Greg Spurlock met new Coppin State males’s basketball coach Larry Stewart at his introductory convention May 5 contained in the college’s Talon Center. The junior guard had an inkling of Stewart’s character even earlier than they met.
“A lot of people told me before that we would end up liking him and that what you see is what you get,” Spurlock mentioned. “They were right.”
What Spurlock and a few of his teammates have found is a 55-year-old NBA veteran and well-traveled Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference assistant coach who’s comfy in his personal pores and skin and doesn’t really feel a urgent must go nuclear on the easiest mistake.
Said redshirt junior ahead Justin Winston: “I wouldn’t say he’s a yeller. He’s kind of laidback, but he expects you to go hard every game. I feel like he’s good for all the guys. He’s a player’s coach because he understands, he’s been in our shoes.”
That doesn’t imply that Stewart can’t crank up the depth stage when he needs or wants to. Whether as the one participant in Eagles historical past to amass 1,000 factors and rebounds in his profession or as the primary undrafted participant in NBA historical past to be named to the All-Rookie Team in 1991-92, Stewart’s aggressive spirit can’t be questioned.
But for now, Stewart mentioned his goal is to develop a relationship along with his gamers that permits each events to get pleasure from their finest outcomes.
“I just want them to go out and be the best at doing the little things,” he mentioned. “I’ve been around this game a long time, and I just want them to understand that there are little things that are going to help them win or lose in the game of basketball. So I’m just trying to get these guys focused on doing the little things and being the best at what they do.”
Besides making a tradition of belief and respect between the gamers and coaches, Stewart is emphasizing the necessity to play protection and coax contributions from each participant. Last season, Coppin State (9-23, 4-10 MEAC) ranked second-to-last within the convention in factors allowed per recreation (83.2) and scoring margin per recreation (minus-11.2).
Point guard Sam Sessoms and capturing guard Nendah Tarke averaged 20.5 and 12.5 factors, respectively, however they have been the one gamers to achieve double digits. Six of the staff’s high seven scorers are gone with Winston returning because the main scorer at 8.1 factors per recreation.
“I feel like it’s actually going to look a little bit crisper this year,” Winston mentioned. “You’ll probably see more of a team. Last year, I feel like we were a little more broken up maybe or it may have seemed like that on the court. But this year, everyone’s going to get theirs, everyone’s going to get their little part of the game. There are going to be a lot of key guys on the court.”
Stewart succeeds former Maryland capturing guard Juan Dixon, who compiled a 51-131 general file and a 37-51 MEAC mark in six years. As a lot as he loved taking part in for Dixon, Spurlock mentioned Stewart supplies a recent method.
“I feel like just having a brand new [perspective], just seeing something new because what I heard a lot was how under Coach Dixon, it was just the same thing, no real adjustments,” he mentioned. “I feel like just hearing a different voice, especially for us returners, was just something we needed and is going to help us get over the hump.”
Stewart mentioned he’s not considering being in contrast with Dixon.
“I understand the comparisons, but we’re two totally different people,” he mentioned. “He had his philosophy, and I have mine. I work hard on my philosophy each and every day. I’m not trying to worry about who was here before.”
How shortly Stewart can revive the Eagles stays to be seen. They have been voted to complete seventh out of eight groups within the MEAC preseason ballot and have zero gamers on any of the three MEAC preseason groups.
The program additionally has to mesh six freshmen and 5 transfers with 5 returners. As a lot as alumni, boosters and followers may count on quick outcomes, they gained’t match Stewart’s goals.
“I’m a coach. I want to win every game,” he mentioned. “But I understand that winning is not easy. It takes a lot for a team to win. So you’ve just got to be focused on doing those little things each and every day. Only a coach knows what his team needs, and you have to focus on those things each and every day. If you establish that culture, the wins will come.”
Here’s what else you might want to know in regards to the Baltimore-area males’s basketball applications:
Loyola Maryland
Coach: Tavaras Hardy, sixth season
Last season: 13-20, 7-11 Patriot League
Postseason: Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal, No. 8 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Sixth out of 10 groups
Starters gone (2): SG Kenneth Jones (11.5 factors per recreation, 3.5 assists per recreation, 2.0 rebounds per recreation), SG Jaylin Andrews (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Starters again (3): PG Deon Perry (11.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.0 apg), PF Alonso Faure (8.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg), PF Golden Dike (7.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
One-liner: The Greyhounds welcome again PF Milos Ilic (5.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg in 23 begins in 2021-22) after he missed final season with an harm, and Old Dominion switch D’Angelo Stines (Mount Saint Joseph) joins the combination.
