1998-99 Season RE-View



UNDER CONSTRUCTION


The 1998-99 season is fast approaching and as such it is time for the annual season preview. If one word sums up the new season it is "opportunity". With a revamped starting lineup that will feature at least three new faces, and six overall, two of which haven't played organized ball for over a year, the challenge of the new season will be formidable. Opportunity for improvement, will be everywhere for the new and returning 49er's. Opportunity for improvement on the overall win loss record will not be easy though as the Beach faces an upgraded non-conference schedule with foes such as NCAA Runner-up Utah, Kansas St, Northwestern, USC, San Diego St., Pepperdine, and Loyola Marymount.

While the 1998-99 season will bring in many new players, and challenges, one area of the team that hasn't undergone radical change has been the coaching staff. Head Coach Wayne Morgan returns his top three assistants Clyde Vaughan, Tom Lewis, and Reggie Warford. After at least one full season and camp of working together, "the system" in terms of rolls and responsibilties is firmly established. This leadership foundation will be tested with the potential to have five new faces on the court at any one time throughout the season.

The 1997-98 squad never fully meshed, several players failed to live up to their hype, and by seasons end the team had few offensive weapons and therefore, was fairly easy to defend. The typical scenario went something like this: Apply pressure at the point, pack in a zone around Betts and dare the Beach to beat you from the outside. Or, if you were an athletic team, all the better, run the Beach and they would eventually collapse due to a lack of depth. The shear number of new players, did not make the job any easier for Coach Morgan as several of these players were forced into crucial situations where they did not, or could not respond. Probably by mid December the Beach's recruiting priorities had been firmly established, which would include a general upgrading of just about every position with the exception of small forward.

Lets review the team position by position for the 98-99 season.

POINT GUARD or the "1"

The 98-99 season was supposed to mark the long awaited debut of Charles O'Neal at the point, however we will have wait until December 21st (nine games into the season) due to academic problems that were just recently uncovered. These same problems were experienced at the beginning of last season as well. O'Neal, when eligible, should provide experience,leadership and improved decision making, something that was sorely missed by last years squad.

Backing up O'Neal are three players: Tommie Davis, Ramel "Rock" Lloyd and Ron Johnson. Tommie played for the Beach during Coach Morgan's first season (96-97), but was not invited back to play on the 97-98 squad for unexplained reasons. Regardless, the 5'8" Davis is capable of breaking down opposing defenses with his ability to penetrate and proved to be a tough nosed defender as well. Hopefully, he has improved his ability to finish which would complete his game. Tommie will be a walk-on this season and will be counted on to be the primary point guard until O'Neal becomes eligible

Rock's true position is probably the "2" but he has demonstrated great ball handling capability and will be counted to split time with Davis at this position until O'Neal becomes eligible. Hopefully, either Davis or Johnson will be able to pick up the slack.

The Freshman Ron Johnson, who is anywhere from 5"11 to 6'2" depending upon the story that you are reading, was a four year starter for his San Diego Helix High team where his ppg and apg averages increased every year. His H.S. coach loved him and was quoted in an article as saying that Ron has a tremendous work ethic. Ron will be counted upon to provide quality minutes in a reserve. For the first time in a couple of years we will have more than one true "1" to count on. GRADE B-.

OFF GUARD / SHOOTING GUARD or the "2"

Probably the biggest need for this team for the past five to seven years, that has yet to be fulfilled. When he played at the Beach, former 49er James Cotton (1997 2nd rd pick of the Seattle Supersonics) was a slasher / scorer who never enjoyed the benefit of a true square up, zone bustin, shooting guard. This years squad probably won't have that luxury either. Ramel "Rock" Lloyd, Allan Gomez, D'Cean Bryant, and James Delone will battle to try and fill in this position except they all appear to be to varying degrees slasher scorers in the James Cotton mold. One individual who may turn out to be the zone buster is D'Cean Bryant. D'Cean, who shot almost 40% from behind the arc last season may turn out to be the 3 point threat that the team depends upon. At 6'6" 215lbs, D'Ceans pro position would appear to be as a "2" , and if he continues to improve, as he has over the past two years, he has the perfect body to go to the next level. D'Cean's must expect more out of himself and become the leader this team needs.

