Bonesville: The Authoritative Independent Voice of East Carolina

News & Features from ECU, the AAC and Beyond

  • Home
  • News & Features
  • Recruiting
  • Photos
  • Audio
  • Roundup
  • Comments
  • Legacy Archives
  • • ECU 2021 BASEBALL SCHEDULE
  • • ECU 2021 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
  • • ECU 2021 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Insights from Brett
Gardner sets the pace as Pirates make headway

January 6, 2020 By Brett Friedlander 3 Comments

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Just in case you haven’t noticed, there’s an uncanny similarity between East Carolina’s football and basketball programs right now.

Both are in the early stages of a building process. Both are led by coaches with track records of success. Both are making positive strides, albeit not always in the win column. And most importantly, both have dynamic young stars with multiple years of eligibility remaining to serve as a foundation around which to build.

Those last two points were on full display on New Year’s Day in Wichita, KS.

Just as the football team played nationally ranked American Athletic Conference opponents Cincinnati and Southern Methodist right down to the wire despite being double-digit underdogs last fall, coach Joe Dooley’s hoop squad made No. 24 Wichita State work for everything it got before finally falling 75-69.

It was an encouraging performance for many reasons. Among them was the way the Pirates regained their composure after giving up the game’s first nine points.

Dooley said that his team “got frazzled” in those first few minutes. But instead of falling victim to the energy of the hostile crowd and allowing the momentum to snowball into an insurmountable deficit, ECU battled back and actually went ahead midway through the second half.

“You’re playing a really good team on the road and I thought we did a lot of good things,” Dooley said in his postgame comments. “We’ve got a lot of new guys, so to come in this environment and get down like we did and fight back, I thought they responded in a really good way. I’m proud of the way they responded.”

ECU’s strong effort was an extension of the work it put in over the final two weeks of the nonconference schedule.

Say what you want about the quality of the opposition. As mentioned in this column back on Dec. 16, that four-game stretch against Campbell, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Charlotte and Eastern Kentucky was an opportunity for the young Pirates to improve, develop some chemistry, and remember how good it feels to win.

It’s an opportunity of which they took full advantage, the same way the football team did against the likes of Gardner-Webb, William & Mary and Old Dominion.

Jayden Gardner (ECU Media Relations)

Now that the Pirates have learned how it feels to win and that they can compete with the best the AAC has to offer, the next step is to start doing more than just competing against conference teams. And the next three games against South Florida, SMU and Tulsa, all at home, would be the perfect time for that to happen.

But if it takes longer than that, so be it.

Just sit back and enjoy the generational talent that is Jayden Gardner while Dooley works to find the right combination of pieces to put around him.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore currently leads the AAC in scoring and — as his performance against Wichita on Wednesday showed — he’s still adding elements to his game and getting better. Having already proven his ability to score on the low post and get to the free throw line, Gardner showed off a face-up midrange game that was so effective while scoring 29 points (on 12 of 20 shooting) that Shockers coach Gregg Marshall proclaimed “his 15-footer is almost automatic.”

Gardner, in many respects, is to ECU basketball what record-setting quarterback Holton Ahlers is to the Pirates’ football team.

The big difference is that while football coach Mike Houston is still in the process of surrounding his trigger man with the defense, offensive line and other elements needed to turn the promise his program showed in his first season into results during Ahlers’ final two, the help Gardner needs may already be on the roster.

Dooley brought 11 new scholarship players into the program this season and he’s still in the process of trying to find just the right combination. The lineup he started against Wichita was the 10th different combination he’s used thus far.

Eventually he figures to hit on the one that works best. Or at the very least, identify areas that still need to be addressed through further recruiting.

While it may be too soon to start feeling optimistic about the future of ECU basketball, at least now there’s finally reason to be hopeful.

Just like football.

ECU 2019-20 BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
GARDNER SETS THE PACE AS PIRATES MAKE HEADWAY
LEBO RETURNS TO COACHING
GRACE YATAWARA MAKES ECU AND SRI LANKA PROUD
PHOTO GALLERY: A PIRATE IN NEPAL
SHOCKERS AVOID SHOCKER
PIRATES ON THE RISE IN RECRUITING WARS
PIRATES SET TO RING IN NEW YEAR IN AAC PLAY
ECU’S TALENT HAUL HELPS CLOSE THE GAP
PIRATES WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT
PIRATES SURGE PAST CHARLOTTE
A MESSAGE TO THE BIG GUY
PIRATES GO BIG ON DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
AUDIO: MIKE HOUSTON SIGNING DAY PRESSER
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Filed Under: News & Features

Comments

  1. bcp74 says

    January 6, 2020 at 11:02 am

    Good article and assessment of where we are in regards to ECU Basketball!!

