Five Questions: Charlotte Head Coach Bobby Lutz
By CCT Staff | June 29, 2009
The ‘Five Questions’ series continues to weave through the Atlantic 10, stopping this time at Halton Arena in the Queen City of Charlotte, North Carolina. Here, CCT chats with head coach Bobby Lutz about ‘Niner hoops where, despite an injury plagued 2008-09 season, optimism is high as a result of an influx of talent and key holdovers – including DiJuan Harris at the point guard position.
College Chalktalk: Can you briefly discuss your freshmen/non-transfer newcomers to the program (skill sets, positions, etc.)?
Bobby Lutz: Shamarr Bowden led us in scoring in Canada last summer and will be a redshirt freshman. He is a terrific long range shooter and will compete for major playing time. He has unlimited range and shoots more extra shots than anyone we have had here.
Chris Braswell, a freshman, is a multi-talented forward and has a legitimate chance to be a starter from day one. He has tremendous basketball IQ and passing ability. He handles the ball very well in the open court and knows how to score and/or get fouled around the basket. He’ll have an immediate impact.
KJ Sherrill is another freshman forward with some perimeter skill. He is an excellent athlete who rebounds and blocks shots. I love his work ethic and competitiveness.
Gokhan Sirin is a freshman forward with guard skills on the offensive end. While he needs strength in order to defend and rebound, he is ready to contribute on the offensive end. He’s another great three-point shooter at 6-foot-8.
Derrio Green is a complete lead guard in that he can run a team (5-2 assist/turnover ratio) but is also a terrific scorer. He has deep three-point range and excellent quickness at both ends. He will play both guard spots.
CCT: Another newcomer is Shamari Spears via Boston College. What do you expect Shamari to bring to the table and how can he help the younger guys on and off the floor?
BL: Shamari Spears is in the best shape of his career and is a proven winner at a high level. He brings great passion every day to the court as well as exceptional offensive skills. He will be the best low post scorer here in a long time. He can also face the basket. Phil (Jones) has already benefitted from working with and against him, as will our new post players.
CCT: Speaking of Phil, he began to show increased assertiveness on the offensive end last season, but you often remarked about his conditioning still needing work. How’s it coming along?
BL: Phil has improved his fitness and agility thanks to (strength coach) Ryan Atchison and hard work. His diet is a key and he is making great strides. The offseason is critical for him to make another step like he did this past year. Phil must be more consistent for us and his fitness level will play a large role in making a difference.
CCT: How is An’Juan feeling after gutting through the latter half of the season? Is he now 100%?
BL: An’Juan is close to 100 percent. He has worked hard on his passing and shooting during the offseason. Like Phil, he has also has lost weight and gained strength.
CCT: Describe what a luxury it is to have a student-athlete and leader like senior DiJuan Harris coming back to captain this team?
BL: DiJuan is a luxury and pleasure to have as a coach. One of our best recruiters because he truly loves our program and school. He works hard and is incredibly unselfish. He hurt his ankle and will be out until August… but will be ready to go.
** Bonus Question ** The team struggled shooting the ball from the perimeter last season. Was it an issue of injuries, shot selection, spacing issues, or simply not knocking down good looks… and how does the team improve upon that mark this coming season?
BL: Injuries played a huge part of our offensive struggles. We lost our best penetrating point guard and our wing athletes for much of the season. Teams were able to stay on our shooters.
We have much better offensive talent at all positions this upcoming season, including low post players who can score. That will force help or double-teams which will open up shooters. The zone bothered us as well last season, but I feel our personnel now will help solve that as well.
In order to shoot well from the perimeter you need low-post and off-the-dribble threats to pressure your opponents. We have that now, plus we have more shooters at various positions. We will miss Lamont Mack in this area but overall are far superior.
