| | Robert O'Kelley saw the opening in Wisconsin's defense and drove in for a
layup.
On the next possession, he made sure Darius Songaila and Niki Arinze touched
the ball, so they wouldn't feel ignored.
O'Kelley never thought about jacking up a 3-pointer, at least early in
Tuesday's rout over Wisconsin.
|
“ |
I used to put my head down when I didn't shoot well.
This year, I don't feel that way. I've got to get guys the ball
where they can take and make shots. ” |
|
|
— Robert
O'Kelley |
He would have considered it last season. He surely would have done it as a
freshman two years ago. And, he might have scored both times, but Wake Forest probably
would have lost, too.
Not this season. The Demon Deacons are off to a 4-0 start and play host to
Temple on Saturday in what could be one of the better early-season matchups
because of O'Kelley's epiphany on the court.
O'Kelley is one of the rare high-profile players in today's game who has
actually stayed in college (like he should) and matured as a player, the way
he ought to as a junior.
Michigan State senior Morris Peterson became an aggressive, offensive-minded
scorer in Mateen Cleaves' absence. That mentality worked for 31 in an upset at North
Carolina on Wednesday. Cincinnati senior Pete Mickeal made only 5 of 16
3-pointers a year ago but realized the Bearcats' need for a better perimeter attack and spent the summer working on his game. He's already made 3 of 7. Kansas junior guard Kenny Gregory stayed patient as the Jayhawks weathered through a halfcourt style for a year before playing more to his fullcourt game this
season. Now he's flourishing in the offense.
|  | | Mark Karcher has taken on more of a scoring load this season for Temple. |
Temple junior Mark Karcher shed weight this summer but didn't ignore his
rebounding responsibilities. While he may be the man in the middle of the
Owls' offense, he's just as important on the boards. He adapted in one game,
going from two rebounds against Indiana to 11 against Florida State. He took
on more chores with Pepe Sanchez out with a sprained ankle. The Owls' point guard
should be back for the Wake Forest game, just in time to get Karcher the
ball to what John Chaney calls his "sweet spot."
But none of these players has to shoulder as much as O'Kelley. Without O'Kelley sharing the ball, Wake Forest wouldn't have a chance in the ACC, let alone making the NCAA Tournament for
the first time in three years.
"We've got a lot of talent on this team and he's got to recognize that,"
Arinze said. "Distributing the ball and knowing when to take shots and when
not to is what we need for us to be a good team."
It would be hard to argue against O'Kelley wanting to score after leading
the Demon Deacons with 17.5 points a game last season, the top returning scorer in the
ACC. But Wake Forest was a subpar 17-14 with him scoring at will. In his
first year, O'Kelley played shooting guard to Tony Rutland at the point. He
didn't start taking over the point until midway through last season. Now,
it's all his but he has to be a playmaking point in the mold of Ed Cota rather than a scoring lead guard.
"I used to put my head down when I didn't shoot well," O'Kelley said. "This
year, I don't feel that way. I've got to get guys the ball where they can
take and make shots. I feel the responsibility for that. I've been here for
two years and had too many disappointments."
O'Kelley had tunnel vision a year ago, albeit not a selfish take. He
just didn't understand that his teammates had a bearing on how well he
plays.
"Robert's answer to everything was 'I'll shoot more jump shots and
take them further out,' because he had been drilled to score, score, and
score," Wake Forest coach Dave Odom said. "But players like Robert want to
be here. Tim Duncan was that way. If players want to leave, it's hard to
coach them. Robert wants to be here and wants to get better."
He's given himself a chance against Temple. The Owls' matchup zone
will force him to penetrate the lane. If that's not open, he has to find
the shooters. Taking a jumper, especially a deep 3-pointer, over the zone
isn't the answer.
"That goes right into their web of disaster," Odom said. "We need
the renaissance Robert. The one who will play with his head. We may not see
40 minutes of that, but enough to show he's on the right track."
Dayton flying high
Dayton seemed doom in the spring. The Flyers went from an NIT-entrant 21-12 to a stay-at-home 11-17 in one season. The 1998-99 season ended with allegations that incoming freshman Brooks Hall's father received $32,000 from a school trustee.
