2007-08 schedule 'very formidable,' but new coach stays positive
By Shawn Yonker, Sports Editor DelmavaNow
PRINCESS ANNE -- Dwelling near the bottom of NCAA Division I basketball for so long, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's program is looking for any sign that things might improve.
The release of the Hawks' 2006-07 schedule likely doesn't provide much in the way of relief in the loss column, as the team faces West Virginia, Nebraska, George Washington, Bradley, Iowa, Old Dominion, Navy, and Dartmouth in nonconference action, as well a their regular Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule.
But former first assistant Meredith Smith, who was named acting head coach after Larry Lessett resigned following a 4-27 season (1-17 MEAC), is staying positive.
"I think we are more optimistic than a lot of people think that we probably should be," Smith said. "We are not suffering from any illusions of grandeur or anything like that, but we expect to go out and compete regardless of who we are playing."
While he called the schedule "very formidable," he is also happy with the mix of athletic new players and returning ones who he has on the current tentative roster.
But conspicuous in his absence is Jesse Brooks, the team's starting point guard last year, who averaged 11.4 points in 31 minutes per game. Brooks left the program to transfer to a Division II school.
"I think it is a loss in terms of experience," Smith said. "However, I think that we have some point guards minus experience who may be equivalent in terms of talent. In some cases arguable or possibly more talented. But experience is usually the key in those situations."
Photo:
Ed Tyson is the only remaining player from UMES' highly touted trio of recruits in 2005-06. The other two, Jesse Brooks and Troy Jackson, have transferred.
There is no other scholarship player on the roster who plays the point. In fact, five of the 12 players on the current roster are walk-ons. Smith did say that walk-ons Marc Davis (Baltimore /Walbrook High School) and Roland Dunston (Bear, Del. / Glasgow High School) could figure into the mix.
"There are some other people who it would be premature to mention at this time that are going to push everybody competitively in terms of playing time," Smith said.
Brooks absence leaves junior Ed Tyson as the only remaining player from the school's highly touted trio of recruits in 2005-06. Troy Jackson transferred before last season.
"Tyson is a real man," Smith said. "He is one of the best if not arguable the best guard in the MEAC. His performance last year was outstanding, and he didn't have a lot of help. In fact, he played most of the season without Jessie. He got outstanding results."
Also returning and on scholarship are Serbians Mulitin Miriacjc, Aleksander Popovic and Danijel Krleski. Miriacjc and Popovic both played significant minutes a year ago, but will be looked on for more this season.
"We expect them to be stronger and more experienced," Smith said, "and I think that they had a lot of talent that probably didn't surface maybe to the degree that is could have last year. I think they will be stronger, more skilled and more confident."
Former junior-college player B.J. Nimocks (0.9 points, 2.5 rebounds) is the team's other experienced scholarship player. Ahmad Nicholson was signed before last season, but redshirted and should contribute this year. The last of the seven scholarship players is Ishmawiyl McFadden from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia.
"He's 6-5, athletic, can shoot rebound and is a very versatile player," Smith said. "In spite of fact that he is a freshman, he could very well be a starter."
Junior Brandon Moore, who walked on two seasons ago, and sophomore forward Mardell West (Philadelphia/Roxboro High School ) are also on the tentative roster. Davven Miller, a graduate of Pocomoke High School, is the last of five walk-ons on the list.
"He is a walk-on," Smith said, "but I think he'll surprise some people because he is a very talented young man and a tremendous athlete. I think he can contribute significantly."
It remains to be seen who the "other players" Smith mentioned might be, but all of the players who are eligible to compete are on the 12-man roster.
Coach Smith did talk about Jonathan Smith, a 6-5, 210-pounder from New York. The coach called him a good medium-range scoring threat who is tremendous going to the basket and can post up strong. He is a sophomore in terms of eligibility, because he played at another college last season, but Smith could not recall where.
Also new to the program this season is second assistant Shawn Smith, who played four years at La Salle and was a teammate of Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace and former Maryland guard Terrell Stokes at Simon Gratz. No relation to Meredith Smith, Shawn Smith first met his new boss as a player at Gratz.
"I saw him in Las Vegas a couple years ago, and we hugged and talked about old times," Meredith Smith said. "He said he was interested in getting into coaching. ... It is nice to have that Philadelphia connection, and he is well respected in the basketball world in Philadelphia."
Mike Farrare was promoted to first assistant when Meredith Smith was named head coach at the end of last season. The trio will have a couple of big hurdles to overcome this year.
"It is just I think inexperience and the fact that the new kids coming in are mentally fresh, and the expectation of the kids who were here before may be that this program will some way resemble what it did before," Smith said. "But we changed this whole culture. Our whole approach is going to be different. We are going to work a lot harder, put a lot more emphasis on defense. We want to be really committed to our strength and conditioning program. It is going to require a lot of greater effort that we (had on the agenda) before.
"That is not a criticism of what was done before, but this is what we intend to do in terms of a change."