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College Chalktalk would like to thank head coach Bobby Lutz for taking the time to join us in connection with the ‘Five Questions’ Series. We’ll be catching up with him throughout next season. CCT would also like to thank the Charlotte Media Relations Department for photo used in connection with this piece.
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Statistical Analysis: Saint Louis Billikens
By Ray Floriani | June 22, 2009
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ - Year two under the tutelage of Rick Majerus saw Saint Louis improve in the win-loss column. The Billikens were 18-14 (8-8 in the A-10) last season, up from 16-15 with a 7-9 conference slate in 2007-08.
Post-season saw an extra day in Atlantic City as well. In ‘08 the Bills dropped an overtime contest to Dayton in the opening round when Danny Brown’s attempt touched every part of the cup before sliding off the edge. This past March, the Billikens endured another first round overtime game but, this time, emerged with a win over LaSalle. The road gear was packed the next day following a loss to Xavier.
Below is a look at the numbers (with special thanks to Basketball State) from the first two seasons under Majerus. Again, conference games exclusively are summarized in the data.
| Poss. |
Off. Eff. |
Def. Eff. |
Effective FG % |
Turnover Rate |
Opponent Turnover Rate |
Off. Rebound Rate |
|
| 2007-08 |
62 |
.95 |
1.01 |
48 |
18 |
16 |
25 |
| 2008-09 |
63 |
.99 |
1.00 |
50 |
19 |
16 |
31 |
Notes and observations….
When Majerus came on board, he molded the team to his style of play. Simply put, there would be a motion style offense with a liberal amount of cuts, screens, passes et al. It may not have been the best style for the existing personnel, but they would have to learn it.
The tempo remained basically the same both years while Offensive Efficiency did improve in year two; a hint that the Bills were starting to execute Majerus’ sets more comfortably and with better results. The .04 increase in Offensive Efficiency (above) may not seem significant, but certainly is when played out over a conference season. For the second straight year, Saint Louis played at the slowest pace in the Atlantic 10.
In analyzing the numbers, we sometimes dig deep to discover a significant trend while ignoring the obvious. A case in point is the high/low scoring range of a team during a given campaign. In a basketball sense, the wider the range of scores, the less consistency a team displays.
In 2008 the Saint Louis range was 61. The low point being the infamous 20 point outing at George Washington. The high mark, an 81-74 win over La Salle. And while everyone remembers that George Washington debacle, almost forgotten was a 36 point performance in a loss to Dayton.
In 2009 the range was 48. Not great, but an improvement. The low water mark – 40 points in a loss to Temple. The high output was 88 in a win at Fordham. Getting more familiar with Majerus’ offense spelled just a little more consistency this past season. And no more nights south of 40 points.
Care of the ball is a trait evident during both years with Majerus at the helm. On one hand it’s easy to suggest that the slower pace naturally means less turnovers. But that is where a ”tempo free analysis” comes into play. The turnover rate is the percentage of possessions that end in a dreaded giveaway. Being under 20 percent in turnover rate is extremely commendable.
On the other side of the coin, Saint Louis does not force many turnovers. The defensive rate (11th in the conference) tells that the Billkens stay in their half court defense and do not look to extend it, or gamble to force miscues.
Effective field goal percentage increased in 2009. No surprise. The Offensive Efficiency was better, everyone had a year of the Majerus system and the end result was improved spacing and shooters finding themselves in better positions to get shots they could knock down. The emergence of Kwamain Mitchell as an adept penetrator was also helpful. In 2008, the Bills were 12th in conference in effective field goal percentage. This past year they improved to seventh. While not shooting the lights out yet, the five spot bump represents a marked improvement.
Offensive rebounding percentage also increased this past season. That too is a byproduct of everyone getting better acclimated with the offense. When personnel has an idea where the shots are coming from and who is apt to take them, individuals are able to better position themselves to get a second chance off the glass. It also didn’t hurt having 6-9 freshman Willie Reed and fellow frosh Brian Conklin, both significant contributors on the boards.