Maryland
Coach: Kevin Willard, second season
Last season: 22-13, 11-9 Big Ten Conference
Postseason: Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinal, No. 6 seed; NCAA Tournament second spherical, No. 8 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Third out of 14 groups
Starters gone (2): SG Hakim Hart (11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg), SG Don Carey (7.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
Starters again (3): PG Jahmir Young (15.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg), SF Donta Scott (11.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg), PF Julian Reese (11.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
One-liner: The Terps are anticipated to be within the combine to compete for the Big Ten title below second-year coach Kevin Willard with a proficient trio of returning starters and one of many program’s finest freshmen lessons, headlined by four-star recruit DeShawn Harris-Smith, lately.
Morgan State
Coach: Kevin Broadus, fifth season
Last season: 15-16, 7-7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Postseason: MEAC Tournament quarterfinal, No. 5 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Fourth out of eight groups
Starters gone (3): PG Isaiah Burke (18.7 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.3 rpg), SG Malik Miller (17.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.9 apg), PF Khalil Turner (9.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
Starters again (2): SF Will Thomas (8.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg), SG Kamron Hobbs (8.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.7 apg)
One-liner: The Bears return 30.2% of their scoring, 24.5% of their rebounding and 34.3% of their minutes performed from final season.
Mount St. Mary’s
Coach: Dan Engelstad, sixth season
Last season: 13-20, 8-12 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Postseason: MAAC Tournament quarterfinal, No. 8 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Seventh out of 11 groups
Starters gone (3): PG Jalen Benjamin (16.0 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.8 rpg), PF Malik Jefferson (8.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg), SG Deandre Thomas (7.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Starters again (2): SG Dakota Leffew (13.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg), SF George Tinsley (7.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
One-liner: The Mountaineers might use the wholesome model of capturing guard Joshua Reaves (solely three video games final season due to leg surgical procedure), who contributed 7.0 factors and a pair of.5 rebounds and shot 37.7% from 3-point vary to the 2020-21 staff that captured the Northeast Conference title.
Navy
Coach: Ed DeChellis, thirteenth season
Last season: 18-13, 11-7 Patriot League
Postseason: Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal, No. 2 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Tied for seventh out of 10 groups
Starters gone (4): PF Daniel Deaver (13.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.9 apg), SF Tyler Nelson (12.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg), SG Sean Yoder (10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.6 apg), SG Patrick Dorsey (6.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
Starters again (1): PG Austin Inge (6.0 ppg, 2.3 apg)
One-liner: The Midshipmen return solely 23% of their factors and 30% of their minutes performed from final season.
Towson
Coach: Pat Skerry, thirteenth season
Last season: 21-12, 12-6 Coastal Athletic Association
Postseason: CAA Tournament semifinal, No. 3 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Tied for fifth out of 14 groups
Starters gone (4): SG Nicolas Timberlake (17.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.4 apg), SF Cam Holden (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.8 apg), SG Nygal Russell (7.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.3 apg), PG Ryan Conway (6.4 ppg)
Starters again (1): PF Charles Thompson (12.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg)
One-liner: The Tigers are nonetheless ready to listen to from the NCAA on their utility for a waiver for switch capturing guard Nendah Tarke (12.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.1 apg at Coppin State) to play this season.
UMBC
Coach: Jim Ferry, third season
Last season: 18-14, 8-8 America East Conference
Postseason: AEC Tournament quarterfinal, No. 4 seed
Preseason convention ballot: Sixth out of 9 groups
Starters gone (5): SG Colton Lawrence (12.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg), SG Jacob Boonyasith (10.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg), PF Yaw Obeng-Mensah (8.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg), PF Jarvis Doles (8.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg), PG Craig Beaudion (8.0 ppg, 3.9 apg, 2.5 rpg)
Starters again (0): None
One-liner: SG Matteo Picarelli (10.1 ppg, 39.4% 3-point vary) transferring to Temple leaves SG Dion Brown (7.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg) because the Retrievers’ most skilled returner.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com