Disappointing end only underscores what Lamar did

[Guest abovetherim]

Bob West column for Sunday, March 16

The Port Arthur News

Watching Texas-Arlington play Northwestern State for the Southland Conference’s berth in the NCAA tournament this afternoon won’t be easy for Lamar basketball coach Steve Roccaforte. Not when he knows the Cardinals were 3-0 against those teams during the regular season.

Ironically, however, the fact a No. 7 seed is playing a No. 5 seed for the SLC Tournament championship underscores what a remarkable coaching job Roccaforte did this season.

From co-champs Lamar and Stephen F. Austin down through even the league’s 11th and 12th-place teams, there was not a glaring difference in quality. Beyond that, the Cardinals physically and athletically were no better than the middle of the pack.

As athletic director Billy Tubbs noted last week, Lamar, night after night, looked physically outmanned.

In that context, then, a 13-3 regular season, and an 11-game conference winning streak was exceptional stuff. And it’s important that those accomplishments don’t get lost in the disappointment of a first round loss to a Texas-Arlington team with the size and strength to overpower the Cardinals.

Nobody outside Roccaforte, his staff and the players could have believed a regular season championship was possible after a depressing 1-5 start. Tubbs didn’t. I didn’t. Nobody that called my Sportsrap talk show during December did.

Frankly, there had to be serious doubts on the coaching staff and in the locker room. Losing, after all, doesn’t exactly breed confidence. And rarely does a team which gets off to such a shaky start have the character to come back so strong.

After a fifth straight loss, when a terrible Northern Illinois team came from behind to beat Lamar on Dec. 1, most of us were ready to write off the season. That Northern Illinois team, by the way, finished 6-20.

Soon thereafter, a Cardinal team which couldn’t seem to win got transformed to one that rarely lost. From Dec. 4 to March 1, they were 16-3, with the only defeats at No. 24 BYU, by two points at Texas Tech and by six-points at SLC co-champ SFA, which is 26-5.

Even more impressive was the heady, 11-game, 40-day stretch from Jan. 19 to March 1 in which the Cardinals celebrated every time they walked off the court.

The 11-game conference winning streak was the longest in school history. Jack Martin’s teams never did that. Neither did Tubbs’. Nor Pat Foster’s.

In addition, the co-championship was Lamar’s first title in 25 years. It was also the first time in 20 years the Cardinals finished better than a tie for third in a conference race. Chew on that one for a minute, if you are a distraught LU fan moping over a season that ended with three losses in four games.

For my money, for what Roc did with one of the smallest teams in the SLC, he should have been the conference coach of the year. No knock on SFA’s Danny Kaspar, who also did a terrific job, but this is his 8th year in Nacogdoches.

Roc was in his second season heading up a program that had been down nearly as long as the Titanic. Five different coaches, 19 different teams and never higher than an outright third? I’ve been around Lamar basketball since 1967, been around some great teams and great seasons, but I’m not sure I’ve seen a better coaching job.

This one was a team you had to really watch to appreciate, a team whose shortcomings you had to understand to really embrace. To overcome the glaring lack of a power guy, of a low post-presence, they won with terrific chemistry, work ethic, unselfishness and three-point shooting.

Yes, Kenny Dawkins was an excellent point guard and Lamar Sanders played consistently well enough to be first team all-conference. Darren Hopkins, Justin Nabors, Currye Todd, Brandon McThay and Jay Brown all made significant contributions.

These guys were a team in the truest sense. But I’m not sure there was what you’d call a great player among them. I’m not sure a single one of them could have started for the outstanding Tubbs or Foster teams of the early 1980s.

The best thing Roc did with these guys was sell them on playing hard every night. They ran and pressed and played exciting, fun-to-watch basketball. And, without question, they overachieved.

Ultimately, they may have just worn down.

Almost forgotten in the excitement of all the winning, was the fact they played the final third of their schedule without an important component — senior guard Matt Barrow. Barrow was averaging 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds when he season ended with a knee injury on Feb. 7.

His absence, besides eliminating a dangerous three-point shooter, cut into the depth and flexibility. Dawkins wound up playing nearly 40 minutes a night. McThay probably played more minutes than he needed to be playing. Short term, it wasn’t a factor. Long term, it probably was.

Looking to next season, the most critical need is a 6-7 or 6-8 wide body who can be a force in the paint on both ends. With that kind of player this season, Lamar might have won 25 games. Without one, the Cardinals all too often lived by points off turnovers and three-pointers.

When UTA clamped down on the shooters, the Cardinals simply couldn’t overcome what they gave up to the Mavs in low-post domination.

The core next year will be Dawkins and Nabors. Jay Brown looks like he has a pretty good upside. Roccaforte thinks Ashton Hall, a year removed from a near-fatal auto accident, will be productive. McThay is probably no more than a role player. So is Tristan Worrell.

It’s difficult to see the other two returnees — Lawrence Nwevo and Coy Custer — fitting into the picture

Roc’s early signees includes Brandon Moton, a 6-4 swing player from Beaumont Central through Angelina JC; 6-4 San Antonio Madison standout Charlie Harper and 6-2 Skylar Williams from Chippola College. Good prospects, but none of those three are going to put Lamar over the top.

