The men’s basketball team enters the season with high expectations and a new sense of purpose. Leading the rebuilding effort is new coach Rick Majerus, who brings an illustrious résumé and a proven system of winning. Majerus, who accumulated a 422-147 coaching record in seventeen seasons split between Marquette, Ball State and, most notably, Utah, has never had a losing season in his career and has missed the postseason only twice. Majerus’ most notable coaching achievement came when he led Utah, with current NBA players Andre Miller and Michael Doleac, to the 1998 NCAA Final Four, losing 78-69 to Kentucky.
The Billikens lost only one player, center Ian Vouyoukas, from last year’s team, which finished the 2006-2007 season at 20-12 with an 8-8 mark in the Atlantic 10 Conference and narrowly missed the postseason. Juniors Tommie Liddell III (15.4 points per game) and Kevin Lisch (14.9 ppg) return as the top scorers of an offense that, at times last year, struggled to put points together in the clutch. Majerus will look for seniors Dwayne Polk (5 ppg) and Luke Meyer (9.5 ppg) to bring stability to the offense as well as anchoring the defense. Senior center Bryce Husak will see increased playing time with the departure of Vouyoukas. “Mt. Bryce,” as he is affectionately called, will need to establish a post-presence and give the Billikens an edge in the rebounding department.
Senior guard Danny Brown has been plagued by injuries for most of the off-season and should be ready to go before the team enters Atlantic 10 Conference play. His versatility and perimeter scoring give the Bills a strong advantage on the offensive end. Newcomers Paul Eckerle and Barry Eberhardt will also be counted on early to deliver. Eberhardt’s ability to establish himself as a rebounder will be crucial to the team’s success. Eckerle’s reputation for being a sharp-shooter should improve the squad’s efficiency from beyond the arc.
Majerus’ history of winning and commitment to instilling a strong work ethic in his players could be just what the men’s basketball team needs to take the program to the next level. Early indications are positive. While Majerus has been somewhat frustrated with the team’s performance at the beginning of the season, he continues to push his players and foster improvement within the team.
While the start of the season has been bumpy at times, the Billikens continued to improve. After shaking off the cobwebs in a 71-54 exhibition win over the University of Missouri-St. Louis, the squad headed east to take on a trio of opponents in the Hispanic College Fund Challenge at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Trailing 26-25 at halftime, the Billikens showed some moxy, roaring back with an 8-0 run to open the second half and adding several other scoring outbursts in tallying a 54-43 win over North Carolina A&T.
The next day saw an offensive explosion as the Bills, paced by six double-digit scorers, routed Houston Baptist, 91-56, to push their season record to 2-0. Their first real test of the season came the next day against heavily favored and nationally ranked Pittsburgh. The Bills fought hard to stay in the game, but the Panthers and freshman sensation Dejuan Blair were too much as Pitt handed the squad its first loss of the season, 69-58.
The team returned home for a slate of games at the Scottrade Center. The team gained steam during the past week with wins against Detroit (66-58) and Furman (83-69). The squad stumbled again at Missouri State (60-56) last Wednesday, but recovered with a decisive home victory over visiting Pacific (63-54).
While early reviews on the team have been mixed, progress is being made as Majerus continues to instill his knowledge and passion into his players. Fans will get a strong indication of how this team compares nationally when they play a string of 2007 NCAA Tournament qualifiers. The Bills play host to both Long Beach State and Southern Illinois and travel to Boston College in the coming weeks.
Patience will be a virtue as this season’s version of the men’s basketball team adjusts to the strict regimen that Majerus preaches. With only one year left before the opening of the Chaifetz Arena and an outstanding, five-man recruiting class prepared to enter into 2008.
