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LOCATION: Jonesboro, AR
CONFERENCE: Sun Belt
LAST SEASON: 18-12 (.600)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 9-5 (2nd)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 4/1
NICKNAME: Indians
COLORS: Scarlet & Black
HOMECOURT: ASU Convocation Center (10,563)
COACH: Dickey Nutt (Oklahoma State '82)
record at school 62-51 (4 years)
career record 62-51 (4 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Dennis Nutt (Texas Christian '86)
Charlie Fenske (Wisconsin-Stout '74)
Tony Madlock (Memphis '91)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 8-9-15-20-18
RPI (last 5 years) 269-235-164-85-129
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NCAA first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Riding the crest of a first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship, Arkansas State needs to parlay last season's successes into sustainment. Staying on top of the league will be difficult for the Indians, however, even with the return of two-time (and favorite for an unprecedented third) Sun Belt Player of the Year Chico Fletcher. "Our players last season put our program on the map," said Arkansas State coach Dickey Nutt, who signed a five-year contract extension after last season. "Any time you get into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, it helps you in so many ways." Especially recruiting, where Nutt said the Indians can "now go into places where we really didn't have much credibility as a program." But with success comes expectations for more success. And last season will be tough to match because four starters are gone and the Indians will be relying on eight newcomers to mesh in a hurry. "The pressure grows," Nutt said. "Folks around here are serious about their basketball. I'm just trying to caution everybody and remind them that we do lose four seniors. And they are hard to replace on our level."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B+ BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT C+ INTANGIBLES B
The 1998-99 season will always be remembered by Indians fans as the season that Arkansas State broke through for its first trip to the NCAA Tournament. And if most head coaches and their programs are to be judged in their fourth seasons, then the five-year contract extension that Dickey Nutt received is proof enough of a job well done. But year five in Nutt's regime could be just as important. The Indians can't afford to slip to the middle of the Sun Belt Conference if progress is to be measured by wins and losses and postseason visits. And that will be the tough task ahead for Nutt, considering this could be labeled a rebuilding season if not for the returning leadership and backcourt play of Chico Fletcher. It is hard not to admire the work ethic and coaching ability of the personable Nutt, whose brother Houston is the head football coach at Arkansas. Another brother, Dennis, is on the Arkansas State staff. Arkansas State's program is on solid footing, even if it does slip some this season. The Indians play in a state where basketball is just as important as football. And that is saying something in the football-crazed South. Arkansas State is the pride of Jonesboro, a proud community that loves its Indians. |
Even so, Arkansas State fans will have the thrill again of watching one of the nation's most exciting players in Fletcher, the 5-6 senior point guard who joined South Alabama's Terry Catledge (1984-85) and Old Dominion's Chris Gatling (1990-91) as the only two-time recipients of the Sun Belt's MVP award. "Chico is a winner. He loves to win. I have great admiration for him and his passion to win, which has overcome any adversity he has, like being just 5-6," said Nutt, who said he wouldn't trade Fletcher for any point guard in the country. En route to being chosen honorable mention All-America last season, Fletcher (17.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg) finished second in the country in assists with 8.3 per game. He also ranked first in the Sun Belt in steals per game (2.2) and double-doubles (11) and was second in scoring. "Pound for pound, inch for inch, Chico Fletcher is one of the best pure point guards in college basketball," Memphis coach Tic Price said. "He is a fierce competitor and has great court savvy. He is very dangerous in the open court. He is a big reason for Arkansas State's success the last three years." Fletcher set school records last season by handing out 17 assists against Texas Christian and 250 for the season. He became the first guard in ASU history to reach 1,000 career points by the end of his junior year. With 661 career assists, he needs 224 this season to become the Sun Belt's all-time leader. He also has had 86 career three-pointers to tie for fifth in school annals. And with 157 steals, he needs only 26 more to own that career school record as well. "We seemed to have all kinds of trouble preventing him from making plays," TCU coach Billy Tubbs said of Fletcher. "He always seemed to get the ball wherever he needed to, regardless of who we put on him." A large part of Fletcher's success as a point guard last season came because teammates could score once they got the ball from him. But gone are seven lettermen, including four starters, who combined for more than 45 points per game. Hoping to take up some scoring slack and alleviate pressure from Fletcher in the backcourt is 6-2 junior guard Jamie Rosser (Northwest Mississippi JC), a junior-college All-American who many experts considered one of the best point-guard prospects in the country last season. With Fletcher at the point, Rosser will be asked to slide to shooting guard and have more of a scorer's mentality, which shouldn't be too hard considering he averaged 17.0 points to go with his 7.0 assists last season. Rosser led Northwest Mississippi to a 29-7 record and final four finish in the national junior college tournament and was MVP of the Mississippi Community College All-Star game. "Rosser can really play the game," Nutt said. "He can score. Having him and Chico together will make us a very tough backcourt to defend." Providing depth in the backcourt will be 6-2 senior DeShawn Denson (5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg), a key reserve last season who played in all 30 games, and two freshmen. The first is 6-3 Odie Williams (Trezevant HS/Memphis), who averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists after being chosen a Blue Ribbon preseason honorable mention All-American. The second is 6-0 Jon Beck (Scott City HS/Scott City, Mo.), who averaged 22.1 points and once made a national record 16 three-pointers in a game. There are several candidates at small forward, including battle-tested C.J. Pepper (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg), a 6-4 senior swingman who was third on the team in scoring last season despite playing the entire season with a torn tendon in his foot. The injury has healed. Pushing for time as a swingman will be 6-3 junior Tony Brown (Seward County (Kan.) CC). A defensive specialist who can also score, Brown scored 1,103 points in two seasons at Seward. But he could be slowed early after undergoing surgery in August to insert a rod in his right leg to help heal a fractured tibia. Also providing depth at small forward is 6-5 redshirt freshman DeWayne Hart, a former all-district and all-conference selection out of Lonoke (Ark.) High School. There are several big bodies to take up space down, including 6-7, 255-pound sophomore Luis Rivas (5.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg), who can score in the post. He played in only 12 games last season because of a foot injury. Another banger at power forward is 6-9, 230-pound sophomore Kolin Weaver, who will probably win a starting job. But, like Rivas, he can move between power forward and center. Also like Rivas, Weaver has offensive talent as well. He sat out last season after transferring from Siena. Getting a long look to become the starter at center is 6-11, 270-pound Bryan Breininger, a redshirt freshman who spent the summer at a big man's camp on the East coast. Adding depth to the frontcourt is 6-8 freshman Josh Sokolewicz (Cleburne HS/Cleburne, Texas), who ranked among the best big man prospects in Texas last season; and 6-9 senior center Geoff Williams (2.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg), who played in only eight games last season. Jason Jennings, a 7-0 junior center, will sit out this season after transferring from Arkansas and have two seasons of eligibility remaining. He played in 19 games last season for the Hogs and averaged 4.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per game. As a freshman, he averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes.
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