Upstate Men's Basketball: It's Game Time
11/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2009
Spartanburg, S.C. - When USC Upstate head coach Eddie Payne leads the Spartans to the court at Nebraska on Nov. 14, he will begin his 25th season as a head coach of college basketball. He became the only active DI coach to have served as a head coach on all levels of college basketball at the beginning of last year. He looks to bring that bevy of experience to the sideline in his attempt to build on the momentum gained last season and fit new pieces into the puzzle of building a competitive Division I basketball program.
Payne's experience will be crucial as the Spartans deal with the loss of Bobby Davis from the lineup. Davis was a solid No. 2 option as a junior in 2007-08 and burst onto the college basketball scene as a senior last year. He was the only player in all of DI men's basketball to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and field goal percentage from his power forward position. Replacing that kind of production is not easy. Payne hopes that a combination of players can help fill the void.
In USC Upstate's first two seasons playing on the NCAA Division I level, the team had one central go-to player on the court for leadership. Luke Payne served that role in 2007-08 and Davis took ownership of the role last season. This year, Nick Schneiders may very well be that player for Upstate as the Spartans continue to develop and build a competitive Division I basketball program.
"I think we will have to run our offense through Nick," said Payne. "His performance will be the overriding calculator on how well we do this year. We will make up for Bobby's absence by committee. Bobby had the strength, power and athleticism as a rebounder and a front line guy that I don't think we have this year. It's going to be difficult for us to match that.
"One of the big challenges for this team is to develop leadership. We had leadership from Luke (Payne) and then Bobby. Nick is going to be a go-to guy and we hope he develops into a leader on this team. Developing leadership on our team is the big challenge for us."
Schneiders, all 7-3 of him, is poised to take over the leadership role on the team. Playing his fifth year of organized basketball, his improvement from his sophomore year in 2007-08 to last season was remarkable. He increased his averages to 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last year from the 4.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest averages as a sophomore. More importantly, he figured out how to utilize his size, especially his height, to become a dominant player on the defensive end of the court. He blocked an A-Sun best and Upstate school record 79 shots last season and altered countless others. His presence in the paint made it difficult for opponents last year. He has added muscle, about 20 pounds worth, to his frame and should be ready to make an even bigger splash as a senior. He will enter 2009-10 as an A-Sun Preseason All-Conference player.
Juniors Josh Chavis and Mezie Uzochukwu are veterans on the club for Payne, while senior Pat Posey has showed great improvement over last season.
"Mezie has improved his game and is shooting the ball better," said Payne. "Pat has improved and is going to be much more effective. After that, you are looking at a confluence of guys who are going to have to come together and play pretty well for us to be successful.
"Josh Chavis and De'Marion Gordon are going to have give us steady play at the point and Carter Cook has improved. So, we've got guys who have picked it up a bit. We have to have every player on our team step up a notch and have our young players step in and contribute from the beginning."
Speaking of newcomers, Upstate has six players who will see action for the first time in a Spartan uniform this season. Cedric Koffi missed all of last season and will not suit up for the first 12 games this year due to an eligibility ruling by the NCAA. He will be eligible to play on Jan. 4 when ETSU comes to the Hodge Center. Junior college transfer Sharod Minus should be a key as well. The two will bring experience and talent to the court and give the Spartans depth at the guard spot.
In addition to Koffi and Minus, Ricardo Glenn, Johnathan Gray, Ryan LeGates and Caleb Palkert are expected to contribute immediately and battle for playing time.
While moving forward without Davis on the court will be an adjustment for Upstate this season, the Spartans have built momentum following a successful season last year. Despite nine wins on the year, Upstate played a brutal non-conference schedule early on, one ranked as the 29th-toughest in the nation by renowned basketball strength of schedule analyst Ken Pomeroy, and hit its stride during the brunt of the A-Sun season, winning seven of its last 14 games of the year. Payne certainly hopes some of that momentum can be carried forward.
"I think the momentum we have built in the program is not necessarily defined by just basketball," said Payne. "We have a better overall work ethic from top to bottom. Capturing the basketball momentum, I think our players realize that we can be competitive and have demonstrated that on several occasions. We are in a position where we can continue to grow the core foundation of the program which I feel is very solid. We just need to continue to add to that core from year to year."
Upstate, like it has in its first two seasons playing Division I basketball, will be tested by an aggressive and tough non-conference schedule. The Spartans open up at Nebraska on Nov. 14 before heading to one of college basketball's most historic programs, Indiana, on Nov. 16. The Spartans will also play the likes of Miami, Wichita State, UNLV and Arizona State on the road while playing a non-league game at home against UNC Greensboro and a home-and-home with Winthrop. A grueling 20-game A-Sun slate also awaits the Spartans this season. Upstate improved its win total last year from the previous season by two games overall and three games in the A-Sun and will look for more of the same in 2009-10, though it doesn't get any easier from year to year.
