Troy University Athletics
Trojans Set To Open Practice For 2008-09 Season
10/15/2008 5:00:00 AM | Basketball (M)
As Troy University men's basketball coach Don Maestri enters his 27th season on the bench he has a twinkle in his eye when talking about the Trojans.
That fact might seem strange, considering that the Trojans must replace four starters, including all-Sun Belt guard O'Darien Bassett, from a team that struggled to a 12-19 record last year, marking Maestri's fourth consecutive losing season.
But, a quick glance at the Troy roster for the 2008-09 season reveals the reason for the high level of optimism around the Trojans basketball program. Among the 14 players on the squad, 13 are juniors or seniors and the one sophomore is the oldest member of the squad and an Iraq War veteran.
The Trojans will open preseason practice on Friday at 5 p.m. at the City of Troy recreational gym. The squad will also work out at the rec gym on Saturday at 8 a.m. before holding their first practice at Trojan Arena Sunday at 1 p.m.
"I don't know what it is, but there is more excitement than we have had the last few years,” Maestri said. “I think it comes from the players because they all know that they have a chance. The lack of hope is the most devastating thing that can happen to a human being, but the one thing we have with this team is hope. We don't have high expectations, but we have high hope.”
Those high hopes comes from the fact that as many as four of the five starting positions on the team are wide open going into the season, and virtually every member of the squad has a chance to earn one of those spots. The lone exception is junior Richard Delk, a multi-talented transfer from Mississippi State who will be a key cog for the Trojans this winter.
“Richard will be the key to this basketball team,” Maestri said. “If he has a solid year, then we are going to be in a lot of basketball games. He is a very talented player and he has a lot of experience, SEC experience. He started for two years in the SEC when the SEC had the national champion both years. He has played at Tennessee, at Rupp Arena, and has had experiences that no one else on our team has.”
During his two seasons in Starkville, Delk started 57 games, averaging 7.1 points while often being asked to defend against the top offensive player on the opposing squad. For the Trojans, he will be expected to be the top offensive player, but certainly not the only threat.
With eight returnees who have all seen playing time as role players, along with four talented junior college transfers, Troy practices will be among the most competitive Trojan Arena has ever seen.
“I think that when you have the hope that you can earn a starting spot and it is legitimate, then you start working a lot sooner and a lot harder,” Maestri said. ?A lot of these guys started last spring working to put themselves in position to get on the court this year.
“With the exception of Delk, the starting spots are wide open and they are all going to bust their fannies to earn their time. I think that is a very good situation for us because I don't think our practices have been as competitive as they need to be over the last few years. They are going to be highly competitive this year.”
When talking about the Trojans, one of the recurring themes Maestri talks about is the physical conditioning of the squad. Several members of the team stayed on campus over the summer and regularly worked out with the Troy football team. Others went home, but worked with personal trainers to get into the best condition, physically, possible.
That conditioning will be important in an ever-increasingly physical league. It will also help the Trojans get back to doing what Troy teams have always done well ? run the floor and play defense end to end.
“At the end of the year last year we decided that, because we couldn't rebound, we had to go to a completely different style of play to give ourselves a chance,” Maestri said. "This year, we will definitely play up tempo. This team has a chance to be a very good fast-break team. We have a chance to really make the game entertaining because we have guys who know how to play.”
That fast tempo of play will be triggered by a trio of true point guards. Junior Michael Vogler ended last season playing 40 minutes per game at the point as Troy attempted to control tempo. He returns as the teams' likely quarterback, but far from the only option. Senior Josh Williams is a three-year letter winner who gives 100 percent effort all the time.
“Michael is a true point guard,” Maestri said. “He has a very high basketball IQ, he can read defenses and knows when his teammates are open and can get them the ball. The good thing about a true point guard is that players like to play with him. If you get open, he is going to get you the ball, so you have happier players with a guy like him.”
Both returnees will be pushed by junior Travis Lee, who played both point guard and shooting guard at Northeast Mississippi CC. He gives the Trojans an additional three-point threat, having shot almost 50 percent from long range in junior college.
The situation is equally deep at the two-guard spot. With Delk likely to serve in a swing capacity, the true shooting guard spot will be manned by a trio of players. Junior Brandon Hazzard is the most likely candidate, but he will be pushed by junior college transfer Regis Huddleston, with Lee also in the mix.
“They are going to get after it because the spot is wide-open and it should be a real competitive situation,” Maestri said. “All three guys can shoot the ball. Travis can pass and handle the ball well. Brandon played point for us as a freshman and Regis is more of a pure shooter. It will be great to watch them in practice. It makes us feel good because we know we will have a shooter there, no matter who is playing.”
While Delk is penciled in as the primary swing player, he may be just as likely to spend time at the point, two guard or inside. Depending on where he is on the floor, the true candidates to fill the true forward positions bring a variety of skills and experience to the team.
Returnees Mario Telfair and Kenny Ware, both seniors, along with returning junior Trayce Macon bring a year of experience in the league while junior college transfer Antywan Jones bring athleticism and Chris Leggett brings a winning attitude that comes from having played on one of the top JC teams in the nation last year.
“Mario plays with high energy and he has a great knack of driving to the goal and scoring,” Maestri said. “Kenny is the most vocal leader on our team, which is important to have, and he can do a lot of things well. Trayce is a much improved basketball player. He made a determination that he wants to play harder, and that is one of the things he needed.
“Antywan is an all-around basketball player. He can get to the goal, he can dribble left or right, he is a very good offensive rebounder. He has a great feel for the game. Leggett played on a great junior college team that went 33-1, and he was a key reason for their success because he is such a good complimentary player. He doesn't have to be the star. He knows his role and what he is supposed to do.”
Inside, the Trojans will rely on a pair of returnees who both worked extremely hard over the summer to improve their conditioning. Senior Tom Jervis struggled with injuries and conditioning last year and never played like a true seven-footer. Junior Bernard Toombs, on the other hand, may play even bigger than his 6-10 frame suggests.
“Tom should be a much-improved basketball player this year,” Maestri said. “He stayed here all summer and got himself into great physical condition by running and lifting weights with the football team. We are going to play him more around the goal and try to use his height because he is a lot stronger and in a lot better shape.
“Bernard is the strongest player on our team. He also lifted with the football guys and has gained unbelievable strength. He is also the best leaper on the team which, at 6-10, goes a long way. I think he will be better on defense blocking shots, which we haven't had in a few years. He can not only block shots, he can make people alter their shots, and I think that helps us defensively.”
The only player on the team who is not technically an upperclassman is Iraqi War veteran Kyle Greenwood. Even though he is not likely to see much actual game time, his impact will be made on the practice floor.
“At practice, Kyle is the most physical player we have,” Maestri said. ?He has been in the military and been to Iraq and he gives us a lot of leadership. He knows how to come to work, whether it is a bad day or good day. He has been out there defending our country, so he has experience that no one else has, and that will help our team.”
The Trojans will have to face what Maestri calls “the toughest schedule we have ever had” this season, with non-conference games against teams that are expected to compete for league titles in Conference USA (UAB), the Colonial (Georgia State and UNC Wilmington), the Atlantic Sun (Jacksonville) and the Atlantic 10 (Dayton) plus LSU from the SEC. Throw in the rigors of Sun Belt Conference play, where there will be nightly challenges, and it is easy to see why he thinks that way.
“The schedule will be a major challenge for our kids,” Maestri said. “The positive thing is that our kids are going to be extremely competitive. They know how to play the game of basketball, and we have them here for two years. That gives us hope, and that is all you can ask for.”
