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LOCATION: Statesboro, GA
CONFERENCE: Southern (South Division)
LAST SEASON: 11-17 (.393)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 6-10 (4th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Eagles
COLORS: Blue, Gold & White
HOMECOURT: Hanner Fieldhouse (4,378)
COACH: Jeff Price (Pikeville '81)
record at school First year
career record 136-42 (6 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Carl Nash (Fort Lewis '82)
Rob Wilkes (Stetson '93)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 8-3-10-10-11
RPI (last 5 years) 289-305-271-273-257
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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Georgia Southern is reaching back into its glory days in the hopes that it might be able to recapture a winning tradition that produced five trips to either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in a span of nine years during the mid-'80s and early '90s. Jeff Price, a former assistant under Frank Kerns on Georgia Southern's 1983 and 1987 NCAA Tournament teams, replaces Gregg Polinsky as the Eagles' head coach. Polinsky spent the last four seasons trying to wade through NCAA sanctions and bad team chemistry in hopes of reversing a program's fortunes that went south when Kerns resigned after the 1993-94 season amid revelations of an academic scandal. Polinsky's subsequent tenure produced just 34 wins and ultimately a pink slip at the end of last season. Price believes he has the tonic to cure GSU's ills. Namely, a good dose of pressing, length-of-the-court defense, and three-point shooting. "Being new, the main thing besides winning of course we want to accomplish is seeing players buy into our system and believe in it," Price said. "I think they will and so will the fans once they see us play. The key is to develop some team chemistry early and then see how quickly the players the new guys and the veterans can learn and pick up a new system and philosophy." Price certainly has a track record. He spent the last six seasons at Lynn (Fla.) University, where he averaged 23 wins per season and compiled an overall record of 136-42. He was chosen the 1997 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year after guiding the school to a 28-3 record and an appearance in the Division II Final Four in its first season in that classification.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT C INTANGIBLES C
Lynn University began playing college basketball in 1993 and Jeff Price was its coach from the beginning. If he can have a repeat inaugural season of 23 wins, then even the football-crazy fans in Statesboro will have to begin giving Eagle hoops serious attention once again. Don't expect those kind of immediate results, but don't be surprised if GSU achieves some moderate success in 1999-2000. It has plenty of experienced players returning, and Price has signed some exciting newcomers. "It's a great opportunity to come back as head coach and turn this thing around and get people excited about Georgia Southern basketball again," said Price. "We're happy to have seven returning scholarship players. Experience is very important." For Price, the biggest challenge this season may be changing the program's mind set. "Anytime you have change like we do here, it's exciting," he said. "We want everything about this program to look different, but the one thing we absolutely have to change that will be hardest is the mentality. We want to instill a winning mentality that it's not acceptable to lose." We predict that the 1999-2000 season will be the first step on the road back to respectability for GSU. Put the Eagles down for a fourth-place finish in the South Division. Along the way, we think they will pull an upset or two against the league's elite teams. |
At Georgia Southern, Price has the benefit of beginning his first season with a team that returns five of its top six scorers. The down side is that only one of those players 6-4 senior guard Quentin Martin (10.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 57 assists, 24 steals) averaged in double figures in 1998-99. Martin played in 27 games and started 21 last season despite the fact that he was playing on a right knee that underwent reconstructive surgery in the spring of 1998. Martin is a versatile performer who has seen action at off guard, point guard and small forward during his career. A good three-point shooter, he hit 36 of 109 (.333 percent) of his shots from long range last season. Martin finished last season strong, averaging more than 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Eagles' last five games. The most reliable of the returning players is 6-7 senior forward Hamp Jones (8.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 31 steals, 19 blocked shots, .554 FG), who has started 56 consecutive games despite arriving on campus as a walk-on. Much of his success can be contributed to old-fashioned hard work. He has added almost 30 pounds of muscle since enrolling in school. Jones was the conference's top offensive rebounder last season, averaging 3.3 per game. Overall, he was the fourth-leading rebounder in the league. Jones is adept at using his quickness and long arms to beat opponents on the boards. Jones, who can score inside and make mid-range jumpers, also currently ranks as the best shooter in school history, having made .581 (248 of 427) of his career field goals. Jones has a potential future all-conference frontcourt-mate in 6-8 sophomore Kashien Latham (6.