Southern And Centenary Preview

[Censored by Laurie]

Two games at the Super Pit this week before UNT kicks off SBC play at Denver.

Southern - comes into the game 1-7, losers of 7 in a row, and without the services of leading scorer (and former UNT star?) Chris Davis. They did play a decent Auburn team tight on Saturday however so they're not to be completly overlooked. Guard Jazz (yes, Jazz, Pit Crew I expect good things) Williams (6'5" 185) has picked up the scoring for Davis, dropping 14 on Auburn and 13 the game prior against Houston and he's shooting over 50% from three point land (7-13) in those games. Steffon Wiley (6'1" 185) is struggling offensivly, but is a capable scorer...his best contribution however is defensivly, leading Southern with 13 steals. Guard Joe Holliday (6'3" 180) gives the Jags another perimeter scoring option off the bench. Barry Honroe' (6'7" 230) is the Jags only interior scoring pressence, while Joseph Jack (Pit Crew, call Mark Followell for heckling ideas with him) (6'9" 240) is leading the teams with 13 blocks and is big enough to bang with Q and Keith. Douglas Scott (6'6" 210), Chike Ekweozer (6'7" 210) and Andre Davis (6'9" 220) have appeared in all 8 Southern games.

Centenary - Talented backcourt led by Tyrone Hamilton (6'0" 200). Hamilton is averaging 18.1 points per game and is shooting 47% from three. Right behind him is Nick Stallings (6'1" 180), averaging 17.9 points. Stallings is more of an attacking guard than Hamilton and the two provide the bulk of the perimeter scoring, with point guard Chase Adams (5'10" 175) serving as the primary distributor (5.4 assists per game) and as a capable fourth or fifth scoring option (9.8ppg). Lance Hill (6'7" 255) gives Centenary a big body in the post. Hill is averaging 12.7 points, but is prone to foul trouble as he is averaging just over 20 minutes per game. The Gents bench is primarilly freshmen; Anthony Gatlin (6'8" 180), Tim Price (6'11" 205) and Justin Glenn (6'9" 215) as well as sophmore Jerrald Bonham (6'8" 210) give Centenary some depth up front.

[Cooley]

Last Season 10-21 (.323)

Conference Record 9-9 (t-5th)

Starters Lost/Returning 1/4

Coach Rob Spivery (Ashland '72)

Record At School 29-34 (2 years)

Career Record 318-300 (21 years)

RPI Last 5 years 326-286-282-130-289

COACH AND PROGRAM

Perimeter shooting was no problem for the 2006-07 version of the Southern University Jaguars. After all, Southern led the Southwestern Athletic Conference in three-point shooting percentage, knocking down 32.6 percent as a team from long range. Yet despite that, the Jaguars finished last in the league in scoring offense, averaging just 59.3 points per game. The only explanation? Southern needs more of an interior presence. "A number of the guys on our front line were very young last year," Southern coach Rob Spivery said. "But they got valuable playing experience. With that experience plus some guys we added at that position who could help us, it certainly should give us some better play around the basket."

PLAYERS

The core of those young, returning post players includes 6-6 sophomore Douglas Scott (5.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg), 6-9 sophomore Chike Ekweozor (4.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and 6-9 junior Joseph Jack (4.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg). Scott started 18 of the 31 games during his freshman season, shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. His wingspan is nearly seven feet, leading the Jaguars' coaching staff to believe he could develop into a very solid defender. "He's left-handed and very deceptive," Spivery said. "He can score around the basket, but he needs to get better from 15 feet and beyond. And he should be able to block some shots and be a very good defender."

Ekweozor should battle directly with Scott for the starting power forward position after starting six games and shooting 43.6 percent from the floor during his freshman season. After add-ing muscle and strength this off-season, Ekweozor hopes to have more of an impact in the rebounding area for the Jaguars. "He's gotten stronger, and we'll need him to defend and rebound very well," Spivery said. "He could play some center if we go smaller, and at times we will because he's got more experi-ence. He's also just a very tough kid." Jack could start at center and potentially add a great deal of skill to the frontcourt. "I think he can average 10 points and 10 rebounds," Spivery said. "If he can give us those numbers, we could have a pretty good team." Those three won't have free reign at the post position for Southern, though. Spivery's staff brought in two newcomers he thinks could contribute immediately.

