The Overtime Report: Statement Made
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Photo Credit: Laura Clarke via www.LongwoodLancers.com[/caption]
Longwood. UNC Asheville. Kudos to both for some great college hoops action. Asheville came out the victor but Longwood fans have lots to look forward to.
Before I get into the game though, allow me to introduce myself. If you’re not interested, feel free to skip to the next paragraph, otherwise, read on. I am Derek Poe, a 2010 graduate of Longwood University. Much like the creator of this website, I am very much entrenched in Longwood Athletics. While at Longwood, I helped broadcast Longwood men’s and women’s hoops with WMLU 91.3fm (The Music of Longwood University and Farmville, VA.) and did some sports coverage for The Rotunda. As an alumni of our fine institution, I feel the need to represent (all day, every day) Longwood as best as I can. With that being said, I am not a journalist. I will contribute for the fun of it and out of love for Longwood. I’m appreciative to Parks Smith for founding this forum and I look forward to sharing my opinions on Longwood hoops and every other athletics team sponsored by Longwood.
Alright, back to that game. What a game it was, right? Now, I understand that the Lancers lost and are now 7–16 (2–6 Big South) on the season but to be completely honest, the tone of this opinion will definitely be positive.
Let’s be clear, I don’t enjoy the losses stacking up. I don’t enjoy the 11th place moniker within the conference. But, at the same time, I understand that this is a total rebuild. Coach Gee does not shy away from that fact and LancersBlog has chronicled the entire process as well.
Yesterday’s game was a look into the future. Competing possession by possession with one of the more storied teams within the conference is something to be proud of. While writing this, I tried to get creative and take TT Carey out of the equation but his 33 points were half of the Lancers output. It’s simple, TT carried this team and his stroke was unlike anything I’ve seen before (6 CONSECUTIVE threes? Insane). Coach Gee said as much during his postgame interview with Scott Bacon on WVHL 92.9.
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As for team play, during The Jayson Gee Show, Coach Gee explained that this team needed to do about 10 things better and highlighted four specific areas. I sort of use that as parameters for this piece.
Coach explained that the team needed to be more physical, play harder, communicate more, and get more 50/50 balls. He was confident in his message as he explained “I’m expecting a big effort on Saturday.” Well folks, Coach Gee delivered. This team was physical. This team played harder. This team communicated more. This team did a better job of getting 50/50 balls. This team competed. And the most important of all, this team responded.
At this point in a rebuild, the ability of the coach to get his players to respond is crucial. Coach Gee challenged the team in a one and a half to 2 hour meeting on Thursday. The team came out on Reunion Day and gave the new Hall of Fame class and basketball alumni something they could be proud of.
Looking for proof that the Lancers were more physical and played harder? Look no further than the stat line for Asheville center, DJ Cunningham. Now don’t get me wrong, the big man had 6 blocked shots, 7 rebounds, and 6 points. Neutralized seems to be a good word for the Lancers effort against Cunningham. The center will get his numbers and he proved that. But it’s important to understand that Cunningham has that quality that football coaches love in offensive linemen-the guy is gritty, he is mean, and he bends the rules in the right way. He is a big bodied grinder that is tough to break down. The fact that Jeylani Dublin, Jeff Havenstein, and Damarion Geter were able to control the big man had to please Coach Gee. I mean, the guy wasn’t even brought up in LongwoodLancers.com post game wrap up and only briefly mentioned on the Asheville website. (Note: Cunningham left the game late in the 2nd half with what seemed to be a leg injury.)
Need more evidence of toughness and guys playing harder? The dunk. That is all. No, but really, TT Carey posterized (literally, I think I may get the picture enlarged and post it on my wall) DJ Cunningham. 6’4” Carey versus 6’10” Cunningham. It isn’t that simple though. Cunningham is very well respected for his effectiveness and playmaking ability on the defensive end. He is a defensive force and he takes pride in it. He is a surefire finalist for Big South Defensive Player of the Year but Carey emphatically hurt Cunningham’s stock with that one handed flush. The play energized the Lancer faithful and served as a statement in the game. The Lancers felt they could go blow for blow with a quality Big South team. The physicality displayed in this game should give the Lancers some confidence as the conference season narrows.
Sticking with the Cunningham theme, the interior defense for the Lancers was really good at holding the Asheville bigs at bay. The Lancers double teamed the low post very well last night. Communication was on point. The guys were feeding off of each other and seemed to grasp the defensive gameplan well. Ziegler and each Lancers low post player were able to suffocate Asheville in the paint and won the points in the paint battle 32–24. That alone is a huge defensive victory for this fragile Lancers squad. Team defense was one of the better efforts of this season.
I know that I can’t get away with not mentioning the freshman Andrew Rowsey of UNC Asheville. He’s good. Very good. From three. He doesn’t have great size at 5’10” and can’t drive to the basket as evidenced by his 4 points from inside the arc. Don’t get me wrong, the Lexington native and Virginia High School Player of the Year has a smooth stroke. He is smart and works to get open. If Rowsey adds some sort of inside game and ability to get to the rim, the Big South has one heck of a player for the next 3 ½ years.
Wrapping up, the job Jayson Gee is doing is incredible. Team. Defense. PACE. Identity and culture. Words that you hear in almost every interview with the coach. Gee showed what he’s all about last night. The product he puts on the floor shows the positive shift in Longwood basketball. There is no doubt Jayson Gee will do special things for Longwood and the Lancer Nation in the years to come.
Final note, if TT Carey becomes a man possessed like he was last night versus Asheville, the Lancers could be a scary team in the win or go home tournament known as Myrtle Beach Madness. Just sayin’.
