November 8, 2007

Men's program heads into lions den of Division I basketball with confidence
BY ANDY KEHE, Californian staff writer

Every college basketball program trying to make inroads into Division I and which just came off potentially demoralizing exhibition losses to Division II teams ought to have a guy like Demarcus Hall around.

He is Cal State Bakersfield's Daniel as the Roadrunners head into the lions den.

"Without a doubt we have confidence about where we stand as a team, as a unit," said the 6-7 senior forward, one of five returning players from last year's Roadrunners team that got only a whiff of what Division I will be like. "I have the utmost confidence in our coaches and if we do what they tell us to do, we'll be fine."

It worked out pretty well for Daniel and it can work out well for the Roadrunners, who embark on their first full season of Division I competition tonight at Cal State Fullerton after 36 years in Division II. But it might take more than Divine intervention if the Roadrunners are to stave off inevitable tough times and emerge from this historic 2007-08 season respected and feeling good about themselves.

"I don't think you really know until you go through it," said coach Keith Brown, assessing his team's awareness of the skill level they are about to encounter. "In recruitment, we wanted mentally tough kids. We wanted kids who play hard no matter what. We know there are going to be some development and growth issues, but we really talk a lot about not letting things affect you one possession down the floor. But that's not new to this year."

Hall, 6-1 senior guard Zack Grasmick, 6-7 senior center/forward Rick Robinson, 6-4 sophomore forward Trent Blakley and 6-2 sophomore guard Robert Rose return from last season's team that posted a 1-6 record against Division I opponents early in the season and a 15-14 mark overall. Both records are deceiving in that most of the Division I games were in doubt until the final minutes, and the team lost some focus and incentive after the Division I portion of the schedule was over.

Grasmick and Robinson will be in the starting lineup tonight, along with 6-11 redshirt freshman Cory Brown, and junior college transfers Ryan Brown, a 6-5 small forward; and 6-2 shooting guard Terrence Johns, a prolific scorer the last two seasons for Bakersfield College.

That lineup could and probably will change as the Roadrunners make their way through a season that includes home games against Fresno State on Nov. 17, Oregon State, Utah State, Pepperdine, Pacific, Long Beach State and CS Fullerton again.

"We just have to execute as a team," said Johns, a two-time Western State Conference MVP. "We don't have the magnificent post player or wing player so everybody has to dig down deep every night."

In addition to both Browns and Johns, key newcomers include 6-2 redshirt freshman guard Donavan Bragg, 6-6, 260-pound junior forward Santwon Latunde, 5-10 freshman point guard Alex Johnson, 6-0 junior guard Javarus Stewart and 6-6 junior forward Donald Lee.

Hall, Cory Brown and Robinson give the Roadrunners the height and wingspan they'll need to compete in the high and low post areas, but not necessarily the physicality. That will be provided by Johns, Blakley, Lee and Latunde, who had 20 points and six rebounds in the exhibition loss to San Francisco State.

In Johns and sophomore Ryan Brown, the Roadrunners have two energetic forwards with skills at both ends of the floor. Because he knows Brown's system, the point guard duties will be handled initially by Grasmick, who has value as a three-point threat but gained some experience late last year as a playmaker. As the year progresses, Stewart Johnson or Bragg could emerge as the starting point guard.

"Teams that are successful early in the year are those teams that have point guard play," coach Brown said. "Zack knows every play, where he's supposed to be and where everybody else is supposed to be. That stability is very important to the team right now."

Cory Brown gets the nod at the four (big forward) for his ability to run the floor, pass, set screens and hit from outside, coach Brown said. His kills in the low post, despite his 6-11 frame, are a work in progress, so Robinson will start at center.

"This team could be better than last year's team, but it's going be done as a team. One individual is not going to carry this team," Brown said. "What I'm looking for and what you'll continue to see is the development of the team system offensively and defensively, better basketball decisions, better percentage plays, getting individually better within those areas and competing."

Brown acknowledged that aside from some success from spreading the floor for a stretch of time against San Francisco State, there weren't many positives coming out the two exhibition losses. Shot selection was poor -- the team shot 33 percent, then 32 percent -- the guarding of the ball particularly at the post, Brown said, was insufficient, as was the awareness of back-door cutters. Most of all, Brown said, he was disappointed in what he got from his seniors.

During the subsequent week of practice, he let them all know -- underclassman, too -- that inexperience won't be a crutch this team leans on.

"I think our maturity as a team needs to start showing up," he said. "It's one thing to be inexperienced, but you don't have to play inexperienced. There comes a point in time where it's either good basketball or poor basketball. We have to grow in that area and concentrate on taking in the teaching.

"We all need to have a little sense of urgency. The players should be all ears and the coaches should be grinding hard to look at where the team is right now and what adjustments need to made in order to be in a position to win."