Tinkering with success

Sporting News, The, Sept 29, 2003 by Mike DeCourcy

You will see many of the same names atop the polls at the start of the season, but that doesn't mean you will see the same teams. The coaches, uniforms and, in some cases, the personnel won't have changed dramatically. But three big-name programs have seen enough players move on to be left with two simple choices: tinker with their schemes or take a step back.

Arizona. The Wildcats averaged 85.2 points last season. Even though Jason Gardner and Luke Walton are gone, Arizona's coaches will not have to look bard to find guys to take over the offense. They expect junior shooting guard Salim Stoudamire to have a huge--and more consistent--season. And center Channing Frye, who added muscle ha the offseason, should be ready to carry a bigger load.

But the fundamental reason Arizona did not reach the national championship game last season was its best offensive team was not its best defensive team. Wings Andre Iguodala and Hassan Adams ranked second and third on the team ha steals, but neither averaged 20 minutes as a freshman. Their roles will be more significant this season.

Iguodala or Adams could start at small forward, with the other coming off the bench. Or the 6-6 Iguodala could play power forward, which would make the Wildcats small but even more dynamic. The loss of recruit Ndudi Ebi to the NBA means the rotation likely will be only seven deep, so the Wildcats probably won't apply fullcourt pressure. They'll either extend their defense ha the halfcourt or install a zone that allows them to take advantage of their length and quickness and avoid disadvantageous matchups.

Maryland. Of the nine or 10 players who figure to be ha the rotation, only junior guard Andre Collins and senior center Jamar Smith are upperclassmen.

With more depth and quickness available than experience and precision, coach Gary Williams has been plotting a return to the full-court pressure that once defined his coaching style.

Because recent players were better suited to running a halfcourt offense, the Terps wisely moved away from the press. But Williams can't expect a team loaded with freshmen and sophomores to execute perfect flex cuts. Guys such as sophomore Chris McCray and gifted freshman Mike Jones can run, jump and shoot--and that's what they'll be asked to do.

The coaching staff expects Smith and freshman Ekene Ibekwe to provide the essential shot-blocking presence at the back of the press.

The most interesting player ha Maryland's revised approach could be 6-8 sophomore Nik Caner-Medley, who mostly played small forward last season. With his strength, ball skills and shooting ability, he could slide to power forward, which would provide a challenging matchup for opponents and put more bite ha the press.

Texas. Opponents shot 41.5 percent against last year's Final Four Longhorns, which is not the kind of batting average we've come to expect against a team coached by Rick Barnes. No one at Texas is complaining that T.J. Ford stopped by to play some point guard, but sacrifices were made to accommodate him. This team figures to be much better defensively.

Whether Ford's replacement is junior college transfer Edgar Moreno, sophomore Kenton Paulino or incumbent shooting guard Royal Ivey--Barnes is particularly high on Paulino's potential--the Longhorns will play on the-ball defense more sternly.

The Longhorns have so many components of an excellent team it's hard to imagine they will fall far without Ford. The frontcourt is perhaps the nation's best--and deepest. Small forward Brandon Mouton is capable of averaging 18 or so points.

The offense was halting enough before Ford arrived for there to be legitimate concern about how Texas Hill score points. If opponents score only 60, though, the Longhorns usually should be able to reach 61.

SPEED READ

* Were Vanderbilt chancellor 6ordon Gee a coach, sportswriters would denounce his trek through five universities in 20 years as the journey of a job-hopping opportunist. Instead, with Gee "declaring war" on the culture of college athletics, they applaud him. Gee is a fraud. If he wanted to de-emphasize athletics, he'd drop the Commodores to Division III. What he wants is more positive press.

Our in-depth College Basketball preview has everything you need for the 2003-04 season, including outlooks ant schedules for every Division I school. Pre-order your copy at www.sportingnews.com/books/cbasketball.

INSIDE DISH

Not only did Villanova likely lose PG Derrick Snowden for the season because of a torn ACL, but the injury also apparently will cost the school SG Keith Benjamin, a recruit from Mount Vernon, N.Y. With Snowden likely to redshirt and return for his senior season ha 2004-05, Benjamin withdrew his commitment because he didn't want to be the Wildcats' fifth guard as a freshman. Benjamin since has orally committed to Pittsburgh, which will lose SG Julius Page after this season ... Although many recruiting experts are expecting PG Sebastian Telfair of Brooklyn, N.Y., to enter the NBA draft, he wants to make a recruiting visit to North Carolina. Telfair ranks among the nation's top 10 prep players. UNC also is among the final four schools for coveted PG Shaun Livingston of Peoria, Ill., along with Duke, Illinois and Arizona.... Lefty combo G Isaiah Swann, who plays at Virginia's Hargrave Military Academy, recently visited Arizona and has become a prime target for the Wildcats. He also has been to Florida State and strongly is considering Cincinnati, UConn and Maryland.... SF Gavin Grant of St. Raymond's High ha the Bronx, N.Y., was eager to follow in the footsteps of former Ravens and current N.C. State star Julius Hodge, which made Grant's commitment to the Wolfpack a natural. Grant is a capable shooter and athlete, but he needs to play more aggressively to make an impact in the ACC.... The final piece to Indiana's stellar recruiting class is SG A.J. Ratliff, an impressive athlete with an ideal basketball body. Other major schools were surprisingly slow to pursue Ratliff, but he convinced the Hoosiers with a summer ha which he shot the ball very well.--M.D.