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TODAY, 01.22.03.)
East Carolina coach Bill Herrion has never been quick to offer excuses,
even though he's had many opportunities since taking over the Pirates'
basketball program in 1999.
During his first year, the program received a major blow when its best
player — Evaldes Jocys — suffered a season-ending injury early in the year.
Things went south from there, as ECU limped home to a 10-19 finish.
Last season, the NCAA levied lengthy suspensions on center Moussa Badiane
and forward Gabriel Mikulas for competing in off-season club games in which
their teammates were paid. As a result, the Pirates stumbled out of the
gates to a 2-6 start.
In each case, Herrion might have attributed his team's sliding
performances to uncontrollable circumstances, but the Pirates coach chose
instead to focus on the things he could control.
This season the team has encountered more speed bumps that have sidelined
key personnel along the way, but Herrion is sticking to his policy by not
offering excuses for the Pirates' recent inconsistent play.
In typical fashion, he's more direct about where part of the blame might
be pinpointed.
"I'm not real happy with this basketball team lately," Herrion said.
"We've not been practicing well.
"I find myself spending a lot of time and energy trying to convince some
people in this basketball program what it takes to compete on a daily basis
at this level. We're not good enough and we're not talented enough to show
up on game nights when the ball goes up and beat anybody in this league.
"Every day we step on the floor, if we don't remember who and what we are
and what's gotten us here, we're in trouble."
East Carolina enters tonight's Conference USA battle against league bully
Cincinnati with a three-game losing streak. The Pirates sizzled to an
impressive 7-0 start, a feat that had not happened in Greenville since the
1953-54 campaign, but have since fizzled to 10-5 overall, 1-3 in league
play.
During one stretch, the Pirates were without senior point guard Travis
Holcomb-Faye, whom Herrion sidelined for five games for academic reasons
even though he was still eligible by NCAA standards. During his absence, the
Pirates went 3-2, including an impressive victory over then-No. 9 Marquette,
which followed a very disappointing loss at unheralded Coastal Carolina.
Holcomb-Faye's return was accompanied by the Pirates' current three-game
skid, which Herrion refuses to attribute to any chemistry problems his point
guard's reappearance to the lineup may have created.
Instead, Herrion stresses the lack of focus in practice, which he notes
extends deeper than the Pirates' starting five.
"I'm not just talking about the guys that get most of the playing time,"
Herrion said. "I'm even talking about some kids that don't play much. ...
.I'm really concerned about that right now. It's got me a little bit
irritated."
Following ECU's 90-71 loss at Coastal on December 23, Herrion hinted that
he thought his team may have lost the competitive edge that fueled the 7-0
start. The fire returned in the Pirates' win over Marquette, but was again
extinguished at Charlotte.
Herrion says it is crucial for that flame to reignite because teams no
longer overlook East Carolina.
"I think what we're finding out with our team is it's our second time
through this thing and, you know, we're not sneaking up on anybody," Herrion
said. "I think people are much more prepared to play us. I think that's been
obvious.
"You come out of the gates 10-2, guess what, you're going to open
people's eyes. People are going to treat you differently and people are
going to respect you differently. A year ago, nobody cared who we were or
what we were."
After a growing list of upsets, which includes wins over Louisville, Ole
Miss, and Marquette twice, foes are beginning to take notice of the dangers
posed by the Pirates, especially in their building — Williams Arena at
Minges Coliseum. ECU's home floor has quickly emerged as one of the nation's
loudest venues, as record crowds are making their way through the
turnstiles, perhaps an indication that big-time hoops has arrived in
Greenville.
Big-time or not, Herrion continues to keep things in perspective, noting
that his team's recent dip has provided a measuring stick for where the
program is — and where it needs to be.
"This thing has really been built very quickly," Herrion said. "We're
finding out where this gap is in Conference USA. We've got a lot of work to
do."
More zone likely
Tough, physical man-to-man defense is a hallmark of Herrion-coached
teams. However, the Pirates' inability to contain quicker, more athletic
teams in C-USA last season prompted the Pirates coach to deploy heavy doses
of 2-3 zone, a move that helped spark East Carolina to four wins in its
final six games.
After recent drubbings by Charlotte and Louisville in which both teams
eclipsed the 80-point plateau, Herrion said he will likely introduce more
zone into the Pirates' defensive package.
"The same thing is happening to us early in league play that started
happening to us last year," Herrion said. "We started giving up a lot of
points — in the 80s. I don't know if we have enough offense to play that
way.
"If you remember last year, we ended up playing a heck of a lot of zone
the second half of the league last year. We've got to start looking at more
zone. That's probably my fault."
More zone could also aid Badiane, the Pirates' dynamic shot-blocking
center who has been plagued this season by foul trouble. Badiane was
whistled for his second foul early against the Cardinals last Thursday,
which sent him to the bench for much of the first half.
"Moussa can't have two fouls on him in the first 1:30 in the game,"
Herrion said. "You take your shot blocker off the floor and it changes the
whole complexion of your defense."
Outside shooting a concern
One of Herrion's main objectives during the off-season was to upgrade the
Pirates' perimeter scoring, which was perceived as the primary weakness last
year. The Pirates coach believed junior college transfers Derrick Wiley and
Luke Mackay and freshman Belton Rivers could fill that void.
Though Wiley has quickly emerged as East Carolina's most consistent
scoring threat, the majority of his baskets occur in the paint off slashing
drives to the basket. Mackay, whose season got a late start due to an injury
and off-the-court problems, hasn't gotten enough minutes to make a big
impact.
Rivers, who averaged 32 points per game last season at Atlanta's Douglass
High and was advertised as a three-point marksman, has struggled with his
shot of late after asserting himself early in the year as a dependable
scorer. Over the past three games, Rivers has hit just three of his 16 shots
from three-point land and is an ice-cold 5-of-26 from the floor overall.
"It is a concern," Herrion said of the perimeter shooting. "Belton Rivers
is a kid that we think can shoot the basketball. He's not making shots right
now. It's something we've got to pay attention and put the ball in the
bucket."
On the year, the Pirates are sinking just 27 percent of their three-point
baskets, down from 31 percent last year. If the Bucs can't up that
percentage, league foes will continue to clamp down on ECU's interior,
making life even tougher on the Pirates' horses down low.