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Posted Dec. 1, 2005
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 E-mail: mark@d3hoops.com |
Lincoln off to fast start on long road
The pressure is on at Lincoln in Pennsylvania, where the men's basketball team has already upset two Division II opponents, pulled off a couple of dramatic come-from-behind wins, and knocked off one Top 25 foe.
The pressure is not on the 5-1 Lions, so much as it is on their opposition. The key to Lincoln's early-season success has been a pressure defense that has forced 23 turnovers per game. It is a style similar in nature to that used in the high-scoring system at Grinnell. “Chaos” is how junior guard Thomas Lahart, who ranks second on the team in steals, describes it.
“I think that most guards at the Division III level aren't as athletic as mine,” said second-year head coach Garfield Yuille, a Lincoln graduate and former Marine, who brought with him a team philosophy of ‘Discipline, Desire, Dedication.' “We try to play a pressure defense that wears other guards down. If you're not in shape, it will show. Hopefully we won't play a team that's in better shape than us.”
 Kyle Myrick averages more than 30 points per game, but isn't a one-man show. |
Lincoln's players got into shape during the preseason by awakening for 5:45 a.m. conditioning and running. They feel it will be worth it at year's end, at which they hope last year's scene won't repeat itself. The Lions, who play as an independent, gathered in their gym to learn their postseason fate. When word came down that the team didn't earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, despite a 21-6 mark, some players were in tears. Lincoln then lost its first-round ECAC game to Franklin and Marshall.
That Lions team was heavily reliant on two scorers — high-profile senior forward Jarrett Kearse, a transfer from West Virginia, and junior guard Kyle Myrick, who combined to average 54 points a night. Kearse, now pursuing a pro career, has since moved on, and while his presence is missed, there are more opportunities on the offensive end for everyone. Myrick, described by some as a cross between NBA stars Sam Cassell and Allen Iverson, is averaging 30.2 points, but now three other players are scoring in double figures. Junior Sami Wylie, a 3-point threat, is at 16.7 points. Sophomores Darryl White who had a triple double (including 10 blocked shots) in a win over Division II Cheyney, and Thomas Hickson are each averaging just over 10 points.
“We've filled Jarrett's shoes as a team, not as individuals,” said Lahart, who earned his way into a starting spot through his defensive play. We have more speed on the team this year. We have guys who are willing to listen who came from good programs.”
“I think that some of our guys were intimidated by Jarrett, but I didn't want to disrupt that,” Yuille said. “Last year, it was just those two guys taking shots. It helped us a lot, but it hurt us when it really counted. This year we've brought in more guys that can score.”
Lincoln 's strength is scoring in bunches. The Lions have faced a deficit of eight points or more in every game this season but have thrived on the ability to come back. They rallied from 19 points down with nine minutes to play in their win over Richard Stockton in the title game of the Blue Jay Classic the season's first weekend.
“It's almost like they have an on/off switch,” said Albright coach Rick Ferry, whose team is the only one to beat Lincoln this season, winning 97-96 on Nov. 22 on a last-second basket. “When it's on, look out. That press is what they thrive on. If they score they can set up the press. That explains the comebacks. It was amazing how quick and easy it was for them (when it works). I'm glad we don't have to play them again.”
Lincoln will add two more players at the semester break. They'll get a Division I transfer in 6-5 forward Tyreek Byard, who started nine games at Division I Temple two years ago, became academically ineligible but regained good standing at Lincoln after a referral there by Owls head John Chaney. Also joining the team will be 6-9 forward Fred Luke, a transfer from Philadelphia Community College, of whom Yuille said: “He looks like Lebron James, but dunks like Ben Wallace.”
Scheduling games has been an issue for Lincoln, as being both good and unaffiliated with a league, has made things tough for Division III's only historically black college. So the team will compete on the road in seven tournaments this season. They'll see Richard Stockton again in their gym next week. The Ospreys are one of only three Division III programs who will come to Lincoln 's campus. Randolph-Macon was the first and the No. 11 Yellow Jackets lost by 23 earlier this week as the Lions turned a four-point halftime lead into a 16-point edge at the midway point by forcing turnovers all over the court.
“I don't think we've played a complete game yet, but Randolph-Macon is the closest we've come,” Yuille said. “We're still learning the concepts (of this style). We might get a little lax on defense, but then the guys realize it and dig in.”
Most of the games haven't been that ‘easy.' Lincoln counts itself among those surprised that the team is off to this 5-1 start.
“In practice, when we scrimmage, we'll tell our starters that they're down 20, and that they have to come back,” Yuille said. “It turns out that's the way it is in games too. They scrap and they hustle, and they do come back.”
 Kelli Staley (center, in white) with camp directors and participants on her trip to Lithuania. |
TRAVELING: Some of Kelli Staley's teammates at Buena Vista traveled this past summer, but their trips likely didn't compare with that of the team's second leading scorer.
“It's hard to beat Lithuania,” Staley said with a laugh, not long before hopping on a bus for a weekend of games in Colorado, where Buena Vista will try to improve its 2-2 mark and Staley will try to maintain her average of 21 points per game.