What about the future? Majerus loses two solid contributors in Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell. Barry Eberhardt, 21 minutes per game, was also a senior who did yeoman’s work underneath.
But a crop of talented newcomers will combine with key holdovers Mitchell, Reed and Conklin as the significant changing of the guard continues. As for the returnees, Kwamain Mitchell is aggressive and confident, possessing the ability to get to the line – but he must cut down on turnovers. Reed, as noted, has size and showed promise in averaging just over 20 minutes per outing. The big averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 boards per game while shooting 54% from the field. Conklin has an excellent feel for the game at 6-6, 220 lbs., and also shoots over 50% from the floor (52%). He should team with Reed to form two thirds of a solid frontcourt for years to come.
Look for the implementation of Majerus’ system to become more refined on the court, and the program to improve, as he recruits players to fit and execute his basketball philosophy.
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College Chalktalk Exclusive: Xavier Head Coach Chris Mack
By Chris DiSano | June 15, 2009
On April 15, 2009, Xavier University introduced Chris Mack as its new head basketball coach. In the eight weeks since taking the reins, Mack has been busy in the new role, assembling his staff and working tirelessly on the year-round recruiting campaign. Last week, Coach Mack sat down with College Chalktalk to provide an in-depth perspective on several topics related to Xavier hoops.
College Chalktalk: Xavier has had a long line of solid coaches who have moved on after successful stints in Cincinnati, Ohio. But none were graduates of the University. How do you view this job as a former player and alum - and is there any added pressure?
Chris Mack: I don’t think there’s any added pressure other than that I want to see the program I played for continue its success and hopefully go a little farther than we have.
Otherwise, I view this job as continually changing. Where the job was or what this job was, fifteen years ago, when I played… It’s not the same. It’s not the same basketball program. We’re competing on a national level now. You look at the teams that we played in 1993, when I played at Xavier, in the non-conference part of the schedule versus who we play now and, it is night and day.
So it’s exciting to be a part of the building of a national program, it’s even more exciting and more of honor to be the head coach in charge… at the same time, as you said, it is a big responsibility. It’s one I welcome. I feel like I have a great group of coaches with me and some players that understand the expectations, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge. It is something I’ve thought about–being the head coach at your alma mater–and it’s an exciting time for me and hopefully for our program as well.
CCT: As far as the coaches you’ve promoted/added, can you talk briefly about how you came to know them along the way and expound upon the initial comments we’ve heard about each.
Chris Mack: The two guys I have in my operations positions, Brian Thornton and Mario Mercurio, I’ve known for a long time. Mario has been with me ever since I was at Xavier under Skip Prosser as Director of Operations, when he was an undergrad. So I just feel like there’s such a comfort level… Mario is one of the best in the business at what he does and I’m awfully glad that he decided to stay at Xavier.
Brian Thornton, at our other operations position, is the ultimate mentor for our current players. Hopefully all of our players that we have in our program aspire to the same types of goals that Brian set for himself and achieved, such as competing for Atlantic 10 Championships and to be that representative of our program on and off the floor: Dean’s list, Academic All-American, All-conference player… and he’s young enough to still relate to our players. I think he’s going to be a super coach when that time comes down the line.
As far as the assistant coaches I have, one of them–as you know–is very familiar with our program because he was part of it last year, and that’s Travis Steele. Travis moved up from the Director of Operations to Assistant Coach. And Travis, despite his youthful 25 years of age is, in my opinion, one of the best young coaches in the country. What he’s going to do, as far as recruiting and developing our players on the floor is going to be second to none. He’s been coaching ever since he was in college, at the AAU level/high school level and so, although he’s only 25 years old, he’s been doing it a lot longer than most guys. I feel really honored and excited for him to be a part of our staff and he’s doing a great job with recruiting so far.
