By Evan Malakates
"When adversity strikes, real men step up." Those were the words of men's head basketball coach Tom Pecora last week when junior college transfer forward Adrian Uter found himself gasping for air on the floor on the Hofstra Arena. The theme for this years Pride team is "Team First" and when Uter was down catching his breath from the intense drill, his team mates were there to pick him up.
Coming off of a season in which the Pride (14-15, 10-8) lost in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament (CAA) quarterfinal game to Old Dominion University (ODU), there is reason to believe the Pride can build on what it started last year.
Pecora, who has a record of (34-56) as the Pride head coach, heads into his fourth season and knows he still has the fire inside.
"When I'm not excited about a new season, I know I've had enough," Pecora said. "But that time is not now."
Pecora's team returns eight lettermen, including three returning starters: sophomore guard Loren Stokes, senior center Wendell Gibson and sophomore guard Carlos Rivera. The team has suffered some losses since the end of last season, losing forward Danny Walker to graduation.
The most detrimental loss has to be the departure of forward Kenny Adeleke, who was dismissed from the team and decided to transfer to the Hartford University. Adeleke, who was a preseason 1st Team All-CAA selection, became the first Pride player in 20 years to average of double double in points and rebounds in the 2002-2003 season.
Adeleke will certainly be missed but there are no hard feelings from the Pride.
"We wish him the best," Stokes said of Adeleke. "We can't worry about Kenny though. We have to step up, go in every night and compete. The rest will take care of itself."
With new faces and seasoned veterans, the Pride will look to build on the success it had last year.
Guards
One of the Pride's greatest strengths is its backcourt depth. While Rivera's freshman campaign was cut short because of a knee injury, Stokes, 6-3, dazzled and delighted fans and coaches alike with his athletic style of play and his creativity with the ball. After Rivera's injury on Feb. 4, Stokes' season took off as he led the Pride to a (6-2) record down the stretch, averaging 13 points per game on the season and 16 points per game in CAA play. With Rivera back at 100 percent, the Pride certainly has the framework for success at the guard spot.
Not to be outdone by the freshman of a year ago, the Pride is also returning both senior point guard Woody Souffrant, 5-11 and junior point guard Gibran Washington, 6-0. Souffrant, who ranks sixth on the Pride all-time assist leaders with 321, has played in 87 career games while starting a total of 51. Washington, who started most of last year at point guard, will be called upon to be a defensive force given his strength and physical ability.
Pecora is also very high on 6-3 red-shirt freshman Antoine Agudio. Agudio, who missed most of last year as a medical red-shirt, was able to watch from the sidelines and learn the ins and outs of Pecora's system. While Agudio was healthy and able to play with about a month to go last season, Pecora felt it was unfair to throw him into the fire.
"Antoine knows the offense and he has seen it all," Pecora said. "By keeping him out last year, he was able to learn the things we want him to know." Now, Pecora expects Agudio to play big minutes this year and provide the long distance touch every team needs.
Forwards/Center
Having lost both starting forwards from a year ago, Pecora will be highly dependent on junior Aurimas Kieza and seniors Mike Radziejewski and Wendell Gibson to uphold the Pride front line.
Gibson is a veteran that Pecora labelled as "key" for the team's success and after having his 2003-2004 season cut short by a leg injury, Gibson needs to prove he can still produce. According to Pecora, Gibson can without question wind up on the All-CAA team, citing his performance in the game that ended his season a year ago, in which Gibson tallied 26 points and 10 rebounds before being knocked out at Drexel University.
Kieza became one of the Pride's most important players last year after the injuries to both Gibson and Rivera. Kieza emerged as the team's starting small forward last year for nine games and he responded by scoring 15.4 points per game as a starter. At 6-8, Kieza can get his shot off against almost any defender and his perimeter scoring will help to spread opposing defenses and allow the Pride to make up for a lack of size with speed and fundamentals.
Radziejewski will most likely be asked to play a role he is not accustomed to this season. In his time with the Pride the 6-5 Radziejewski has gained recognition for his deft shooting beyond the three-point arch; however, Pecora will be asking the senior swingman to spend some time at the power forward spot. The Pride will be forced to play small occasionally this season and if Radziejewski and Kieza, who are best friends off the court, are willing to sacrifice themselves for the better of the team, the Pride will be in good shape.
Fresh Faces
The Pride brings in a number of new impact players for the 2004-2005 season. Freshman Jorge Lebron, 6-2, junior Adrian Uter, 6-7 and 6-9 junior Kenny Harris give the Pride some much needed help. Uter, who transferred from Broward Community College in Florida, is a physical inside player who led the National Junior College Athletic Association in rebounding with 15.7 rebounds per game a year ago.
"[Uter] is a live, athletic player who can play on the baseline," Pecora said. "He has a tremendous amount of potential." Should Uter focus on his strengths he can be a great asset to the Pride.
Lebron, who grew up in San German, Puerto Rico, the same hometown as Rivera, comes to the Pride with the reputation and flair of a standout player. Lebron averaged over 30 points per game last year at Florida Prep Academy and was ranked as the sixth best prospect in the state of Florida by one recruiting service. The former first team All-Florida selection will be called upon to spell the Pride guards and provide a scoring punch off the bench.
"Jorge is skilled at both the [point guard] or [shooting guard] spots," Pecora said. "He will certainly go through the freshman transition, but in time he will be just fine."
Harris will have an opportunity to play on a Pride team that is looking for size.
"[Harris] is a skilled, finesse-type of forward," Pecora said. "He can be scary in transition, he runs the floor and blocks shots."
The Pride will undoubtedly take on a new look this year. Rather than having the frontcourt depth it has become accustomed to, the 2004-2005 Pride men's basketball team will be a team that prides itself on defense, speed and shooting. It will undoubtedly be forced to play small on most nights, but the CAA is a conference in which very few teams have impact big men, giving the Pride a chance to win each time it steps on the floor.
One of the most important aspects of last season was the re-emergence of the Pride fans as a presence at the Hofstra Arena.
"The fans are our sixth man when we play at home," Pecora said. "The fan support is the first step to a successful season." Positive home games are the key to momentum on the road and according to Pecora, road wins are magical. The Pride will be promoting Blue and Gold parties prior to some of its home games this season. The parties will be a chance for the fans to come out and enjoy some pre-game festivities.
With a large group of young players, adversity will certainly be something the Pride must overcome this year. However, Pecora has confidence in his players to join together and face every challenge as a team.
Sophomore guard Loren Stokes will be counted on by head coach Tom Pecora to sparkthe Pride offense with his ability to shoot from outside and penetrate into the paint. (Photo Courtesy Athletic Dept.)