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LOCATION: Monroe, LA
CONFERENCE: Southland
LAST SEASON: 13-14 (.481)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 12-6 (t-2nd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: Indians
NICKNAME: Maroon & Gold
COLORS: Ewing Coliseum (8,000)
HOMECOURT: Mike Vining (Northeast Louisiana '67)
COACH: 320-210 (18 years)
record at school 320-210 (18 years)
career record John Gullatt (LSU '88)
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ASSISTANTS: Keith Brown (Bellhaven '81)
Terry Martin (Northeast Louisiana '84)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 14-16-14-13-13
RPI (last 5 years) 163-147-181-188-192
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Louisiana-Monroe coach Mike Vining is generally a tolerant, likeable fellow. But after enduring a 13-14 season and a first-round dismissal in the Southland Conference Tournament, Vining has changed his tune. The selfish, sloppy play and pouting that wrecked his team last year are expected to go the way of the two-handed set shot. Vining promises to rule his team with an iron fist, feelings be damned. "We always won with chemistry," Vining said, his voice carrying an uncharacteristic hardened edge after two straight losing seasons. "Last year we had none. Everyone seemed to be on their own page. Nothing that ever happened was anybody's fault. Why should you get better if nothing's your fault?" Vining returns all his starters, including All-SLC forward Mike Smith, second-team power forward Maurice Bell and seven-footer Wojciech Myrda. In all, his top eight players are back. Whether that's a blessing or a curse remains to be seen for the school formerly known as Northeast Louisiana. Specifically, if senior point guards Jimmy Walton and Todd Daniels can't get with the program, the Indians could face another underachieving year. "After last year, I don't know, I guess I've changed my approach a little bit," Vining said. "I was very optimistic and looking forward to last season. I couldn't wait to see what we've got. Now I know what we're capable of from both angles, the top and the bottom."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT A INTANGIBLES C-
Mike Vining is the dean of Southland Conference coaches. The 17-year veteran knows how to win and put together talent. If anyone can reign in this talented group, it is Vining. No team in the league can match the Indians inside. In Mike Smith, Maurice Bell and Wojciech Myrda, ULM owns an SEC-caliber frontline. In fact, league coaches believe Smith and Myrda have NBA potential. And Bell, a true warrior, just might be the best college player of the three. Nevertheless, the Indians' fate, as always, will rest at point guard. If Todd Daniels, Jimmy Walton or Mikko Kempe can provide leadership and direct the offense, and the depth-shy Indians avoid foul trouble, Vining's eighth NCAA Tournament berth is likely. |
ULM's previous edition was as unpredictable as Louisiana's weather. The team opened the season with seven consecutive losses, followed by a nine-game winning streak that included an 8-0 start in the SLC. Then, just when life was good, ULM lost six straight before ending the regular season with four victories a row. The Indians felt great heading into the SLC Tournament but were promptly whipped, 90-71, by Lamar to end their year. The hangover from the final meltdown still lingers. "We had a lot of good things happen for us, but there were those bad things that prevented us from accomplishing our goals," Vining said. "We were never consistent and that is what we will work on for this season. We have to forget about streaks and become more poised and steady throughout the season." Despite recent history, ULM has a talented enough nucleus to win the SLC and make it back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. All optimism begins with the frontcourt, a tremendous strength for this club. Smith, a slender 6-8 senior small forward, has the talent to play at the next level if he continues to develop his enormous skills. The only knock on Smith is his tendency to coast at times and make careless mistakes, as evidenced by his league-high 120 turnovers. "Mike needs to become more effective for the entire game," Vining said. "When things aren't going well for the team, he gets caught up in it. He has to be a player that doesn't allow it and help make things happen to get out of those bad situations." Smith finished 57th in the nation with his 18.5 scoring average and was selected SLC Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-SLC. The West Monroe, La., native scored 20 or more points in 12 games, including 32 points against Sam Houston. He also averaged 6.9 rebounds. The most consistent player for the Indians last season was Bell, who averaged 17.6 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. Bell sat out the first five games after his arrest for burglary at the end of his sophomore season. He was