Orlando Ranson, better known as ‘Bino’, I got to know when we played Purdue and Georgia in the NCAA Tournament in the Washington, D.C. region. Sort of a friend of our program. Their season at Marist was complete at that time and Bino sort of hung around our staff for those games while we prepared… going to practice and coming to a couple of pre-game meals. And I really got to know Bino during that time and it planted the seed that, if I ever got the opportunity to become a head coach, he would certainly be a guy I would love to talk to at that point. He’s very well connected on the East Coast and he’s starting to make his mark on our program in terms of recruiting and I think he’s a guy our players can relate to - both on and off the floor.
If you know Bino at all, you know that he is an incredible personality, big heart… and getting to know him in Washington, D.C. was what sealed it for me. Because, I saw him as a person who didn’t have any irons in the fire… He was just a guy, a good guy, representing his school and his program well and that stuck with me.
Finally, Pat Kelsey (Associate Head Coach), and I have known each other since high school. Pat was four or five years younger than me, but basically played in all of the same high school summer leagues and gyms. We both played in the Catholic School league here in Cincinnati, worked together for Wake Forest for three years before I moved back to Xavier and I’ve always had a personal and professional relationship with Pat. He was in my wedding and I don’t think there could be anybody in America that would be a better right hand man than Pat.
With all of my coaches, I wanted to make sure that they were very well rounded. That they weren’t specialists, but that they were very competent in everything that you ask from an assistant coach. Pat is stellar, and I’m lucky to have him. I think he had a lot of other opportunities, but the familiarity with me and my familiarity with Pat made it a perfect match, so I’m glad back at Xavier, obviously he played at Xavier, and graduated from X as well.
That’s my staff.
CCT: We frequently hear questions about challenges facing young coaches, but what do you feel are some advantages of being a younger head coach?
Chris Mack: Well, being an assistant coach at the same program where you’ve become the head coach gives me great familiarity with our roster, our system, our style of play, and Xavier itself. I feel that was the major reason Mike Bobinski hired me, because I had a total understanding of what has made Xavier successful, especially over the last five years or so.
I’d also say that as a younger head coach, I have a lot of energy. I think that the recruits feel that when they come on campus. I’m also not necessarily that patterned, conditioned, older coach who sort of gives the same recruiting speech every time a prospective student athlete and their parents come to campus. Being a guy that has an enthusiasm for being in the office every day, coaching his players, and figuring things out along with a great group of assistant coaches is what I’m all about.
CCT: In your initial press conference, you talked about how the team will continue to play Xavier basketball with some small variations such as running more often. We’ll have to wait and see to an extent, but what other ‘prints’ of Chris Mack might we see implemented?
Chris Mack: I would say first that those comments in the press conference were more roster driven. We’re going to be a faster team simply because we’re going to have more guards and more speed than we did last year.
We lose B.J. Raymond, C.J. Anderson and we’re 98% sure Derek is going to be leaving as well, and we’re going to be replacing those guys with a few better athletes. Obviously we’re not going to have the experience we did in certain positions, but Mark Lyons and Jordan Crawford… I’d put these guys baseline-to-baseline with anybody in the country. So I think style of play will be more uptempo, mostly because our personnel is a little bit different.
I’d be foolish to change our system. Wholeheartedly, I really believe in everything that we have taught our kids for the last four or five years. The average fan is going to see a very similar style–as they’ve seen over the last four or five years–with just a little different personnel.
CCT: What is one thing fans will love from Jordan Crawford?
Chris Mack: Jordan is explosive with the ball. He has an innate ability to make tough shots. That’s going to actually be a challenge for him, to make sure that he’s taking good shots. He’s not a selfish kid, but at times he wants to make plays out of a complete belief in his ability and the very good ones have that belief. We, as a coaching staff, need to make sure that Jordan takes shots that put him in a position to be successful and I think he’ll do that. Fans are going to like the fact that he’s an explosive scorer and is very versatile in the ways he can score.
CCT: Thoughts about conference tournament remaining at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City?