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 30 blocked shots, .795 FT). Latham established himself as one of the Southern Conference's better interior defenders during his freshman season. He ranked sixth in the conference in rejections per game. He blocked five shots last season in a game against The Citadel and four against Florida State. Offensively, Latham has potential. He has a nice touch around the basket, can extend his game out past the free-throw line and is an excellent free-throw shooter. He made his first 22 free throws last season before misfiring in the 21st game of the year against College of Charleston. Latham scored in double figures three times last season, including a 20-point effort in a win over North Georgia. Donta Humphries (5.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 61 assists, 26 steals, .357 3 PT), a 5-10 sophomore, should step into the starting lineup this season at point guard. He made six starts last season and played in 26 games. Humphries is a heady player who could thrive in Price's up-tempo system. Certainly, the Eagles' new coach would be pleased if Humphries had more games like the one he had last Jan. 11 against The Citadel when he scored 15 points, handed out nine assists and hit all four of his shots from three-point range. DeMarlo Slocum (7.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 50 assists, .331 3 PT), a 6-1 senior, should play a key role in the backcourt, either as a starter in a small lineup or as a sixth man. He was the team's fourth-leading scorer last season and ranked second on the club in three-pointers made with 51. Slocum is a streaky shooter but is capable of having big nights offensively. He had 18 points in 25 minutes last season against Florida, making six of nine field goals (including five of seven three-pointers). Omar Gunn (0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg), a 6-0 junior, should play limited minutes in the backcourt. He is a defensive specialist with good lateral quickness and agility. Sophomores Edward Keith (2.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 12 blocked shots) and Wayne Wooley (1.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) should provide depth in the frontcourt. Both players stand 6-6 and are above average athletes. Keith developed into a crowd favorite last season because of his tenacity and hustle. He suffered a season-ending knee injury with only three games remaining but appears to be fully recovered. Keith ranked third on the team in blocked shots. Wooley is a good outside shooter who curiously enough did not attempt a three-pointer last season in limited minutes. He played in 16 games and averaged just under five minutes per game. He also has good leaping ability and long arms. Despite his late arrival, Price was able to sign five players, including three junior-college transfers, in the spring signing period. His emphasis on three-point shooting and athleticism was obvious on the recruiting trail. Todd Shipley (Gulf Coast (Fla.) CC/Destin, Fla.), a 6-0 junior, is a three-point shooter with tremendous range. He averaged 16.5 points and shot approximately 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point territory last season. He made 51 percent of his three-pointers as a freshman. Junior Greg Spurgeon (Marshalltown (Iowa) CC/DeWitt, Iowa) will give the Eagles some much-needed size in the backcourt. He stands 6-5 and should also see time in the frontcourt. Spurgeon averaged 14.6 points and 4.3 rebounds last season and made 40 percent of his three-point shots. The third junior-college transfer is 6-7 swingman RaShawn Tart (Polk (Fla.) CC/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). He may be the most well-rounded of the group offensively with his ability to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket in addition to being a solid three-point shooter. Tart averaged 19.8 points last season and shot 52 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Price's two freshman signees are 6-2 guard Julius Jenkins (Deerfield Beach HS/Deerfield Beach, Fla.) and 6-0 point guard Kerry Willis (Westlake HS/Atlanta). Jenkins was Price's first signee and a definite prize. Jenkins averaged 26.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 steals last season while leading his school to a state 6-A championship. He scored 35 points in the state championship game, making 12 of 18 shots from the field (including six of 11 three-pointers). Jenkins was chosen the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel's Class 6-A, 5-A, 4-A Player of the Year. Willis is a true point guard who, like Jenkins, is an experienced winner. As a senior, he helped guide his team to a 3-A state championship. Willis averaged 12.6 points, 11.2 steals and 3.2 steals last season.
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