    Reply
  2. Joe McKoy says

    January 6, 2020 at 11:05 am

    I enjoyed the article, but the advertisements for ED, etc. need to go.

    Reply
  3. The Kidd says

    January 7, 2020 at 1:30 pm

    Maybe we are turning a corner? This really looks like a different team over the past 5 games. These guys can fight with the best of them when they feel like it. We will be there tonight and I hope everyone else is too. It could be fun tonight! AAARRRGGGHH!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News & Features

Basketball News
UCF holds off Pirates

Presser: ECU-UCF Audio Segment #1
Joe Dooley Postgame

Presser: ECU-UCF Audio Segment #2
Jayden Gardner Postgame

Presser: ECU-UCF Audio Segment #3
Tristen Newton Postgame

VIEW FROM THE EAST
ECU hoops returns — but still missing players

Baseball News
ODU edges Pirates in 12

Baseball News
Pirates take series

Baseball News
ECU dealt first defeat

Baseball News
ECU prevails over Eagles in first road game

VIEW FROM THE EAST
Pirates prep for challenging start in 2021

More News & Features

ECU Schedules

  • ECU 2021 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2020-21 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2021 Baseball Schedule

ECU Recruiting

  • Football Recruiting Class of 2021
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2020
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2019
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2018
  • Football Recruiting Class of 2017
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2021-22
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2020-21
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2019-20
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2018-19
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2017-18
  • Hoops Recruiting Class of 2016-17
Tweets by bonesville

Past Football Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2014 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2013 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2012 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2011 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2010 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2009 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2008 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2007 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2006 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2005 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2004 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2003 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2002 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2001 Football Schedule
  • ECU 2000 Football Schedule
  • Historical Schedules

Past Basketball Schedules

  • ECU 2019-20 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2018-19 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2017-18 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2016-17 Basketball Schedule
  • ECU 2000-2015 Basketball Archives

Past Baseball Schedules

  • ECU 2020 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2019 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2018 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2017 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2016 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2015 Baseball Schedule
  • ECU 2001-2014 Baseball Archives

Recruiting Class Profiles

Football Recruiting Report
Banner recruits keep American on the rise

ECU Recruiting Evaluation, Part 2
Defensive report card: Pirates lure experience

ECU Recruiting Evaluation, Part 1
Offensive report card: Skill positions reinforced

ECU Football Recruiting - Early Evaluation
Pirates fortify secondary

Football Recruiting
Pirates land lineman with ‘nasty attitude’

Football Recruiting
Former TCU linebacker sets new path at ECU

Football Recruiting
Florida produces another quarterback gem for ECU

Football Recruiting
Legacy of ECU’s receivers helped sell Keigley

Football Recruiting
Pirates reaping dividends from Tri-City focus

Football Recruiting
Close relationship with ECU staff swayed Temple

Football Recruiting
Timely recruiting helped Pirates land Wright

Football Recruiting
COVID-19 opens door to FBS for Jason Shuford

Football Recruiting
ECU secondary secures Bama grad transfer Knott

Football Recruiting
ECU wins battle for coveted safety Clyatt

Football Recruiting
Grad transfer Chase rekindles ties with ECU

Recruiting Evaluation: Class of 2020 Defense
Defensive class caps off sterling recruiting effort

Recruiting Evaluation: Class of 2020 Offense
Gifted QBs, RBs headline offensive signees

Football Recruiting
Garrison’s route to ECU anything but typical

Early signing class evaluation
Pirates on the rise in recruiting wars

Football Recruiting
Healing prep star Hudson on track to sign early

Football Recruiting
Coveted QB recruit Garcia headed to Shrine Bowl

Football Recruiting
Help is on the way for ECU running game

Football Recruiting
Tackle took trek from ballboy to superstar

Football Recruiting
Crump brings ‘shut-down corner’ skills to ECU

Football Recruiting
ECU emerged from the pack to land McIver

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, February 25, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, February 18, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, February 13, 2021

Writer Archives

  • Bonesville Staff
  • Brian Bailey
  • Sammy Batten
  • Bethany Bradsher
  • Brett Friedlander
  • Al Myatt
  • NFF
  • Greg Vacek
  • Danny Whitford

Recent Web Roundups

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, February 25, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Wednesday, February 18, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Saturday, February 13, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Friday, February 12, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Thursday, February 11, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Tuesday, February 9, 2021

GREG VACEK'S DAILY WEB ROUNDUP
Monday, February 8, 2021

More Web Roundups

Copyright © 2021 Bonesville.net · Website by Seaport Webworks. · Log in · Privacy Policy