Chris Mack: I really like it. I think it’s been a great atmosphere. Unfortunately, we haven’t been to the finals since it’s been held there, but I think it’s a great venue. I know there’s a little bit of a built-in advantage for the teams from Philadelphia, but I have enjoyed the experience in Atlantic City and I’m glad we’re going to be there.
CCT: Your thoughts about the importance of Jamel McLean given the near certain departure of Derek Brown as you just stated.
Chris Mack: Jamel really got his feet wet last year and I was glad to see him play the best basketball of his young Xavier career down the stretch. He really performed well in the NCAA Tournament for us and made some big plays which hopefully gave him a lot of confidence.
I know he’s been working hard this summer and feels that added burden, if you will, of having to perform more than he was counted on this past year, but I think he’s ready for that… it’s his fourth year of college and, when you become a junior, it’s time. You’re now one of the people that coaches count on game-in and game-out and we’re really looking forward to his junior year.
CCT: What is a personal trait of Chris Mack you hope to see in your team?
Chris Mack: From everything I’ve ever been involved in I’ve always been the ultimate competitor. Sometimes a little too much, but I think that’s what drives somebody in athletics and drives somebody at this level.
And I’ll say this, we have competitive kids. It’s one thing I love about our kids and our team, that they are competitive and it’s been that way over the last several years and hopefully that continues. I think we’re all cut from the same cloth right now and that’s a good thing.
CCT: Other than ball-handling, in your eyes what other area is critical for this team to be successful this year?
Chris Mack: For us to be the team we want to be and expect to be, we’re going to have to be ultra-competitive on the backboards. We certainly were in 2008-09, but when you take away C.J., Derek, and a two guard of B.J. Raymond’s size, there are going to be a lot of question marks from people outside of our program asking, “can Xavier rebound at the level they have in the past?”; and I really feel like we can answer the bell if we rebound as a team on both ends. If so, we can have the type of season we want. But that will be, in my opinion, the biggest challenge for this team.
CCT: Who are the biggest gym rats with the best work ethic on the team?
Chris Mack: There are two or three guys who really stick out.
Brad Redford is a guy you can always find in the gym. I’d also say Jason Love, from the moment he stepped on our campus to the present, has been one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around. And Terrell Holloway has had an exceptional summer.
Those three guys, each in their own way, have been great. Jason has done it over time, Brad has only been here for a year but I’ve been very impressed with his work ethic, and Terrell… I don’t think he’s ever worked as hard as he has these last four or five weeks and it’s been awesome.
CCT: Kenny Frease showed a lot of promise last year, even though big men are typically a bit slower to develop. What are you looking for from him this year as a barometer of his improvement?
Chris Mack: Consistency. When people saw Kenny at his best last year, they probably asked, “Why can’t he do this more often?” I know that question is asked a lot about freshmen, but Kenny had giant swings from playing extremely well to being a non-factor in games.
He recognizes that and, like you said, it’s a huge jump from senior year in high school to freshman year in college. Hopefully he takes the year of experience, learns from it, let’s it motivate him, and hopefully has a tremendous sophomore season because he’s certainly capable.
CCT: Might as well finish with the obligatory ‘open scholarships’ question. With three out there, is it status quo in terms of most likely standing pat?
Chris Mack: We remain on transfer alert, if it’s a person we think is going to impact our program and not just be somebody we take. And, I’d say the same thing with the 2009 class. You don’t want to take anybody into your program that you feel can’t compete at this level. When you’re this late in the game, usually there are more questions marks than there are answers with many kids.
My best guess would be that who we have on our roster this year will be who we compete with for the upcoming year, but you never know…
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CCT would like to thank Coach Mack for taking the time to join us.