But NCAA's Big Brother let Dayton fly by, allowing Hall to play this
season. Ever since, the Flyers have been on a high. Dayton coach Oliver
Purnell coached the U.S. World University Games team to the gold medal in
Portugal. Junior forward Yuanta Holland and senior point guard Edwin Young
were the hit of an all-star team to France. And the rest of the outside
world virtually ignored the Flyers as a legitimate Atlantic 10 contender
(this site included), even though the A-10 lacked a proven team behind
Temple.
Mark the Flyers down as the primary pest for the Owls after their
blazing start. No potential NCAA bubble team has better wins on its résumé
to date. Dayton opened the season by beating New Mexico in the Pit and then
Samford, which had beaten St. John's the previous day. Last Monday, the
Flyers upset Kentucky in Cincinnati. That's two road wins and one on a
neutral floor in the first two weeks.
"Of all our teams, I thought this one had the best chance against
that kind of schedule," Purnell said. "We've got five seniors and our
talent is up."
The names to remember are Young, Hall, Mark Ashman, Tony Stanley, Cain
Doliboa, David Morris and Nate Green.
"The wins we've had are important to build there but they're always
going to be there," Purnell said. "Those wins are in the bank. Now we've
got to learn how to handle success."
Xavier is the preseason favorite in the A-10 West, but Dayton has
the early momentum. George Washington and La Salle haven't hit a groove yet.
But Dayton's wins prove the A-10 can't be termed Temple and everybody
else.
Przybilla pondering his future
Dan Monson knows sophomore center Joel Przybilla shouldn't leap to
the NBA after this season, but he won't blame him for looking if the Gophers
get a further postseason ban by the NCAA.
The NCAA still has to levy its penalty against the school after academic
fraud was uncovered under former coach Clem Haskins.
The 7-1 Przybilla is an offensive NBA project but he can block shots better
than any other center in the NCAA (with Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin as his
only equal).
Przybilla took a few days off last week to deal with personal problems. But
he returned and will finish the season. After that, no one's quite sure.
Monson will recommend that Przybilla talk to Haskins (even though his name
may be mud around campus), because the two are still tight.
"Coach Haskins still cares about these kids and wants what's best for
them," said Monson, who left Gonzaga to replace Haskins last July. "If he
wants to transfer or go to the NBA or stay here, he deserves to do what he
wants after the ordeal he has gone through."
NBA scouts have told ESPN.com that Przybilla would be a first-round pick,
but wouldn't be an immediate contributor.
Monson said Przybilla's decision is contingent on his experience this
season. The Gophers, who aren't eligible for postseason in March after a
self-imposed one-year ban, are off to a 4-0 start after beating Virginia in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
"He doesn't want to talk about it," Monson said. "The only people who bring
this up are the people in the media. He's concentrating during a tough time,
but this has been a grinding mental experience the past six months."
Monson said Przybilla is a "fragile kid," who needs stability. "He needs to
have a good experience before he makes a decision," Monson reiterated.
"Everybody realizes he's got a long way to go to get to the next level, but
he has the tools defensively."
Monson said the expectations on Przybilla have been unrealistic
after he blocked 84 shots a year ago, but only averaged 6.7 points and 5.8
rebounds. He's averaging 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists with 18
blocks through four games this season.
"Just because (Quincy) Lewis and (Kevin) Clark graduated, he
shouldn't have to be the next one to do what they did," Monson said. "He's
played well but he hasn't put up big numbers. Everyone is wondering if he's
happy, but the bottom line is he's doing well under unrealistic
expectations."
Weekly chatter
The Word is out on LSU and the rest of the SEC had better take notice. The Tigers might possess the most productive frontcourt with center Jabari Smith, forward Stromile Swift and Rice transfer Brian Beshara. NBA scouts were raving about Smith and Swift during the Tigers' Hawaii-Pacific Invitational title run last weekend.
The Tigers' depth and ability to score from the perimeter (Lamont Roland and Torris Bright) are the two questions that must be answered before the SEC. But an easy non-conference schedule should make LSU 11-0 before it plays Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl Basketball Classic in New Orleans on Dec. 30.
Fresno State will get preseason all-American guard Courtney Alexander (stress fracture) back for Saturday's game against Northern Arizona. The Bulldogs face a must-win-them-all situation the rest of their non-conference slate after a devastating loss to Cal State-Northridge on Tuesday night in Fresno. The Bulldogs were coming back from losing to LSU in Hawaii, but have no excuses.