By Shawn Yonker, Sports Editor DelmavaNow
PRINCESS ANNE -- Dwelling near the bottom of NCAA Division I basketball for so long, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore men's program is looking for any sign that things might improve.
The release of the Hawks' 2006-07 schedule likely doesn't provide much in the way of relief in the loss column, as the team faces West Virginia, Nebraska, George Washington, Bradley, Iowa, Old Dominion, Navy, and Dartmouth in nonconference action, as well a their regular Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schedule.
But former first assistant Meredith Smith, who was named acting head coach after Larry Lessett resigned following a 4-27 season (1-17 MEAC), is staying positive.
"I think we are more optimistic than a lot of people think that we probably should be," Smith said. "We are not suffering from any illusions of grandeur or anything like that, but we expect to go out and compete regardless of who we are playing."
While he called the schedule "very formidable," he is also happy with the mix of athletic new players and returning ones who he has on the current tentative roster.
But conspicuous in his absence is Jesse Brooks, the team's starting point guard last year, who averaged 11.4 points in 31 minutes per game. Brooks left the program to transfer to a Division II school.
"I think it is a loss in terms of experience," Smith said. "However, I think that we have some point guards minus experience who may be equivalent in terms of talent. In some cases arguable or possibly more talented. But experience is usually the key in those situations."
Photo:
Ed Tyson is the only remaining player from UMES' highly touted trio of recruits in 2005-06. The other two, Jesse Brooks and Troy Jackson, have transferred.There is no other scholarship player on the roster who plays the point. In fact, five of the 12 players on the current roster are walk-ons. Smith did say that walk-ons Marc Davis (Baltimore /Walbrook High School) and Roland Dunston (Bear, Del. / Glasgow High School) could figure into the mix.
"There are some other people who it would be premature to mention at this time that are going to push everybody competitively in terms of playing time," Smith said.
Brooks absence leaves junior Ed Tyson as the only remaining player from the school's highly touted trio of recruits in 2005-06. Troy Jackson transferred before last season.
"Tyson is a real man," Smith said. "He is one of the best if not arguable the best guard in the MEAC. His performance last year was outstanding, and he didn't have a lot of help. In fact, he played most of the season without Jessie. He got outstanding results."
Also returning and on scholarship are Serbians Mulitin Miriacjc, Aleksander Popovic and Danijel Krleski. Miriacjc and Popovic both played significant minutes a year ago, but will be looked on for more this season.
"We expect them to be stronger and more experienced," Smith said, "and I think that they had a lot of talent that probably didn't surface maybe to the degree that is could have last year. I think they will be stronger, more skilled and more confident."
Former junior-college player B.J. Nimocks (0.9 points, 2.5 rebounds) is the team's other experienced scholarship player. Ahmad Nicholson was signed before last season, but redshirted and should contribute this year. The last of the seven scholarship players is Ishmawiyl McFadden from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia.
"He's 6-5, athletic, can shoot rebound and is a very versatile player," Smith said. "In spite of fact that he is a freshman, he could very well be a starter."
Junior Brandon Moore, who walked on two seasons ago, and sophomore forward Mardell West (Philadelphia/Roxboro High School ) are also on the tentative roster. Davven Miller, a graduate of Pocomoke High School, is the last of five walk-ons on the list.
"He is a walk-on," Smith said, "but I think he'll surprise some people because he is a very talented young man and a tremendous athlete. I think he can contribute significantly."
It remains to be seen who the "other players" Smith mentioned might be, but all of the players who are eligible to compete are on the 12-man roster.
Coach Smith did talk about Jonathan Smith, a 6-5, 210-pounder from New York. The coach called him a good medium-range scoring threat who is tremendous going to the basket and can post up strong. He is a sophomore in terms of eligibility, because he played at another college last season, but Smith could not recall where.
Also new to the program this season is second assistant Shawn Smith, who played four years at La Salle and was a teammate of Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace and former Maryland guard Terrell Stokes at Simon Gratz. No relation to Meredith Smith, Shawn Smith first met his new boss as a player at Gratz.
"I saw him in Las Vegas a couple years ago, and we hugged and talked about old times," Meredith Smith said. "He said he was interested in getting into coaching. ... It is nice to have that Philadelphia connection, and he is well respected in the basketball world in Philadelphia."
Mike Farrare was promoted to first assistant when Meredith Smith was named head coach at the end of last season. The trio will have a couple of big hurdles to overcome this year.
"It is just I think inexperience and the fact that the new kids coming in are mentally fresh, and the expectation of the kids who were here before may be that this program will some way resemble what it did before," Smith said. "But we changed this whole culture. Our whole approach is going to be different. We are going to work a lot harder, put a lot more emphasis on defense. We want to be really committed to our strength and conditioning program. It is going to require a lot of greater effort that we (had on the agenda) before.
"That is not a criticism of what was done before, but this is what we intend to do in terms of a change."
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