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Pirates making progress

By Al Myatt
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East Carolina's basketball fortunes have changed significantly since the Pirates took an 0-6 record in the American Athletic Conference into Sunday's 84-83 win at Memphis.

Sophomore B.J. Tyson came back from a shoulder sprain in an 84-69 loss to Tulsa to lead ECU with 26 points. The Pirates played without second-leading scorer Caleb White due to a concussion sustained against the Golden Hurricane.

"It was a huge win for us," ECU coach Jeff Lebo said. "We had so much adversity. We didn't know if we were going to have B.J. No Caleb. On the road at Memphis, a place we've never won before against a Memphis team that was coming off a loss, a close loss to Cincinnati and really needed to play well at home. We played great and hung on at the end. We showed some toughness at the end. When they went on the run in the second half late and took the lead, we came right back and hung on to the end. It was a huge win for us. We hadn't won on the road and a league win. ... at Memphis. It was a special locker room after the game was over."

Two free throws by senior point guard Prince Williams with 4.1 seconds left accounted for the deciding points against the Tigers. Williams had 20 points and 10 assists.

Momentum carries over

For an encore, ECU handed Temple a 64-61 loss in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Wednesday night.

Freshman Kentrell Barkley had a three-point play with one second left for ECU's second straight AAC win. Barkley played 40 minutes, scored 13 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had six assists. Prince Williams had 18 points against the sixth-winningest program in NCAA Division I history.

It was the first win over the Owls in football or basketball since ECU joined the AAC.

"We had some confidence," Lebo said. "That's one thing. When you win on the road against a good team that gives you a little confidence. We obviously had to make some changes with some guys out. Ziggy (Michel Nzege) has played a lot here lately. Kentrell Barkley has played virtually every minute the last two games. We haven't really gone to our bench very much at all. The play of Prince Williams the last two games has been really, really good. It's been what we've been looking for (at point guard) for a long time. He's really played well here those last two games."

Pirates overcome misfires

Because ECU has lost its two tallest players, 6-feet, 11-inch Marshall Guilmette to career-ending health issues and 6-10 Deng Riak for this season for shoulder surgery, it appeared the Pirates had to shoot well beyond the arc to have a chance at victory.

That notion was dispelled as ECU went three for 17 from long range against Temple.

Fortunately, the Pirates found a solution.

"I think the big thing was we got out in transition," Lebo said. "We had fast break points 22 to zero over Temple. That's a big number. ... We got some good looks there and that's what we have to do because in half court we just can't grind it in there, ... back to the basket stuff. So we have to get some transition points. We got some at Memphis (12). ... We got a bunch last night. That's really helped us here kind of carve out some points when we're offensively challenged not shooting the ball."

ECU searches, adjusts

The 2015-16 season has been characterized as a work in progress. The recent wins are evidence that the process is capable of successful results.

"We've been through a lot," Lebo said. "We've tried it figure out. We've had a lot of different changes, a lot of different lineups. Guys injured. Guys in. Guys out. Trying to find a way to play."

"You go into the season, you think you're going to have certain guys. You've worked all preseason on playing a particular way. You've got to change. Different guys that you thought were going to be there, they're not there. You've got to figure out how to get the other ones involved now. That's what you have in basketball, the ebb and flows of a long season, and trying to find ways to win and be flexible enough in different ideas and changing and trying to do things. I think, more than anything else, we haven't been able to put together 40-minute games.

"We've had stretches where we let games get away from us really quickly. We'd be right in the game and all of a sudden there would be a 15-0 run. ... The game got away from us. We haven't had those big, gigantic runs here like we had early in the season. We've been able to stop the bleeding. Get a stop. Get a bucket. Get to the foul line, some things that you need to do to stop those runs. That's been really helpful here in the last couple of games.

Caleb White's status

Not only has Caleb White not been a factor in wins over Memphis and Temple, he hasn't been involved in full-scale practice prior to those games. White is averaging 12.1 points per game.

Ironically, he could be the additional scorer the Pirates have been looking for if Barkley, Tyson and Prince Williams continue producing on the scale of recent outings.