Losing to the Matadors (a mid-level Big Sky team) will haunt Fresno State for the rest of the season. The WAC doesn't have an automatic berth, putting pressure on the Bulldogs to win the regular-season title and the postseason tournament (at Fresno's Selland Arena). Even with that, the Bulldogs must have fewer than nine losses to sell themselves to a skeptical selection committee.
Alabama senior center Jeremy Hays was actually fortunate that he sprained his ankle before he tore his ACL. The sprained ankle kept him out of the first two games of the season (losses to Northern Iowa and Saint Louis). He played in the next four games, but suffered the season-ending injury in a win over La Salle last Saturday. With only four games played, Hays can easily apply for a medical redshirt.
Hays, who had scored 26 points in 26 minutes against the Explorers, was averaging 14.3 points in four games. Assuming he makes a complete recovery, Hays has a chance to be a first-round draft pick in 2001. He could become the next Jeff Foster, a sleeper out of Southwest Texas State, drafted in the first round last June.
|
Remembering your past
|
|
Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett hasn't forgotten his roots. Bennett made a rare gesture when he scheduled Wisconsin-Milwaukee last week in Milwaukee. On Wednesday, the Badgers play host to UW-Green Bay, Bennett's former team.
Bennett could never convince the Badgers to play his Phoenix when he coached in Green Bay. But he waited until all his recruits graduated before scheduling them at Wisconsin. The Badgers will return to Green Bay in 2000-01, possibly opening their new building. It's the start of a five-year series.
Don't expect Dan Monson to do the same at Minnesota. Monson and former assistant Mark Few, now the head coach at Gonzaga, agreed to stay away from each other. Monson said his father Don taught him never to play your friends. Even though he knows Gonzaga is a better game -- win or lose -- than a number of high-profile schools, he won't give Spokane a name game.
"Maybe in 10 years, but right now, I'm fighting for my life," Monson said. "I've got to establish my program. I'd love to help Gonzaga, but it's too tough a game."
Monson said he's trying to get out of a series with Valparaiso for similar reasons -- wanting to schedule non-conference games with either top six conference teams or guaranteed wins during this rebuilding process.
|
Official Ted Valentine worked the Wisconsin-Wake Forest game Tuesday night, but that might be one of the only Big Ten games he works this season. Valentine and Indiana coach Bob Knight had a bit of a spat last season. While Valentine is on the Big Ten's officiating roster, he's not expected to work any Indiana games -- non-conference or conference.
Gonzaga is making sure it's not criticized for missing class. The Bulldogs, playing one of the most brutal non-conference schedules in the country, will return for Monday's classes after playing Cincinnati in Cleveland on Saturday night. The Bulldogs will leave for Chicago on Tuesday night (after classes), play Temple on Wednesday in Chicago and return for Thursday and Friday classes. They'll leave late Friday for Saturday's game at UCLA.
North Carolina hooked 7-6 Neil Fingleton (Holy Name HS/Worcester, Mass.) for next year by beating out ACC rival Wake Forest. Fingleton gives the Tar Heels security if junior Brendan Haywood opts for the NBA. But he might have been a better fit at Wake Forest, where the Deacons are more likely to stay in a halfcourt set. Fingleton's college basketball vocabulary began and ended with North Carolina while growing up in England.
Why Buffalo? North Carolina will play at Buffalo on Tuesday, the night before the Tar Heels play Cincinnati in Chicago at the Great Eight. The game was set up because Bulls assistant Eric Eisenberg coached Tar Heels' point guard Ed Cota in Tilden, N.Y. Eisenberg called former Tar Heels' coach Dean Smith two years ago to set up the home-and-home series. The Bulls went to Chapel Hill last season.
Wisconsin was awarded the 2002 Midwest Regional final. The Kohl Center will be hosting its first NCAA men's basketball tournament games.
Houston has Clyde Drexler as the coach, George Gervin and Moses Malone as regular fans and George Williams as one of the top freshmen in the nation but it still put only 3,000 (listed) fans in Hofheinz Pavillion (8,479-seat capacity) for its home opener against SMU last Saturday. The Cougars were coming off a 2-1 Top of the World Classic record, including a win over George Washington. With the Rockets struggling, local fans have no excuses to ignore the Cougars (or at least shy away from potential autographs in the stands).