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Five Questions: Saint Joseph’s Head Coach Phil Martelli
By CCT Staff | June 8, 2009
CCT recently caught up with Saint Joseph’s Head Coach Phil Martelli to chat about the state of the SJU program. The former National Coach of the Year answered questions concerning the incoming recruiting class, life without Ahmad Nivins and more. Saint Joseph’s finished 17-15 last season and, under Martelli, the Hawks have averaged over 21 wins per year since 2003-2004 season.
College Chalktalk: As is always the case in the ‘Five Questions’ series, can you give fans a preview of the newcomers to your program?
Phil Martelli: Carl Jones is a prolific scorer, he’s thin – sub 6-foot, but he has a great ability to score the basketball. He comes from a winning program, a program that understands work. We’re really excited about having the chance to get on the floor with him.
Justin Crosgile is similar, but he’s probably a better long-range shooter than Carl Jones. He is a very, very creative passer. He’s extraordinarily quick, probably one of the quicker guys that we’ve had in the program. He scored 2,000 points in high school which takes a lot of skill. Justin comes with tremendous skill.
Carl Baptiste is a guy who’s like a Saint Joe’s player in that he’s continued to improve. He has not rested on his laurels. He’s a big frontcourt player who has the ability to play away from the basket, but is very willing to bang and make his presence felt.
CCT: A popular question, but how does your team move forward in terms of game planning and execution without Ahmad Nivins, one of the league’s all time best in the frontcourt?
PM: Ahmad gave us the ability to score in and around the basket. He was a shot blocker. And he had a great practice demeanor, so those are all areas that we have to address.
Our execution will need to be sharper and we will probably need to be a more balanced team because we’re not going to have a guy who I would see as a Player of the Year candidate. So we will need a balanced attack. We’re going to have to play quicker than we have in the past with Ahmad. I don’t think it’s a question of replacing anybody, it’s a question of retooling and revising because we will be without Ahmad.
CCT: Your squad is going to be rather inexperienced this coming season (with just Williamson and Govens as the rising seniors). Who do you expect to take a major leadership role on this team and what do they need to bring to the table in terms of leadership and play?
PM: The leadership role in my program has always gone through the seniors. Darrin Govens and Garrett Williamson need to be men on the court, they need to be men off the court, they need to be men in airports and in buses and in hotels, etc. They will set the tempo in each and every way. It will never change in this program that we will always count on our oldest guys to lead. In terms of playing, they have to continue to improve. We’re not looking at just any one guy and saying, ‘he’s the number one key’. It’s about each guy improving so that the collective group can improve.
CCT: Several times last year you remarked that offensively your team was a bit stagnant and that the half court offense, in particular, was lacking something. What will change about your offense this year compared to last?
PM: Quicker, quicker, quicker. I think that we want to get the floor opened up. We want to put skillful players at all five spots on the floor, but we do want to get up and down the floor to be in more of an attack mode. That’s going to take tremendous attention to skill work and skill development and the players have done that in the spring, and hopefully they’ll carry that into their own in the summer.
CCT: How will losing Tasheed Carr impact your team on both ends of the floor? What player(s) will be most counted on to assume the role of the floor leader, and how critical is it to identify your point guard early in the season?
PM: Point guard to me is the key position in college basketball and, right now, I’m looking at the two young kids (Crosgile & Jones) coming in as the leading candidates, understanding that their bodies may not be up to the task and the challenge of college basketball. But they’ll grow into that and I believe they have the skill set. Garrett Williamson sacrificed his own game for the last two years to play a position he wasn’t really raised playing – the point guard spot. I think we’ll ask Darrin Govens to do a little more ball handling, which hasn’t been his strength while he’s been here. But he wants the challenge and he will face that challenge.
Bonus Question: How much are you looking forward to playing in your new and improved arena at Hawk Hill? What will the arena do for the fans, and also for your program in the future?
PM: I think that it has created a buzz and last year, even though we had this wonderful opportunity to play in the best college basketball building, it wasn’t as conducive to a homecourt advantage. I know that our fans are going to be energetic and very excited and I want our team to be mean spirited in a way about defending our homecourt.
