The wing guard spot ended up in the hands of 6-4 junior Muhammad Abdur-Rahim (2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg) most of last year. However, 6-4 senior Ben Green (4.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) figures to present a stiff challenge. Scoring-wise Green only treaded water from his previous season but Watson still holds out hope that he will realize his potential. "Abdur-Rahim has a great understanding of our system,'' Watson said. "Ben Green has more talent. Last year, being a young team we were looking for stability and Abdur-Rahim gave us more of that. Now that we have some stability, he's going to be in a battle to hold off Ben Green as a starter.''
Jonathan Kelly (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg), a 6-1 junior, will battle for minutes at the wing. He had the distinction last winter of sitting out because of chicken pox, a malady that won't disrupt his momentum this winter. Like Abdur-Rahim, Kelly has bought in to Watson's defense-first philosophy.
Zach Everingham (2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg) is a 6-4 sophomore guard who could increase his minutes if his three-point shot stabilizes. Everingham hit a modest 31 percent from three-point range as a rookie, but the staff likes his stroke and figures he's a potential zone-buster.
In the paint, 6-8 senior Ethan Shaw (3.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will back Covile. He is willing to do the dirty work (21 blocked shots) and will be a valuable depth man. In Covile, Baker and Shaw, Detroit has a defensive presence that will alter as many shots as it blocks. It's no fluke that the Titans led the HL last year in field-goal percentage defense.
Justin Sample, a 6-8 freshman from Detroit's Cass Tech is a likely red-shirt candidate.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B
Experience and depth are strong suits once again for Detroit, and the Titans will challenge for the conference title. In guard Cotton and Covile, Detroit has a pair of Horizon League first-teamers. The key is achieving optimal chemistry so that both maximize their potential. Translation: Covile needs to be more involved in the offense.
Chuck Bailey should show significant improvement now that he has a year in the league behind him, and that translates into some needed scoring. Only one starter needs to be replaced and, between them, Brandon Bell and Jon Goode appear up to the task.
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COACH AND PROGRAM
Losing season for the Detroit Titans? That happens about as often as the Tigers win the pennant or the Lions make it to the Super Bowl.
OK, slight exaggeration, but the point is that basketball season is a time for the University of Detroit to shine. Last winter's 14-16 record was an aberration and Horizon League observers are expecting the Titans to bounce back strong in 2005-06.
Four starters are back this season, a stark contrast to this time a year ago when Perry Watson, dean of the Horizon League coaching fraternity, was having to figure out how to replace four starters. "We did a lot of teaching last year and had to show a lot of patience,'' Watson said. "We're hoping this year to reap the benefits.''
Count on it. Look for Detroit to get back on the winning side of the ledger and even challenge for the conference title. Under Watson, the Titans had strung together nine consecutive winning seasons, the last five of which included at least 18 victories. A slow start (1-6) last year killed the streak, even though Detroit got better as the season played out and finished 9-7 in the conference. In fact, the Titans barely missed out on going to the NCAA Tournament when they lost a 59-58 heartbreaker to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Horizon League Tournament title game.
PLAYERS
This time around Watson has his two favorite elements: depth and experience. Five seniors and three juniors figure in the rotation and no freshmen will be relied upon. "Veteran teams are the teams that do well in the Horizon League,'' Watson said. "All my teams that have achieved well have been those veteran teams."I'm probably two deep at every position and I like my depth because it's experienced depth.''
Just because four starters return doesn't mean those four names are carved in stone. In reality, only guard Brandon Cotton (18.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg) and center Ryvon Covile (7.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) can claim that distinction.
Cotton, a 6-0 junior, transferred from Michigan State and became eligible the second semester. He went on to become the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and was denied the scoring title only because he was one game short of the minimum requirement. Cotton led the Titans in scoring 20 of the 22 games he played. He brought the unique resume of McDonald's All-American to the league and backed it up.
"Obviously we knew we were bringing in a real talented player,'' Watson said. "Now the key to a good team is how all those talents mesh. We knew he was a prolific scorer, but this being basically his first year of college basketball, he had to learn how to blend those talents and maybe not dominate the ball. It was an ongoing process. What makes some young players great is having supreme confidence in themselves. It's easier to say, 'I'll do it myself,' but that's not the way we play team basketball.''
Detroit played its first eight games without Cotton and, quite frankly, struggled. "All of a sudden, here comes Brandon,'' Watson said, "and we've got to tweak the schemes to take advantage of what Brandon can do. It wasn't a problem. It was more of an education.''
Cotton isn't a great outside shooter, hitting only 30.6 percent from three-point range. Where he excels is getting into the paint and exploiting his quickness. He gave Detroit its best penetration threat (to score or pass) since the days of Rashad Phillips.
The departure of starting point guard James Thues (10.2 ppg) raises the possibility of Cotton having the ball in his hands more often. Watson, however, said it will be a gradual process. "We're going to work Brandon toward that,'' Watson said, "because when a kid's got a chance to play at the next level you take them toward that. Brandon will probably get some reps on the practice floor. But in his evolution, we still want to simplify and let him do the things he does well instead of putting too much on his plate.''