97-98 marks the long awaited debut of another new 49er, Ramel "Rock" Lloyd. Rock who is listed anywhere between 6'3" and 6'5" is a solid 225lb machine. Originally a transfer from Syracuse, Rock will be depended upon to body up the bigger guards and to break down other smaller BW guards with his combination of size and speed. When Rock originally signed with Syracuse he was very highly recruited. However, Rock has not played in over a year, so any expectations should be tempered with caution. Allan Gomez is supposed to a zone buster, and at 6'4" 220lbs should be able to break free of any screens, however I wonder about his quickness. His statistics from East LA JC indicate that he is a long range threat as he shot almost 50% from behind the 3pt arc. But reports from various sightings during summer league action indicated that he supposedly showcased his slash, drive to the basket moves, which is not what this team truly needs. James Delone is a 97-98 walk-on who earned his scholarship. Not much is known about James, except that he impressed the coaching staff enough to stay around another season. With this years collection of talent he will be hard pressed to earn anything more than practice time. The jury is still out on this bunch, although expectations remain high. GRADE B- to B+

SMALL FORWARD / SWING FORWARD or the "3"

The one area of the Beach's program that does not need any improvement is the swing position, where they are the deepest. Antrone Lee, Jared Frey, D'Cean Bryant, Rock Lloyd and even Grant Stone will all compete for playing time. This is the experienced most area of the team which will be counted on to provide leadership during crucial matches. Antrone Lee will finally be allowed to play his natural position, and will display his talents for all to see. After spending a season trying to be a point guard, Antrone is primed to finally use those long arms to beat up on the other small forwards around the Big West.

Jared Frey is a tough defender in the Kurt Rambis mold with incredible leaping ability. Don't expect a tremendous amount of offense from Jared. The one thing he does bring is the ability to mix it up with the big boys. Grant Stone obtained a tremendous amount of PT last season, which was well deserved. His playing time this upcoming season largely depends upon his return from foot surgery in early June that will prevent him from participating in early season workouts or any exhibition games and may cost him the entire season. D'Cean has played this postition that past two years and knows the game cold. Rock could be inserted at this position with a shift of Antrone to the 3 to create a 3 guard, 2 forward line-up. LaSean Howard, a transfer from Syracuse, will redshirt this year and will not be eligible until the 99-00 season. GRADE B+

POWER FORWARD or the "4" and CENTER or the "5"

The BEACH will introduce a completely revamped front line to Big West opponents this upcoming season. Mate Milisa, Ian Milley, and Richie Smalls will be forced to compensate for the loss of all BW first team performer Andy Betts. This untested group, comprises the make or break portion of the team for the season. Milisa from Pensacola JC was a solid performer and will counted upon to contribute at both the offensive and defnesive ends of the floor. Milley was a mild disappointment during the 97-98 season often appearing hesitant and unsure of himself. He must use his size to his advantage if he hopes to obtain significant PT. Hopefully his attendance at the Pete Newell big mans camp this past August, along with his dedication will lead to improvement. Otherwise, Richie Smalls should win the majority of the PT. Smalls provides Morgan with flexibility due to his size (6'9" 210lbs) and ability to play up to three positions. If this group meshs and molds as a unit, they could provide the Beach with size, and ruggedness on the front line that has been lacking for a long time. Unfortunately the one thing that this unit does not bring is depth. The recent defection of Ugonna Onyekwe has put the emphasis on conditioning and luck for this group. If any one of these players is injured, the Beach becomes a very small team in a hurry, almost to the point of playing a bunch of guards and small forwards. Which may not be a bad thing, if they can shoot. If this group prooves to be overmatched, the season could turn out to be very long. GRADE C+?

SUMMARY

The recent loss of Onyekwe, Stone, and O'Neal represents a huge blow. Onyekwe was being counted on to provide a depth at the 4 and 5, along with Stone, and O'Neal was being depended upon to handle the rock and to provide scoring punch. However, as you can see below, one of the hallmarks of this team is that most of these guys can play at least two if not three different positions. This flexibility will proove to be a huge benefit during the upcoming season.

Coach Morgan will probably start the season with a line-up looking something like this:

Position Starter Back-up Back-up Back-up Back-up
Point Guard Rock Lloyd Tommie Davis Ron Johnson Charles O'Neal
Shooting Guard D'Cean Bryant Allen Gomez Rock Lloyd Antrone Lee James Deleon
Small Forward Antrone Lee D'Cean Bryant Jared Frey Rock Lloyd Grant Stone (may miss season)
Power Forward Mate Milisa Ian Milley Richie Smalls Grant Stone Antrone Lee
Center Ian Milley Mate Milisa Richie Smalls Grant Stone Antrone Lee

As you can see from the table many players are interchangable at may different positions, which provides for interesting combinations and match-ups for opposing teams. The season, as always, remains a bunch of unanswered questions, such as "How will the loss of O'Neal impact the team?", "What type of players are Milisa and Smalls?", "Will the transfers be anything more than bodies?", etc. This years squad could turn out to be a pleasant surprise and win 16+ games, or it could all fall apart and barely crack into double digit wins. Whatever the outcome, one of the success measurements for a coach is how the team progresses throughout the season. For Morgan and his staff this season brings a tough schedule and new faces. He has had two full years of learning on the job, so this should be the year he puts it all together. If this does not happen, it will up to the administration to take the corrective action necessary.