We didn’t do a great job last year, but that’s happened and not what is about to happen. And, as we go forward, the idea is to make a welcoming place and a friendly place for our visitors, but we’re going to make sure they leave with a loss.
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College Chalktalk would like to thank Coach Martelli for taking the time to join us in connection with the ‘Five Questions’ Series. CCT would also like to thank the Saint Joseph’s Sports Information Department for photography used in connection with this piece.
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Five Questions: LU Head Coach Dr. John Giannini
By CCT Staff | June 1, 2009
In this edition of ‘Five Questions’, College Chalktalk talks with La Salle Head Coach Dr. John Giannini who followed up a 15 win season in 2007-08 with an 18-13 campaign last season. After winning just 10 times in 2006-07, Giannini has set the program on a clear path to success, with much expected of a core group of seniors, led by Rodney Green, in 2009-10. Here, Coach Giannini chats with CCT about the state of La Salle hoops:
College Chalktalk: Coach, speak briefly about your incoming class.
John Giannini: We have a small class because we only lost one senior who played a lot. Aaric Murray is a recruit of tremendous potential and could have an immediate impact. He is big, surprisingly strong in the hips and legs, athletic and pretty skilled coming out of high school.
Devon White will be a red-shirt freshman. He is big, strong, has long arms and could be an outstanding rebounder and shot blocker. After our seniors graduate, Aaric and Devon could have enough experience to lead our frontcourt to great things.
CCT: Yves was such an important part of your team last year and, obviously, went down at the end of the year with a wrist injury. As a coach, what do you lose on the floor when Yves isn’t out there?
JG: Yves [Mekongo Mbala] brings stability and toughness. His effort is constant so you can always count on him. His skills and productivity mean a lot but his consistency is something we missed. To our team’s credit, we lost one of our best players and still beat a lot of good teams. I am pleased about what that says about the depth of talent we have.
CCT: Last year your team played Connecticut, Florida State, Southern Mississippi and Villanova in the non-conference portion of the schedule. How much did those games help you in February and March and will you look to schedule similarly this year?
JG: Those games do make you better – if you are good enough to compete with those teams, which we were. We would like to play as many high level programs as possible on a home-and-home basis, but we have not had any new takers despite our persistent efforts calling those people. We are excited about playing Kansas in Kansas City and participating in the Charleston Classic (Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, South Florida, Davidson, Tulane, UNC-Wilmington). We also play NCAA Tournament teams in Cornell and Binghamton as well as other teams that we think will have success and help our RPI.
CCT: This year you will have seniors in Goodridge, Barrett, Green, Mbala and Guillandeaux, the latter four playing together for four years. In a sport that can be dominated by upperclassmen, what are your initial thoughts on possibly starting five seniors who last year produced 78% of your team’s offense?
JG: Our seniors have been the cornerstone of building our program. They are deeply invested in and committed to La Salle Basketball. They are the key reasons we have the potential to have a great year.
CCT: In 2008-09, your team was second in the league in offensive rebounds and fourth in defensive rebounds. What makes for a great rebounding team, and how critical was winning the boards in your 18 wins?
JG: First, it helps to have tough, athletic, long players, which we do. Second, we emphasize it constantly by keeping stats and rewarding rebounding with playing time. There’s a saying in business, ‘What gets rewarded gets done.’ That fits our philosophy for rebounding.
Bonus Question: As a coach, is it more difficult to get your team ready to play at true road game in a big time atmosphere or on a neutral floor with a sparse crowd?
JG: We always seem to play well on the road in front of hostile crowds. You have to be a mature and confident team to do that but we have to play better at home.
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College Chalktalk would like to thank Head Coach Giannini for taking the time to join us in connection with the ‘Five Questions’ Series. CCT would also like to thank the La Salle Sports Information Department for photo used in connection with this piece.
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