SMU has been forced to play a perimeter-oriented style with its frontcourt unable to produce. Projected starting center Nigel Smith had major sinus surgery last summer. He's scheduled for another round next July. He had an IV removed last week, which he had in him since the August surgery. He also had a medication bag, pumping in fluids. Smith isn't scheduled to resume basketball for months.
San Jose State junior guard Cory Powell isn't eligible this semester but is on track to make it by mid-December. Powell, who originally signed with Cincinnati, sat out last season after playing at Fresno City (Calif.) College and Independence (Kan.) College the past two years. Meanwhile, the Spartans and first-year coach Steve Barnes got off to a 3-0 start behind leading scorer Darnell Williams (the Spartans lost to Saint Mary's in game four). It's the first 3-0 start for San Jose State since 1973-74.
The 6-6, 200-pound Williams didn't play high school basketball. The Long Beach City (Calif.) College coaches found him in a gym class and got him to try out for the team. He's averaging 14 points, 10.7 rebounds, shooting 61 percent and has blocked nine shots in three games. Williams played with Alabama swing guard Schea Cotton last season. Williams led the Spartans to a win at Northern Arizona in front of 400-plus fans. That matched the few hundred fans that saw Clemson play Oregon State in the SoCon Tournament in Greenville, S.C., last weekend.
Bad reviews are coming into the Word over the Big Island Invitational and the Puerto Rico Shootout. Neither is played in a basketball-friendly facility. The Big Island's stat crew didn't get box scores to Cincinnati the first night. Puerto Rico had the teams stay in casinos. But coaches won't go public with their complaints because they want to return to the exempted tournaments. They'll suffer through any inconveniences to get three games against high-profile teams.
The Rainbow Classic was obviously hoping television (ESPN or Fox) was going to come through when it decided on first-round matchups. Wake Forest plays Oregon and Gonzaga plays Ohio on one side of the tournament, to be played Dec. 27-30. Host Hawaii, Bradley, Colorado and Villanova are on the other. Television is missing out by not picking up this tournament.
Oregon State freshman Brian Jackson, a heralded in-state product, hasn't played because of a knee injury suffered from when he ran into the bleachers the day before the Beavers' opener.
Seton Hall freshman center Samuel Dalembert made his debut against St. Peter's on Monday after chipping a bone in his right foot. Dalembert had nine points, six rebounds and four blocks in 16 minutes. The Pirates leaned on Charles Manga and JC transfer Kevin Wilkins in Dalembert's absence. But the Pirates need Dalembert's interior defensive presence in this weekend's BB&T Classic (Maryland, Illinois and George Washington). The Pirates' frontcourt depth increased with the addition of 6-8 freshman Al Harris. He was cleared Wednesday by the NCAA after sitting out the first three games.
New Mexico finally got Lamont Long to take over a game and stop being passive. Long averaged 27.3 points in three games last weekend, scoring 39 against Alcorn State (15 of 21 and 5 of 7 on 3s). Long labored during the Lobos first two games -- both losses -- because of an ankle sprain.
UNLV caught Georgetown at the right time, playing the Hoyas on their return from Maui. But Rebels coach Bill Bayno and his staff deserve credit for the 4-0 start (prior to this weekend's tournament with Princeton, North Carolina and the College of Charleston in Charlotte). Guard Trevor Diggs scored 27 points in the win over Georgetown. The difference with this Rebels' team and previous squads under Bayno is defense and effort. UNLV is playing harder (perhaps a credit to the overzealous assistant Max Good) than it has in the past.
The Rebels may be a threat to unseat Utah when Lou Kelley arrives in mid-December. The productive wing is finishing his junior college requirements. UNLV is the second-best team in the Mountain West right now with New Mexico struggling (the Lobos lost at UTEP on Wednesday for their third defeat of the season) and Wyoming a non-conference disappointment.