Staley was overseas at the end of May and early June, working with their version of the Special Olympics as part of an internship she designed during her sophomore year. Buena Vista has a competition for sophomore students to receive an all-expense paid trip to do work beyond academic study and Staley's project was the one selected. The original intent was to work in Australia, but Staley ended up in Lithuania instead and got a good taste of a different way of life.
“Lithuania is still developing, after the time under (Soviet) rule,” Staley said. “It's still getting into its groove. The people there aren't really in a hurry when they have to do things. When we went sightseeing, our tour guides would just pull over their car, and we'd eat by the side of the road. Their food is really fatty and greasy.”
Around the World A new regular feature that I want to implement is to profile recent Division III athletes who are in the midst of playing basketball overseas. For our first subject, we picked ex-NYU standout Rachel Wojdowski. After exchanging e-mails with Rachel, we thought it would be best to just let her tell her story in her own words.
My experience playing overseas has been pretty good. Just the opportunity to experience a whole new culture is great in itself. Basketball has been different. My team is probably one of the youngest in the league, so it's been difficult. I haven't played with girls as young as 17 since high school. As an American, you're expected to do just about everything. So I'm also a second coach out on the court. A lot of these girls don't have the fundamentals that we were taught playing in grade school. But they are learning and things are getting much better in those regards. I'm playing pretty well here. I am averaging 25 points a game. I am enjoying myself here. Holland is very very green! The people are all very nice and everyone speaks English. I lucked out big time with that. I drive a tiny, tiny car. It looks like a "Micro Machine." I've learned some Dutch. I can count and say a few greetings and things like that. Our record to start the season is 1-5. Like I said earlier we have an extremely young team. A lot of our losses were close ones at the buzzer. I even had a game where a girl made it from halfcourt at the buzzer and we lost. But I definitely miss the winning record that I had at NYU. As for my stats, our manager is starting out and isn´t too good at taking stats. The only stat that I know for sure is my points per game, which is 25.6. I didn´t know until two weeks ago that I didn´t have a stat line because no one was taking them. My coach is working on a way where someone who knows what they are doing, will be able to keep track of things. Playing at NYU and for Coach Quinn prepared me for playing overseas in many ways. First of all, I know that if I could survive Coach Quinn, I could survive anyone :) Just kidding Coach! But my coaches told me that they looked at me more like a "coach on the court." I was expected to be more vocal and be a leader. That's exactly what I do here. The other American and I have the challenge of playing our normal game, but also having to make adjustments here and there so our other teammates are able to play with us. Communication was something always stressed at NYU. The coaches were always telling us that we need to talk more on the court, and we saw the consequences of keeping our mouths shut. So I really understood the importance of constantly talking on the court at NYU. The same goes here, but now it''s even more difficult. During the games in the heat of the moment a lot the girls don't understand me. But I think I am doing much better than a lot of the American players overhere. I here a lot of the Americans on the other teams saying "I don't understand." My experience at NYU prepared my in many ways for my career in Europe , but I think my leadership and communication skills really helped me have an edge here. The season ends at the end of March, and the playoffs begin in April. If we make it far into the playoffs I could be here till May. My team does have a Web site. Just go to Google and then type in “MPC-Celeritudo.” It's all in Dutch. If you know any other recent Division III grads playing overseas, send us an e-mail at mark@d3hoops.com and we'll try to contact them for a future edition of Around the World. |
I'm playing for MPC- Celeritudo. The team is located in Groningen, Holland. The city is about two hours north of Amsterdam. It's one of the biggest cities in Holland, so there are things to do. I guess the reason why I chose Holland was because that´s the area where my agent has many contacts. My former teammate at North Carolina-Wilmington (before transferring to NYU), Cherie Lea, was playing here in Holland. My agent was helping coach her team and she gave him my name because he asked her about any players she knew of looking to come over. So I sent him my tapes and he sent them out to teams looking for a guard. I had a few other options to play here or in Germany, but I heard many good things about Holland being a good country to start out. That´s basically why I chose to come here. Staley got enough of a workout in teaching basketball that she wasn't affected by the change in diet. She arranged with Nike to send boxes of basketballs and socks for the program, so each of the 20 or so kids (most around the age of 16) she worked with were appreciative. Staley worked through the language barrier with the help of translators and showed her pupils a variety of basketball drills.
“Once the camp started, everything just fell into place,” said Staley, who was asked to return to coach the team in competition this month, but couldn't since she had to deal with her own studies and basketball season. “We practiced for two hours in the morning and then in the afternoon. It was neat to see how close I had gotten with the girls. They looked up to me.”
SHOULD WE BELIEVE? There are always a few teams before Christmas break whose performance surprises us. This season, we've spotted a few teams whose starts, or notable wins, have caught our eye.
