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Pirate Notebook No. 43
Wednesday, January 16, 2002

By Denny O'Brien
Staff Writer and Columnist

GREENVILLE — Don't look now, but the future looks bright for East Carolina basketball. Even though the Pirates have notched just six wins this season and are still searching for that first Conference USA victory, Bill Herrion has laid a solid foundation.

Records can be deceiving, and they certainly are in this case. The Pirates have played all but the last two games without their best player, sophomore forward Gabriel Mikulas, after having spent the early part of the season without freshman shot-blocking sensation Moussa Badiane.

At full strength, things likely would be different. It's hard to imagine the Pirates bowing to Appalachian, Central Florida, Greensboro, and Old Dominion with a full cast of characters. Yet, you'll hear nary an excuse from the ECU camp about the card it was dealt.

As the Pirates host Louisville tonight, fans can't help but gleam about the future. Gone are the days when basketball was merely an afterthought. A sign of progress is the passionate roundball discussion that has hit talk radio, not to mention those Internet message boards.

It would be difficult to call Herrion's task-to-date a rebuild, which suggests something strong once stood. ECU has never been a force on the hardwood and has struggled to even be noticed in the dark shadows cast by the four ACC schools next door.

The building started in Argentina of all places, where the ECU staff courted an unknown Ray Ramano look-alike. Billed by Herrion as a poor-man's Kevin McHale, Mikulas had a deadly drop-step and above-average touch.

It didn't take long for Mikulas to burst onto the scene, winning CAA Rookie of the Year honors while making all-league. And it shouldn't take long for folks in the C-USA to learn why, in Greenville, ratings are rising for "Everybody Loves Gabriel."

Erroyl Bing, the do-all sophomore stolen from the Sunshine State, has made an indelible mark on the program as well. The king of double-double can go inside or out, and is C-USA's best imitation of Charles Barkley.

When asked why he shunned other suitors for Herrion's unknown program, the Largo, FL, native offered four letters of reason — C-USA.

Badiane, the slender swatter, has been another great find. The Paris, France, product is destined to shatter the school record for rejections in a season, one in which he missed the first eight games. A featherweight with a wealth of raw talent, Badiane is still a project. Add 25 pounds and a year or two of seasoning, and Herrion will have himself a monster.

Sophomore swingman Jonathon Moore rounds out a quad of young frontcourt talent. With his eagle-eye shooting, grace, and athleticism, he adds a nice element to the league's most versatile young frontcourt.

"We've really got to keep things in perspective," Herrion said. "We are a program that is in the infantile stages. If I don't catch myself first, understanding what we're up against and what we're trying to do here, and these kids get down, then it's going to be a really long year."

While ECU will take its share of lumps in the rigorous C-USA, it will do so in the public eye. Fans have already witnessed the excitement a ten-point loss to a top 10 team can generate — especially when compared to a narrow victory over a mid-major school.

Imagine yourself a recruit, attending that historical ECU-UC tilt. Imagine the excitement and potential you would have felt as the Pirates jumped out by a dozen. Then, turn back the clock and ponder your thoughts as the Pirates eked out a win over hapless William and Mary in front of 3,000 half-interested fans.

Herrion, now in his third year, saw tremendous upside in Greenville, well before C-USA came about. He liked the town's proximity to Tobacco Road, long known as the nation's basketball haven. He adored the wealth of high school talent in the state, convinced he could lure it east.

Not that long ago, that idea wasn't an option. Joe Dooley entertained those thoughts, but the CAA had little to offer. Thus, Josh Howard, Antwan Scott, and Ervin Murray decided on Wake Forest, which with their help, sits tenth in the RPI ratings.

The days of recruiting near-misses could be slowly trotting out the door. With a solid corps of young post players, a stronger backcourt seems to be the missing link.

Travis Holcomb-Faye and his mates at the guard positions are careful with the ball. Turnovers are limited with these ball-handlers, but consistent shooting is, too.

"We're not there yet," Herrion said after last Saturday's loss to Charlotte. "I'm halfway through my third year. We've really had two recruiting classes gearing up to this league. We're not nearly near where we need to be."

While East Carolina hopes to get its first conference victory against Louisville tonight, the Cardinals will be searching for a bit of consistency. Head coach Rick Pitino on Monday attributed the Cardinals' inconsistency largely to the fact that the team is in the first year of his pressing system, but also made note of other reasons.

"We've had a lot of little problems, as any first-year program would," Pitino said. "We've been plagued with both suspensions and injuries."

A casualty of late has been freshman Carlos Hurt, who had solidified the point guard position for the Cards. The former McDonald's All-American, plagued by a bulged disc in his back, will miss tonight's game in Greenville and, according to Pitino, could be lost for the season.

Pitino's clubs generally have a wealth of talent, but his first Louisville team has few consistent performers. Outside of sophomore swingman Reece Gaines, who leads the team in both scoring (20ppg) and three-point shooting (40%), the Cardinals have just two performers averaging double-digits in scoring — Luke Whitehead (11.4) and Erik Brown (10.4).

Despite inconsistent outings, Louisville has posted a solid 11-3 mark. All three losses have come to foes that have made appearances in the Top 25 at some point during the season — Oregon, Kentucky, and Marquette.

East Carolina has the dubious honor of traveling to Texas Christian for what could be Billy Tubbs final game as a head coach, though Tubbs acknowledged Monday that he could return to the coaching ranks next season for the perfect situation.

The hallmark of Tubbs-coached teams has been the up-and-down style of basketball that often produced triple-digit scores. He preached this style at Lamar, where he twice guided the Cardinals to the NCAA tournament. Tubbs taught the run-and-gun system to a "T" at Oklahoma, where he built a national power.

Unlike Louisville, which creates offense with its defense, the Frogs don't thrive off the press. Instead, TCU wastes little time in its half-court game, making two or three passes at most.

But according to Tubbs, his philosophies aren't as revolutionary as you might think. He learned the system many years ago, and fell in love with it immediately.

"Our style of play developed as a player for me, because we played an up-tempo style when I was in college," he said. "We had a lot of success with it."

Tubbs played at Lon Morris College, where he led the Bearcats to the National Junior College semifinals. He said the system was a nice change of pace from the slow-down approach to which he became accustomed in high school.

The Horned Frogs aren't very deep this year, but they are well-conditioned, a key ingredient to success in Tubbs' system. Conditioning is a top priority with the Frogs' seven-year head coach, who as an avid jogger, practices what he preaches.

Though he can't be exact, Tubbs estimates he has jogged 30,000 miles of highway during his lifetime. For the past 28 years, C-USA's elder statesman has trekked three miles daily, taking just a few days of rest during the calendar year.

Recently, Tubbs was asked during a teleconference if he was interested in competing in Houston's marathon, since he enjoyed the heat and humidity in that town.

Tubbs followed that by noting that money will not be a determinant in his return to coaching next season.