The job of running the offense will be a battle between 5-10 sophomore Jon Goode (3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg) and 5-11 sophomore Brandon Bell, a transfer from Marquette. Goode will get a head start because Bell can't play until second semester. Both candidates have good genes. Bell is the younger brother of former Michigan State star Charlie Bell. Goode is the son of former Michigan player Eric Turner. Goode averaged 12.6 minutes as a freshman and isn't afraid to look for the outside shot.
"He's really a talented kid,'' Watson said." He's got great genes. He sees things and makes passes that I say, 'We didn't teach him that. That was his genes.' I think he has the ability to score a little more than Bell and defensively, he has a lot of James Thues in him. He has great feet from years of playing soccer and can really pressure the basketball.''
Bell is more of a traditional floor general. Pass first, shoot second. He was a quarterback on his high school football team and leadership comes naturally. Sitting on the bench in street clothes last year, he wasn't shy about making vocal contributions. The only newcomer in the rotation should be a contributor in the second semester.
"The guys who replace James Thues are different type of players than James,'' Watson said, "so they don't have the pressure on them to try to do the things James did. He was a very good scorer at the point and he could be disruptive on the offensive end and defensive end so we had to give him the freedom to do that. These guys are more standard point-guard typesget the offense going, get people in their spots.''
The Titans need to get more offense going than last year. Aside from Cotton, they struggled, shooting only 43.6 percent from the field, 30.1 percent behind the arc and 65.4 percent at the free-throw line. Watson is encouraged because of the experience factor. More mature players lead to a more mature understanding of maximizing possessions by finding the good shot.
Increased production in the paint is one goal. Covile, a 6-9 senior, had a disappointing junior season. A formidable defender (and two-time member of the HL All-Defense team) Covile's offensive numbers slipped slightly in a season in which he was expected to evolve into one of the league's top big men. Part of the hang-up was the adjustment to Cotton becoming the go-to scorer.
"He had a disappointing year,'' Watson said, "because he had been used to playing with experienced guards. Brandon Cotton wasn't going to throw it in the post as much and Ryvon probably didn't get as many touches. He was kind of in a funk, but I'd be shocked if he's not the best big man in the league this year.'' The power forward spot is a battle between returning starter Torvoris Baker (7.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Chuck Bailey (5.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Both are seniors. The 6-7 Baker was selected the team's most improved player while Bailey is a good bet to win that honor this year.
"That will be a tremendous battle,'' Watson said. "Baker is one of those guys that gives you all that good blue-collar stuff. I'd be shocked if Chuck doesn't take his numbers up.''
The 6-5 Bailey transferred from Michigan and sitting out a year took its toll. A chronic knee problem never got fixed in his days in Ann Arbor and the surgery he had before his red-shirt year at Detroit kept him off the practice floor for an extended period of time. "He didn't practice much (in 2003-04),'' Watson said, "and to be honest, he probably underestimated our league coming down a level from Michigan. He told me we get after it down here a lot more than they did up there and he didn't realize a lot of four men in our league are really a guard in disguise. He ran up against some of those guys and realized it's doggone tough. It was a wake-up. I think all his numbers will be up.'' (Presumably Bailey's free-throw accuracy will be up from 50.9 percent.)
The wing guard spot ended up in the hands of 6-4 junior Muhammad Abdur-Rahim (2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg) most of last year. However, 6-4 senior Ben Green (4.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) figures to present a stiff challenge. Scoring-wise Green only treaded water from his previous season but Watson still holds out hope that he will realize his potential. "Abdur-Rahim has a great understanding of our system,'' Watson said. "Ben Green has more talent. Last year, being a young team we were looking for stability and Abdur-Rahim gave us more of that. Now that we have some stability, he's going to be in a battle to hold off Ben Green as a starter.''
Jonathan Kelly (2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg), a 6-1 junior, will battle for minutes at the wing. He had the distinction last winter of sitting out because of chicken pox, a malady that won't disrupt his momentum this winter. Like Abdur-Rahim, Kelly has bought in to Watson's defense-first philosophy.
Zach Everingham (2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg) is a 6-4 sophomore guard who could increase his minutes if his three-point shot stabilizes. Everingham hit a modest 31 percent from three-point range as a rookie, but the staff likes his stroke and figures he's a potential zone-buster.
In the paint, 6-8 senior Ethan Shaw (3.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will back Covile. He is willing to do the dirty work (21 blocked shots) and will be a valuable depth man. In Covile, Baker and Shaw, Detroit has a defensive presence that will alter as many shots as it blocks. It's no fluke that the Titans led the HL last year in field-goal percentage defense.
Justin Sample, a 6-8 freshman from Detroit's Cass Tech is a likely red-shirt candidate.
BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
BACKCOURT: B
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B
INTANGIBLES: B
Experience and depth are strong suits once again for Detroit, and the Titans will challenge for the conference title. In guard Cotton and Covile, Detroit has a pair of Horizon League first-teamers. The key is achieving optimal chemistry so that both maximize their potential. Translation: Covile needs to be more involved in the offense.
Chuck Bailey should show significant improvement now that he has a year in the league behind him, and that translates into some needed scoring. Only one starter needs to be replaced and, between them, Brandon Bell and Jon Goode appear up to the task.
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