Lake Erie had a rather eventful start to the season, as two days prior to practice beginning, Storm coach Jim Dolan resigned and was replaced on an interim basis by Cliff Hunt, a longtime scholastic coach and Hiram graduate who served as an assistant last season. Expectations were reasonably high, as the Storm were preseason pick to win the Allegheny Mountains Collegiate Conference after finishing third last season. Lake Erie returns preseason AMCC Player of the Year, senior center Jajcen Harris and added two impact transfers in senior Chad Hunt (Cliff's son), a 6-5 forward from Division II Ashland, and junior guard Trivone Curry from Pierce Junior College (Washington), who got a recommendation from a junior college assistant coach, who happened to be a Lake Erie alum.
The Storm split its first two games, losing to host Capital in its tip-off tournament, but garnered some attention after surprising Division II foe Edinboro. Lake Erie won with defense, holding Edinboro to 2-for-22 shooting from 3-point range.
“I like their dedication and effort,” Cliff Hunt said. “Our biggest thing is that (the players) like what I like, which is getting after people and letting our offense be created by our defense. If you make sure every shot is contested, those shots get a lot tougher. If you miss four or five in a row, the rim sure gets a lot smaller as the game goes on. W e've gotta get better on offense. We're averaging too many turnovers for a team that wants to be good. I don't know if we're ready to be that team (that beat Edinboro) on a steady basis, but I think it will happen as time goes on.”
Lawrence wasn't the only Midwest Conference team to pick off a WIAC foe in the seasons first two weeks. Carroll did so as well, topping a ranked UW-Whitewater team that had beaten them by 27 a year ago. The Pioneers were MWC runners-up two seasons ago and lost to the semis against Lawrence (after beating them in the regular-season finale) and are trying to position themselves for a championship-caliber breakthrough.
Carroll's lineup is veteran-tested with all five starters either seniors or juniors and can put out lineups of various sizes and shapes depending on matchups and situations. Junior guard Nate Drury leads the team in scoring, averaging 20.5 points and his backcourt mate, point guard James Johnson, is in his second year as a starter after transferring from Division I Western Carolina. Senior forward Jason Scheper averages 11 points and 12.5 rebounds. Drury led the way with 26 points against Whitewater.
“That game was a good step,” said David Schultz, a UW-Oshkosh grad, who will get the chance to go against his alma mater later this month. “That was the kind of game that was difficult for us to win last season. “ In athletics, confidence is everything. I can see our confidence grew with that win. A good quality win can carry you a long way. Now, we've got to start stacking good wins.”
Our publisher, Pat Coleman, saw Dominican play Aurora last season and didn't have much reason to believe that this year's game would be much different. But Dominican, now a member of the Lake Michigan Conference, surprised its former NIIC rival, whom it had lost to twice by a combined 50 points in 2004-05, with an unlikely road upset on Nov. 22. The Stars enter a Thursday night game with Milwaukee School of Engineering with four wins, more than half of last season's total of seven. They have added a couple of junior college transfers to a lineup that in 2004-05 featured seven freshmen and sophomores in the top nine. Sophomore forward Mike Haiduc, one of seven Chicago natives on the roster, has had a strong start to the season, averaging 17 points. The team looked impressive enough that it even earned a 25th-place vote on one ballot in the most recent Top 25 poll.
“The big thing that we're doing is defending very well,” said Dominican head coach Mark White. “I think we caught Aurora on an off night. We have a lot of work to do, but we have players in the program who can (improve us).”
FEEL GOOD: We had written about All-American Aurora forward Larry Welton and his battle to overcome non-Hodgkins lymphoma last season.
Well, we were tipped off to a nice story about Welton from this season's opening weekend and felt it was one also worth sharing. Welton was named MVP of the Lee Pfund Classic after Aurora defeated host school Wheaton (Ill.) by a point in the championship game. The trophy was named after former Wheaton player Will Landry, who passed away this summer. Landry's family presented the trophy to Welton.
When Welton got back to campus, he was puzzled by something. He didn't understand why he had been awarded the MVP when it was clear that he had been outplayed by Wheaton's Tony Bollier (who scored 56 points in the tournament's two games). Welton was told that the trophy always goes to a player from the winning team. Welton still felt strongly that Bollier was more worthy, and after learning that Bollier had played with Landry, Welton decided to do what he viewed as the right thing. He sent the trophy back to Wheaton, with a note saying that it truly belonged to Bollier this year. The folks at Wheaton were quite touched by this gesture. As were we.
Notes for Around the Nation are compiled with the help of sports information directors across the country. If you have suggestions or information for this column, please send it to mark@d3hoops.com.
Previous columns
2007-08 columns
March 6: Faith restored
Feb. 27: John Jay, Cinderella
Feb. 21: No safety net
Feb. 14: Ursinus better enough
Feb. 8: Hope-TMC on collision course
Jan. 31: Plattsburgh's big shot
Jan. 24: UMD answers call
Jan. 18: Like Bosko, like son
Jan. 11: Keystone stakes
Dec. 13: Unstoppable
Dec. 7: UWW aiming deeper
Nov. 30: Coach's shadow lingers
Nov. 15: Strong duo
2006-07 columns
2005-06 columns
2004-05 columns
2003-04 columns
2002-03 columns
2001-02 columns
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