Nebraska guard Cookie Belcher is mulling over a decision to redshirt this season. Officials in Lincoln are reviewing whether his wrist injury is worth testing anymore this season. He would probably receive a medical redshirt. Belcher, who averaged 11.8 points a game as a junior, broke the wrist last spring. He's been limited the first few games, essentially playing one-handed. But it's Belcher's on-the-ball and denial defense on the wing that have been missed. Belcher was fifth in the nation in steals (3.2) last season. The Huskers were 2-2 (losing to Rutgers and Southern Mississippi) with Belcher a non-factor. Rodney Fields, 6-2 junior, started in Belcher's place.
Kentucky center Jamaal Magloire has failed to create a presence in the post since his decision to return to school for his senior season. Magloire said he doesn't feel any added pressure to produce, even though he went to the NBA draft camp in Chicago. But Magloire is being pushed by freshman Marvin Stone. The Wildcats need Magloire to be a defensive pest in the post, rebound and give them a reliable scorer in the low post. He wasn't able to do that against Arizona in the Preseason NIT final.
Bruiser Flint's self-suspension for Thursday's game against Boston University may have been a pre-emptive strike on his part. It's no secret that Flint is in a tenuous situation at Massachusetts. Any negative publicity could doom his chances for survival. He made the right choice to admit he was wrong for using profanity on his postgame radio show after losing to Marshall at home. Now he has to make amends by getting the Minutemen to the NCAA Tournament, which may be an impossible chore.
Add Oklahoma and Georgia to the list of possible schools for sophomore Ruben Douglas, who is transferring from Arizona. That list already includes New Mexico, Baylor, Saint Louis and Villanova. He said he's trying to keep a low-profile while he finishes the fall semester.
"I wasn't reaching the goals I wanted to reach," Douglas said. "But I don't have any grievances."
Freshman Gilbert Arenas beat out Douglas for the starting shooting guard spot. Arenas was named MVP of the Preseason NIT final four.
Mark Vershaw seems to be the only Wisconsin player who has shown not only a desire, but also an ability to score during the Badgers' early games. Dick Bennett questioned the Badgers' heart after their loss at Wake Forest on Tuesday. But he was just as dismayed by the team's inability to finish around the basket. Wisconsin's guards would get inside but almost always stopped short, failing to complete the drive.
"Our guys don't seem respectable of the opportunities they get when
they can finish and that boggles my mind," Bennett said.
Bennett lived in fear of returning to North Carolina and putting up another poor offensive performance after the Badgers scored 32 points in an NCAA first-round loss to Southwest Missouri State last March in Charlotte, N.C. The Badgers had single-digits for most of the first half against Wake Forest, before heading into halftime down 32-14 and eventually losing 67-48.
"The stench is still here from last spring," Bennett said. "My son
played for the Hornets for three years and we loved coming down here. Now I
hate coming down here. I was bothered by it. I've got pride. I wanted us to
play well."
Pittsburgh hasn't beaten a team in the top 100 but the Panthers deserve some praise for getting to 4-0 (Indiana-Pennsylvania, Wright State, St. Francis, Pa., Norfolk State) with only six players.
"We're playing unselfish and that's encouraging," assistant Jaime Dixon said. The six -- freshman point Brandin Knight, senior wing Jeremy Holmes, senior wing Jarrett Lockhart, junior swing Ricardo Greer, freshman forward Donatas Zavackas and sophomore forward Chris Seabrooks -- have actually blown out the competition. Dixon said the Panthers should get JC forward Derrick Worrell back from a torn miniscus in his knee in 10 days. Senior forward Isaac Hawkins (stress fracture in his foot) could be back by Christmas.
With only six healthy players, head coach Ben Howland has scrapped his traditional man-to-man defense and is playing more zone. He'll likely continue that when the Panthers play Tennessee on Saturday.
Connecticut has quietly ripped off four straight wins since losing the opener to Iowa in New York. But the Huskies are still waiting for Albert Mouring to be a consistent perimeter threat. The Huskies need Mouring's shooting to keep Khalid El-Amin from having to do too much at the point.
The Colonial Athletic Association will meet next week to determine if East Carolina should be sent packing a year before it joins Conference USA. The Pirates have objected to any action and want to stay in the CAA for the 2000-01 season.
Andy Katz's Weekly Word on college basketball appears every Thursday.
| |
ALSO SEE
The Word's Answer Man
Have a question for the Weekly Word?
Missed the Word?
 |
