Young squad looks to build off of its ECAC title
Basketball Preview 2011
When asked to discuss the youth of his squad, men's basketball coach Brian Meehan summed it up in just two words: "Painfully young." Like last season, the squad begins the season largely made up of first-years and sophomores. Yet, despite their youth and lack of experience, the men still recorded a 19-9 season last season and were crowned Eastern College Athletic Conference champions.
"We had some success last year, and it was a good place to start for the younger guys," said Meehan.
The men open this year's campaign tonight against Lasell College at home, where last year they were an impressive 10-2. However, the team's unimpressive road record proved to be its downfall. The team was 7-7 away from home but just 1-6 playing against University Athletic Association teams on the road. Meehan said that this, too, can be traced back to the squad's relative youth.
"Our UAA issues were because of road problems," he said. "At home we were good, but on the road we were bad. Clearly, that is the area we have to work on. You can't get away with as much on the road, and you can't get frustrated. We have to find a way to execute and score. You certainly get punished on the road if you don't have that many upperclassmen."
Brandeis will again be led by last year's co-captains: forward Vytas Kriskus '12 and guard Tyrone Hughes '12. Kriskus averaged 9.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, while Hughes averaged 8.6 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 boards per game. Last year's first-year standout, center Youri Dascy '14, averaged a team-high 10.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
"We need [Hughes] and [Kriskus] to do their job. [Hughes] needs to run the point and [Kriskus] has to pick his spots. They are critical, everyone has to be on the same page, but we need those guys to show everyone else the way," said Meehan.
Last year's team, despite winning the ECAC Championship, had issues that one would expect from a young squad. They committed too many turnovers, had some defensive breakdowns and sometimes could not find a way to score. Although they are a year older now, the Judges must fix these problems in order to keep building on last year's relative successes.
"Both the offense and defense need to be improved. On offense, we tend to break plays off. Everyone needs to execute, be on the same page and everyone has to know each other's roles," said Meehan.
However, the team must also improve its defense, which allowed nearly 70 points per game last season. The Judges only averaged 69 points per game themselves.
"Lots of room for improvement on defense. I think that we rebound well, but we foul way too much. I'm hoping that we can get to the line around 30 times per game while limiting the other team to under 20 trips to the line," said Meehan.
And, like any young team, the Judges committed too many turnovers, especially on the road.
"We committed a lot of turnovers last year, and I've seen way too much of it in the preseason already. We have to work on it." said Meehan.
While he is excited about the upcoming season, Meehan said that he is looking forward to having sophomores such as Dascy, guard Ben Bartoldus '14 and guard Derek Retos '14 as upperclassmen.
"I am really looking forward to the next two years," he said. "The first two years are about teaching, learning how to execute, and then after that, … I think we will be very good."
That is not to say, however, that this year's squad cannot go far into the playoffs. They are young but very talented and have plenty of potential. With a full year's experience of playing with each other under their belts, the Judges can be resilient and can find ways to win.
"There has been overall improvement from last year. Most guys spent real time getting better one way or another. And, despite [the fact that] we are young, the sophomores will have more experience than other sophomores, because they, unlike most sophomores, played all of last year," said Meehan.
This year's squad will also feature three rookies: guards Myles Brilhante '15 and James Coner '15 and forward Ishmael Kalilou '15.
While the team went 10-2 at home last year, it is also critical for the Brandeis community to show its support for the team. A strong crowd can help the team come through in the most uncertain moments of play, according to Meehan.
"Crowds have been good, but a bit less then years previous," he said. "It's really important; it can really help us get over the hump."
Listen to Meehan's request. Be at Auerbach Arena tonight at 7 p.m. to cheer on the Judges when they face Lasell College.
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