VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2], 3, 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 06:27:50 10/18/04 Mon
Author: dent
Subject: season preview of WCC Bay Area teams from 10/16 SF Chron

For years, USF has longed to return to the big time of college basketball. When the Dons take the floor this morning for their first practice of the 2004-05 season, they'll do so with a head coach who knows something about the big time.

In fact, some USF players call coach Jessie Evans "Big Time."

"Nothing bothers him. He's got a cool, calm demeanor," senior guard Jason Gaines said Friday during the Dons' team-picture/media day at Memorial Gym. "He (has) a 'been there, done that' attitude. It's good to have that in a coach."

"He's demanding, but in a professional way," junior swingman Jerome Gumbs said.

Evans said the "Big-Time" nickname denotes "class. We do things in a classy way. ... I don't think I'm 'big time,' but I enjoy (the nickname)."

Evans came to the Hilltop after seven years as the head man at Louisiana- Lafayette. Prior to that, Evans spent nine seasons on Lute Olson's staff at Arizona. Evans left Tucson after the Wildcats won the national championship in 1997 and proudly wears his ring commemorating Arizona's national title.

Louisiana-Lafayette nearly beat the Wildcats last season, losing 72-69. After watching the tape of that game "a couple of times," Gumbs said he became excited about the style of play Evans employs.

"He gave (his players) freedom," Gumbs said. "You could tell he was working 'em hard in practice, but then let 'em do it in games."

To play the fast-paced, score-in-the-80s type of game Evans would like the Dons to feature, he stresses that his defense has to create enough turnovers to get layups.

Said Gumbs: "(Evans) said, 'If the man you're guarding isn't mad at you at the end of the day, you're not doing your job.' "

Gumbs, guard Andre Hazel and forward Tyrone Riley are the three returning starters from last season's team that went 17-14, 7-7 in West Coast Conference play.

The Dons also welcome back swingman John Cox, who injured his knee in the opener last year and was out for the rest of the season. Cox, an All-WCC performer in the 2002-03 season, received a medical redshirt and enters this season in the rare position of a sixth-year senior. He graduated in December and is playing this season as a grad student.

Cox admitted he's still conscious of his knee, particularly before a practice or game, but said once he gets into the flow of the action, he's fine.

His tenure with the Dons has Cox's teammates calling him "Old Head," which is more of a compliment than a needle.

"It's not just because of his years of eligibility," Gumbs said, "it's what he brings in terms of experience and leadership."

Said Gaines: "It's just good to have him back."

The "Old Head" player has impressed the "Big-Time" coach.

"He's got a great pedigree," Evans said, in a reference to Cox's father, "Chubby," who played at USF in the 1970s. "He's a pleasure to work with. You know he's been through it all; he's been screamed at and hollered at.

"And offensively, we know he can put the ball in the basket."

USF opens the season Nov. 19 against Stanford at the Arena in Oakland in the Pete Newell Challenge. That's certainly a big-time debut for "Big Time," "Old Head" and the rest of the Dons.

Gaels' high expectations: The WCC coaches' poll has St. Mary's as the No. 2 team in the conference, slightly behind Gonzaga. That speaks to the job coach Randy Bennett has done in Moraga.

He took over a team that went 2-27 in the 2000-01 season. In his three seasons with the Gaels, St. Mary's record has improved steadily: from 9-20 to 15-15 to 19-12 (9-5 WCC) last season.

If the Gaels can continue that progression, they'll rack up 23 or 24 wins this season. Bennett believes that next step is the toughest to achieve.

"I think we can do it," Bennett said, "but thinking it and doing it are two different things."

Bennett does have the luxury of returning all five starters, led by guards Paul Marigney and E.J. Rowland and forward Daniel Kickert.

Broncos' tough November: At Santa Clara, Dick Davey also has an experienced team, highlighted by a solid backcourt with Kyle Bailey and Doron Perkins.

The Broncos' November schedule isn't for the faint-hearted. Santa Clara (16-16, 6-8 last season) opens with a three-game tournament at New Mexico, with one of those games against the host Lobos. The Broncos then play North Carolina in the Newell Classic and face Stanford.

"We like to play good teams and we think that'll help us down the road," Davey said. "... What's tough, though, is we don't want to lose our confidence. In that first month, we could get our heads beat in."

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.