Backcourt
The guard position is one of the most experienced on the team with Josh Chavis (5-9, Jr., Greensboro, N.C.) and De'Marion Gordon (6-1, So., Atlanta, Ga.) sharing the duties at the point and six players vying for playing time at one of the three guard positions. Chavis and Gordon can play the point effectively while also possessing the ability to knock down the three-pointer.
Chavis and Gordon are joined in the backcourt by Carter Cook, Johnathan Gray, Cedric Koffi, Ryan LeGates, Sharod Minus and Pat Posey. Each player brings their own skill set to the team and will provide depth to the position.
"I feel pretty good about our guards," said Payne. "We are small and not overly physical which will cause some problems with defensive matchups, but we have skill and depth at the position which is a good thing. Our wing play should be improved because Carter Cook and Pat Posey have improved. They are returning players who saw a lot of time on the court last year and who have made a lot of progress in the preseason."
Chavis (5-9, 173, Jr., Greensboro, N.C.) has been in the starting lineup for the better part of two seasons at Upstate. He has a wealth of experience at the point while also owning the ability to nail the outside shot. He can run the offense and serve as the floor general for the Spartans. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game overall, while increasing his scoring average to 9.1 points per outing during A-Sun games.
Gordon (6-1, 170, So., Atlanta, Ga.) had a solid freshman campaign while adjusting to the college game. While he had some ups and downs as a freshman last season, he is expected to be a consistent performer this year. He absolutely dominated the court at times last season and was an A-Sun All-Freshman selection after averaging 6.9 points per game. He can play either the point or shooting guard positions.
Koffi (6-0, 180, Sr., Paris, France), LeGates (6-3, 165, Fr., Marietta, Ga.) and Minus (6-0, 170, Jr., Douglasville, Ga.) are experienced players, albeit on different levels. Koffi missed all of last season and will miss the first 12 games of this year after an NCAA ruling on his eligibility. He was a solid player at Sheridan College, averaging 7.5 points and 3.6 assists per game. He will battle for playing time at the point. LeGates is a deadly outside shooter and was named one of Georgia's Top 6 Surprises by Rivals.com entering his senior season. He will battle for time at the shooting guard spot. Minus was a key role player for Miami Dade College the last two seasons, helping the squad to a No. 3 junior college national ranking as a combination guard.
Cook (6-5, 220, So., Clemmons, N.C.) and Posey (6-5, 200, Sr., Piedmont, S.C.) are the leading candidates to fill the role at the wing position. Cook has the size and athleticism to put the ball on the floor and drive to the hole, but his forte is his outside shot. Though a freshman last year, he proved that he can deliver. Posey had moments last season when he was strong on the court. He has pure athleticism and has worked hard on the things he needs to do to play the wing. Gray (6-4, 190, Fr., Anderson, S.C.) earned a spot on the team as a walk-on during fall tryouts and will be counted upon to provide depth at both the shooting guard and wing positions.
Frontcourt
Nick Schneiders returns for his senior season to lead the frontcourt for Upstate in 2009-10, while a new face will man the power forward position this season after Bobby Davis, who averaged nearly 34 minutes per game last season, vacated the spot after a widely successful senior year.
"I think our post play will be solid as well because Nick has improved at center," said Payne. "Although we don't have Bobby, we return an improved Chalmers Rogers and Mezie Uzochukwu, and brought in a couple of talented freshmen at the forward position."
Schneiders (7-3, 260, Sr., Rietberg, Germany) is going to be the go-to player for Upstate this season. The offense will run through him. Playing in just his fifth year of organized basketball, his development has been amazing. He averaged nearly 10 points a game last season and increased that figure to more than 10 points in A-Sun play. He also topped the A-Sun and broke the single-season school record with 79 blocked shots, emerging as a dominant player on the defensive end of the court.
Uzochukwu (6-5, 215, Jr., Greensboro, N.C.) and Rogers (6-7, 215, So., Fort Mill, S.C.) are different types of players. Uzochukwu has worked on his outside shot and can play the wing position if needed. He can play inside as well. He is a smart player with solid fundamentals and has been a starter in the lineup for the better part of the last two seasons. Rogers is more of a traditional post player, though he can step out and knock down the mid-range jumper. He has improved more than anyone on the team from last season and is expected to battle for the starting position.
Joining the fray for playing time at the forward position are freshmen Ricardo Glenn and Caleb Palkert. Glenn (6-7, 254, Fr., Augusta, Ga.) and Palkert (6-9, 200, Fr., Excelsior, Minn.) bring size, athleticism and accomplished backgrounds to the team out of high school. They have shown the ability to learn the college game and how fast they make the transition will dictate their time on the court. At the very least, the two will provide Payne with quality depth.