placed on probation for the infraction and was a model citizen after returning. "I wish I had his kind of attitude at every position," Vining said. "He's a warrior who comes to play every day." The 6-4 senior forward is the prototypical SLC player, a strong, athletic leaper who can run like a deer. Bell scored a career-high 33 points against Southwest Texas and played in 22 games, scoring double-figures 17 times. The most intriguing player on the squad is Myrda, a native of Rzeszow, Poland, who played at nearby Ouachita Parish (Monroe, La.) High School for ULM assistant Keith Brown and with Arkansas' standout sophomore guard Brandon Dean. Already there are whispers that the sophomore could one day become a first-round NBA draft pick if he continues to expand his game. His offense and rebounding (7.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg.) need polish, but he is already a force defensively. The gangly center established school and SLC records for blocked shots in a season with 96, which was fourth nationally. He also set the school's single-game record for blocks with nine against Lamar. "Myrda gets better each time he steps on the court," Vining said. "We were surprised at how fast he learned and improved last year. He has worked on getting more physical and has become stronger in the off-season." The Big Three can't be effective unless the sporadic guard play improves significantly. Walton and Daniels were brought in last year to shore up the position but failed to show much progress. Freshman Marlon McCoy finished the year as a starter, simply because he was less likely to hoist an ill-advised shot. "Last year we had all new guards, and they really didn't mesh into the system," Vining said. "No one wanted to take control and be the leader, and we have to have someone step up and be that leader." Daniels, a 5-9 senior, averaged 6.3 points and 2.4 assists. Walton, also 5-9, averaged 7.0 points and passed for 3.0 assists per game. Both were careless ballhandlers who played out of control on most nights. Walton made 85 turnovers. Daniels committed 70 (10 more than his 60 assists). The biggest disappointment was off-guard Marcus Anthony, who slumped to averages of 8.6 points and 3.2 rebounds after a season where the 6-3 senior led the Indians with at 15.0 points per game. "Marcus Anthony had a terrible year," Vining said. "We're going to get him some relief or some rest, depending on how he's playing." McCoy saw limited action, appearing in 16 games as a freshman and averaging 2.6 points. The 6-0 sophomore can play either guard spot. Blue-collar forward Jermaine Stokes (5.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg) is the best frontcourt option off the bench and one of ULM's most physical players. The 6-7 senior was used to relieve Bell and Myrda. Stokes broke a bone in his foot during a pickup game in August and could be out of action early in the season. ULM added four new players to its mix and two could push the incumbents at their positions or provide fresh alternatives off the bench. After years of relying almost strictly on junior-college transfers, ULM made a serious push to sign hometown blue-chipper Derrick Zimmerman, a 6-1 point guard from Monroe Wossman High, but Zimmerman signed with Mississippi State. Still, the message was clear. "We didn't just want some more bodies," Vining said. "We went after people who could help make this team better." Freshman Mikko Kempe, a 6-1 point guard, is a talent the Indians have kept tabs on for three years on the recommendation of former player Anthony "Greyhound" Jones, who played pro ball in Finland and called Vining with the tip on Kempe. "He's fundamentally sound," Vining said. "He understands what the point guard needs to do. Last year at times we played with no purpose. He understands the purpose of a point guard." Brian Lubeck, a 6-6 guard/forward, transferred from Carl Sandburg Junior College in Galesburg, Ill., where he was second in junior college Division II scoring (24.0 ppg.) and eighth in rebounding (10.0 rpg.). The Indians have also added 6-4 Jahmal Ellington, a transfer from Shelton Junior College who can play three positions, and walk-on Jason Kosik, a 6-4 outside shooter who starred at Monroe St. Frederick High. Rugged early scheduling has taken its toll on the program in recent years. The Indians would start off in a funk after a few losses and never recover. ULM will play Mississippi, Memphis and Texas Christian on the road but be at home for games against Southern Mississippi and Houston. "The last few years we have gone on the road for long stretches and have had bad starts, which affects you as a player," Vining said. "We have some good nonconference games at home which should spark some interest among the fans. Winning and losing can be habit forming. If you are on a losing streak, you tend to play not to lose rather than playing to win. There's a difference."
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