For the Cardinals to repeat as champions, to play beyond the SLC tourney next year, Roc must add a big man who can play. Nobody knows that better than he does. A year ago, when the No. 1 priority was a point guard who could be a difference maker, he landed Dawkins.

In the meantime, until all is said and done in recruiting, Cardinal fans should rejoice over a special season.

Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at [email protected]. His Sportsrap show airs Mondays at 8:05 p.m. on KLVI (560-AM).

http://www.panews.com/sportsbobwest/local_story_075195627.html?start:int=15

[UNLV]

I look at it this way. In 2000 were the 7th seed.

[KFDM COOP]

Why play the regular season?

[Guest coachacola]

Why play the regular season?

The big conferences have a tourney for the money.  I'm not sure why the SLC does it.  Do they actually make money from the SLC tourney?  Has the regular season winner actually got an at-large bid after losing?  Maybe someone from the SLC office can clue us in on this.

But back to the article.  Bob West states exactly what all of us already knew:  LU needs a big man for next year!!

[Guest mffl]

And hopefully so does Roc!!

However, Bob West pointed out a big point, Roc knew going into last off season that we needed a BIG time PG, so he worked his butt off to get Dawkins, lord knows how hard he's going to work to get the best available big man for us.

[westendfirst]

And hopefully so does Roc!!

However, Bob West pointed out a big point, Roc knew going into last off season that we needed a BIG time PG, so he worked his butt off to get Dawkins, lord knows how hard he's going to work to get the best available big man for us.

Very good article...and great to put things into perspective.  However, one big thing he mentioned is this group playing as a team and playing hard...is that because of the coaching or is that because of the type of kids on the team.  Kids that know how to play basketball, play as a team, and play hard often are better than the so called 'superior athletes' team.  Look at Duke this year...what superior 'athletes' do they have on that team???  Anyway, Roc did do a great job turning the season around because I definitely abandoned ship after the start we had..so kudos to him and the kids.

As for needing a big man...agreed.  Who couldn't use that?  The question is will he be able to actually recruit that kind of player??  Tubbs and Foster both could..we'll see if Roc can....I certainly hope he can.  But we need 2 or 3 players not just one big man.  Correct me if I'm wrong but don't we need a shooting guard???  Don't we need a forward and a power forward???  Seem to me like we need a 2, a 4, and a 5.  We have a 1 (Dawkins) and a 3 (Nabors).  We have a backup 4 in Brown and a backup 5 in Worrell.  But neither one has impressed me to where they should be starter material...maybe they'll show monumental improvement in the off season.  I am certainly glad to have Dawkins coming back because, to me, that is by far the most important position in college basketball...a big time point guard and Dawkins is that.

[UNLV]

And hopefully so does Roc!!

However, Bob West pointed out a big point, Roc knew going into last off season that we needed a BIG time PG, so he worked his butt off to get Dawkins, lord knows how hard he's going to work to get the best available big man for us.

Very good article...and great to put things into perspective.  However, one big thing he mentioned is this group playing as a team and playing hard...is that because of the coaching or is that because of the type of kids on the team.  Kids that know how to play basketball, play as a team, and play hard often are better than the so called 'superior athletes' team.  Look at Duke this year...what superior 'athletes' do they have on that team???  Anyway, Roc did do a great job turning the season around because I definitely abandoned ship after the start we had..so kudos to him and the kids.

As for needing a big man...agreed.  Who couldn't use that?  The question is will he be able to actually recruit that kind of player??  Tubbs and Foster both could..we'll see if Roc can....I certainly hope he can.  But we need 2 or 3 players not just one big man.  Correct me if I'm wrong but don't we need a shooting guard???  Don't we need a forward and a power forward???  Seem to me like we need a 2, a 4, and a 5.  We have a 1 (Dawkins) and a 3 (Nabors).  We have a backup 4 in Brown and a backup 5 in Worrell.  But neither one has impressed me to where they should be starter material...maybe they'll show monumental improvement in the off season.  I am certainly glad to have Dawkins coming back because, to me, that is by far the most important position in college basketball...a big time point guard and Dawkins is that.

Moton will be our 2. Hall could go 3. Nabors 4.

[weslinder]

Correct me if I'm wrong but don't we need a shooting guard???  Don't we need a forward and a power forward???  Seem to me like we need a 2, a 4, and a 5.  We have a 1 (Dawkins) and a 3 (Nabors).  We have a backup 4 in Brown and a backup 5 in Worrell.  But neither one has impressed me to where they should be starter material...maybe they'll show monumental improvement in the off season.  I am certainly glad to have Dawkins coming back because, to me, that is by far the most important position in college basketball...a big time point guard and Dawkins is that.

Barrow is eligible for one more season, if he wants it and is healthy enough.  Were I him, after two major knee injuries, I'd call it quits for my future health, but I have no clue about his mentality on it.