Barry Honore, a 6-7 freshman out of South Garland (Texas) High School, led the Dallas area in rebounding his senior season. He joins 6-6 junior Earnest Jones, originally from New Orleans and a transfer from Paris (Texas) Junior College.

"We think both those guys could really help us," Spivery said. "They are both very strong and can rebound." Also hoping to earn his time in the post for Southern is 6-9 freshman Andre Davis, who has the body and the ability to be a special player, Spivery said, if not the experience. "I really like him, and I think his best basketball is ahead of him," Spivery said. "Over the years to come, I think he'll develop into a very good basketball player. He just hasn't played much yet."

Fortunately for Southern, no matter who is playing down low, they'll be following the lead of 6-1 sophomore point guard Chris Davis (10.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg). Though just a freshman last season, Davis started 18 of Southern's 31 games, finishing second on the team in scoring. His 39-percent shooting from three-point range was second in the conference, and he was in the top 20 in the SWAC in minutes played, averaging 26.7 per game. And yes, he was just a freshman. A freshman his coach said reminds him of former Texas A&M All-American Acie Law IV.

"He started our last five games, and we won four of the five," Spivery said. "He wants the ball, and he wants to play that position and lead the team. He's the one player who does every-thing exactly the way a coach wants him to do it. And he wants that challenge of leading a team." Davis will benefit from the return of another young guard, 6-1 sophomore combo Steffon Wiley of Dallas Carter (7.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg), who started 24 games as a freshman and registered 47 assists and 43 steals. "He can put the ball on the floor and go to the basket," Spivery said. "If he has a weakness, it's a need to improve his consistency with his outside shooting."

Spivery expects guard play to be the strength of his team, and that means Davis and Wiley will have plenty of depth playing with them. The most experienced of that group is 6-2 junior Geri Guillory (5.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg). A starter in 21 games last season, Guillory, whose strength is just thathis strengthhad 49 assists and 31 steals last season. Spivery said he should take on the all-important task of defending the opposition's best offensive player. Jazz Williams (2.2 ppg, 1.1 rpg), a 6-4 sophomore, could be Southern's best long-range shooter. He could play the shooting guard or, possibly, even move to small forward, as could 6-3 junior Joe Holliday (5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), who played just 15 games last season because of injury.

Should they venture into the small-forward spot, however, they'll have to contend with 6-5 junior Brandon Byars. "He's got an assortment of shots he can use to finish around the basket," Spivery said. "He could really be a strong force for us. He can catch it and score and he's got touch from the out-side as well." Another potential contributor for Southern at the small forward is 6-5 red-shirt freshman Julias Ingram, who Spivery said has an uncanny ability to get to the rim and finish. "I think he's going to be a big plus for us," Spivery said. "I think he could be the biggest surprise on our team."

Spivery expects guard play to be the strength of this team, and that's no surprise considering the way the stats panned out last year. The one question mark is how the Jaguars will replace the loss of leading scorer Defores Riley-Smith (13.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, .328 3PT), though they certainly seem to have a star in the making in Chris Davis. In a league full of great point guards, Davis could turn out to be among the elite, and his presence alone demands a strong backcourt grade. The big question mark, however, will once again be the frontcourt. Sure, it is more experienced as a group, but the Jaguars didn't have a proven scorer down low last season, and until they prove they have one this season, the frontcourt grade will sit in the average area.

However, if some of those youngsters or newcomers establish themselves, this team could have much more balance than it did a season ago.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: B-

BENCH/DEPTH: C-

FRONTCOURT: C

INTANGIBLES: B-

[emmitt01]

Jazz always was my favorite Transformer.

[untgeorge]

Watch out for Centenary.

They have wins over SMU, TxTech and LaTech, and put up a tough fight in a road loss to Iowa State.

A guard oriented team that can shoot (47% overall, 42% 3-pointers), coached by a guy with credentials: coached for Tubbs at TCU, was asst at Arkansas 3 yrs, successful HC at some Florida JCs. Roster consists of one guy 6-9, plus a bunch of greyhounds. 3 of their guards average 33 mins per game.

Can't take these guys lightly.