"He's coming off a concussion," Lebo said Thursday. "He wasn't cleared for Memphis. He hasn't practiced, full-go, with any contact. He was cleared right before the (Temple) game on game day. We put him in for a few minutes but really it wasn't fair for him to expect that he was going to be productive because he hadn't practiced any kind of full-go for a week.

"These next two days are going to be important for him to get back into full practice, get the feel and the timing back. We're going to need him. We can't play our backcourt 40 minutes every night. We're playing a short bench. We need to get him back so we can rest some guys a little bit. He's a good player for us. Obviously, he's our second leading scorer. We need to get him back in the groove of things."

Additional scholarship available

Guilmette's situation frees up a scholarship for next year. Lebo said ECU likely would sign another player before next season.

The Pirates already were pleased with an incoming class that includes 6-7 Elijah Hughes and 6-2 Shawn Williams.

"I think we've got two good ones there," Lebo said. "Shawn Williams is a dynamic, flashy, quick, one-on-one, scoring point guard that can beat you off the dribble. He can score in a variety of ways. He can shoot it, pass it. He's got great speed with it."

Williams is having a solid season with Maumelle, a 5-A program in Arkansas. He is averaging 19.3 points and is the leading scorer for the Hornets, coached by Michael Shook. Williams is making 50 percent of his field goal attempts. He has hit 47 of 114 behind the 3-point line (41 percent) while averaging 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals.

Maumelle is rated No. 18 in Arkansas by MaxPreps.

Hughes is playing for South Kent (CT) Prep.

"Elijah Hughes has got size for position," Lebo said. "He can play multiple spots. He can really shoot the ball. ... He can stretch the defense. He plays for a really good team at South Kent. He was a really good get for us. You're looking a guy who can handle, pass, shoot it. We think he's going to be a fine player in the American."

South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson has sent players to a number of high-level Division I programs and the NBA.

"Elijah is a breath of fresh air," Jefferson said. "He is a special person on the court and off the court. As a basketball player, he brings everything to the table. He brings little things that a lot of players aren't excited to do like diving for loose balls and taking charges. ... At the same time, he's a deadly 3-point shooter. He's a high-level athlete. He's just a great kid and a great competitor and a great teammate. We're real excited to have him. He's become a primary scorer for us."

Jefferson said Hughes was averaging close to 20 points per game.

The South Kent coach said his program's schedule probably would allow Hughes to attend ECU's game at Connecticut on Feb. 7.

Houston visits

In the meantime, the Pirates host Houston (14-8, 4-4 AAC) on Saturday at noon.

Four players are averaging in double figures for the Cougars, led by sophomore guard Rob Gray Jr. at 16.6. Houston is averaging 77.7 points per game.

Oregon transfer Damyean Dotson is averaging 11.6 points and Purdue transplant Ronnie Johnson is scoring at a 10.5 rate.

"They can score," Lebo said. "They've got a lot of transfers from high majors that can flat out score the ball. They're not gigantic but they're a really good offensive rebounding team. They're really quick. They're really fast at a lot of spots. They can really shoot it from a variety of positions, too. They get you all spread out and they can drive it. We've got our work cut out to be able to play because of their ability to spread the floor, beat you off the bounce and offensive rebound."

Going for three in a row

The Pirates are bidding for their third straight AAC win. The last time the Pirates won three in a row in league play was Feb. 27, 2014 when a 75-68 Conference USA win over Charlotte followed victories over Rice and Louisiana Tech.

ECU also won three straight in C-USA under Lebo during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

Coaching history

Lebo is 97-91 with the Pirates in his sixth season. Only Tom Quinn, who was 102-107 in eight seasons from 1966-67 to 1973-74, has more wins since East Carolina became a Division I program.

Howard Porter was 182-102 with the Pirates in 12 seasons from 1947-48 through 1958-59 when East Carolina competed as a small college.

Porter's first win came on the road, 50-32, against the Goldsboro All-Stars. The Pirates split with the Duke junior varsity during the 1947-48 campaign.

E-mail Al Myatt

PAGE UPDATED 01/29/16 06:29 PM.

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