New Orleans

[Cooley]

(Information in this team report is as of October 1.)

COACH AND PROGRAM

New Orleans Privateers

Last Season 14-17 (.452)

Conference Record 9-9 (4th)

Starters Lost/Returning 1/4

Coach Joe Pasternack (Indiana '99)

Record At School First year

Career Record First year

RPI Last 5 years 183-135-210-255-217

Joe Pasternack says he isn't the primary storyline of New Orleans this season, though it's easy to see how the mistake could be made. The 30-year-old Pasternack has made it back home as a head coach after a Doogie Howser-like whirlwind that began by attending Indiana just so he could volunteer four years un-der Bobby Knight. After graduating with a degree in marketing, he worked eight years under Ben Braun at California, where he began as video coordinator. And Pasternack is the Privateers third coach in as many seasons since Hurricane Katrina washed the Privateers from beautiful Lakefront Arena to the cramped and dated Human Performance Center. Technically, the previous two coaches, Monte Towe and Buzz Williams, didn't even leave for higher ground. They took assistant jobs. Towe returned to NC State when Sidney Lowe was hired late in the game last year and Williams left during the summer to join Tom Crean's staff at Marquette.

Which leads to what Pasternack sees as the real story this season -- what the senior trio of Bo McCalebb, James Parlow and Ben Elias have endured during their careers. Along with playing for their third coach in as many years, they spent a semester evacuated to Tyler, Texas, because of Katrina. Parlow's home was in the devastated Lower Ninth Ward. McCalebb is also from New Orleans.

'This season needs to be all about those seniors and all they've been through,'' said Pasternack, who grew up in New Orleans watching Tim Floyd's UNO teams win four league titles and go to the NCAA Tournament twice. 'It is very important to me that they have a special year.'' Despite a program that seems to have degenerated to a constant state of flux, the ingredients for a special season could be in hand.

PLAYERS

The 6-0 McCalebb alone would give them a puncher's chance. He is the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year after averaging 25.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior. McCalebb is already tied for fifth on the Sun Belt all-time scoring list with Ronnie Murphy (1,937 points) and is on pace to pass Charlie Bradley (South Florida, 1985) career mark of 2,319. Although most defend him with a cushion because of his so-so jump shot -- McCalebb made 26-of-78 three-pointers last year -- he still routinely drives past defenders to the rim. He attempted 248 free throws last season. 'The first thing that stood out to me was his level of toughness,'' Pasternack said. 'Of course, his explosion off the dribble is spectacular, but Bo is one of the toughest players I've ever been around.''

McCalebb's 6.8 rebounds per game attest to that.

In a sense, though, that number disturbs Pasternack. He's not sure there should be that many for his small guard to gather, and he's trying to make McCalebb's grit contagious. 'The culture here has to change,'' Pasternack said. 'Defense and rebounding have been very poor here the last three years. We must change that mentality.''

Pasternack believes tough love will be well received by a veteran club tired of transition. McCalebb and the 6-3 Parlow (12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg) are complemented by another senior in the backcourt, 5-11 Shaun Reynolds (10.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg).

Parlow shot 47.2 percent while making 85 three-pointers last season. Reynolds is also a deep threat. He made 26-of-59 treys (44.1 percent), led the team with 107 assists and made 165 trips to the free-throw line. 'We do have a lot of skills in the backcourt,'' Pasternack said. 'Reynolds is also a terrific on-ball defender and James can really shoot it.'' Before leaving, Williams also brought in 5-10 junior guard Kechan Myers and 6-4 junior wing Tracey Worley, both from Philadelphia. Myers was a first-team all-region guard for Arkansas-Fort Smith last season after averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 assists. He was rated among the top 30 JUCO sophomores by some.

Worley, who red-shirted last season, was second on the team in scoring as a sophomore at Delaware State. He averaged 8.6 points and made 39 three-pointers. As a freshman, Worley was the Hornets' Player of the Game after scoring 13 points on 6-for-6 shooting in an NCAA Tournament loss to Duke. He was third on the team with 26 three-pointers as a freshman. 'He can really shoot it,'' Pasternack said.

The frontcourt has size and shot-blocking ability and should be able to hold its own on the boards. Pasternack expects a solid season from the 6-10, 260-pound Elias (2.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg). He has battled injuries and conditioning issues the last two years but started 19 games and averaged around 16 minutes last season. 'Ben is a really big kid,'' Pasternack said. 'Conditioning will be a factor. He's been doing a hell of a job so far.''

Pasternack has a quality post defender in 6-9 senior Asrangue Souleymane (2.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg). Souleymane averaged 1.7 blocks during his first year in New Orleans last season. Jacob Manning will provide experience if the 6-7 senior can fully recover from a stress fracture in his foot that forced a red-shirt season last year. Manning averaged 2.7 points in six games, scoring eight points against Tulane and collecting seven rebounds against Jacksonville State. He averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior in Towe's final season.

Another New Orleans native joining the program is junior Kyndall Dykes, a 6-3 left-hander who averaged 14.6 points and 5.2 rebounds for Louis Orr last year at Navarro College in Texas. 'He's a three-four guy, a really tough player,'' Pasternack said. 'He can score inside or out.'' Pasternack also signed 6-10 Jaroslav Tyrna, a 21-year-old freshman out of the Czech Republic. Pasternack sees a chance for Tyrna to play some early.

Pasternack wanted the job when Williams was hired. 'This is just a dream come true,'' Pasternack said. 'To be able to come back to your hometown and help re-establish the tradition of UNO basketball is unbelievable to me.''

Considering the players the tireless Williams brought in, it could work out best for everyone this way.

'I think there's a lot of talent here,'' Pasternack said. 'I think that these kids haven't had a chance to win, and that's a problem. Are they talented? Absolutely. But we need them to come together and accomplish something.''

What a March Madness story this would make: A native son comes home to coach several native sons while looking young enough to be their teammate, and they neatly sew up Katrina-ravaged careers by giving the Big Easy a Big Dance ticket. Of course, the Privateers were 14-17 last season, and Pasternack greets the shining-moment notion with a 'premature'' chuckle. But before he's through chuckling, the tone in his voice indicates he suddenly seems to see the storybook scenario clearly.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: A+

BENCH/DEPTH: B+

FRONTCOURT: B

INTANGIBLES: B-