Post by TD on Sept 23, 2006 23:27:29 GMT -5
www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/15574621.htm
New coach, practice facility has Raiders hoping for turnaround
JAMES HANNAH
Associated Press
FAIRBORN, Ohio - The exercise room at Wright State's new $3.9 million, 28,000-square-foot basketball practice facility bulges with weight machines and free weights. In a nearby lounge, players can stretch out in overstuffed chairs in front of a big-screen television.
Paid for with private donations, the facility is the kind of place more commonly found in the nation's elite conferences, not the lightly regarded Horizon League where Wright State is looking to build a new image with a new coach after struggling on and off the court.
"This school is starting to believe that this is a place where you can win in basketball, and they want to win," said the Raiders' coach, Brad Brownell.
Hiring Brownell, former coach at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, was seen as a coup for Wright State. Under Brownell, the Seahawks went 83-40 over four seasons and twice won bids to the NCAA tournament.
The Seahawks play in the Colonial Athletic Association, which last season sent George Mason to the Final Four. And under Brownell, the Seahawks played heavyweights such as North Carolina and North Carolina State in nonconference games.
Wright State began searching for a new coach in March, when Paul Biancardi resigned after the NCAA barred him from recruiting until October 2007 for violations when he was an assistant at Ohio State. Biancardi has denied any wrongdoing.
Under Biancardi, Wright State had a 28-28 record over two seasons. Biancardi replaced Ed Schilling, who was fired after posting a 75-93 record over six years. The Raiders haven't had a winning season since going 17-11 in 2001-2002.
"It's probably not really known right now as a basketball school," said Brownell, the first coach that Wright State has hired who has been a head college coach. "But the university has made a much greater commitment now."
DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright, who hired Brownell as an assistant coach when Wainwright was head coach at Wilmington, said Brownell an excellent teacher.
"He's a really, really solid coach," Wainwright said. "One of his strengths was game preparation and player development. He loves the game, and he loves studying the game."
The 37-year-old Brownell was raised in basketball-crazy Indiana in a basketball family. His father grew up in Dayton, graduated from nearby Wilmington College, and became a teacher and basketball coach at schools in Evansville.
"It was great for me," Brownell recalled. "I was obviously always in the gym. I grew up riding the school buses to games in the front seat with Dad, going scouting."
Brownell played college basketball at DePauw University, a Division III school in Greencastle, Ind. He was hired as a graduate assistant for coach Jim Crews at the University of Evansville the year the team went 24-6 and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.
He emphasizes man-to-man defense and a balanced scoring attack.
Wainwright said Brownell will make sure his players minimize mistakes.
"Wright State won't beat themselves," Wainwright said. "And they'll be a great defensive team."
Brownell is not sure what to expect from this year's team.
"We're going to be smaller so we're going to have to try to use some speed," Brownell said. "We're going to have to be a little bit unconventional at times. You might see four guards out on the floor at one time."
DaShaun Wood, a guard who averaged 17.9 points a game last season, is back as are forwards Drew Burleson, who scored a season high 18 points against Butler last year, and Jordan Pleiman, who had 19 points against Bowling Green.
But five players from last year's team have transferred. And Pleiman, at 6-foot-9, is the team's tallest player.
The team will get an early test. The Raiders play LSU - which advanced to the Final Four last season - in the Hispanic College Fund Classic on Dec. 27-29 in Baton Rouge.
"We're not as big as we probably need to be," Brownell said. "We're pretty small, to be honest with you. But we do have a couple of good, experienced players."
New coach, practice facility has Raiders hoping for turnaround
JAMES HANNAH
Associated Press
FAIRBORN, Ohio - The exercise room at Wright State's new $3.9 million, 28,000-square-foot basketball practice facility bulges with weight machines and free weights. In a nearby lounge, players can stretch out in overstuffed chairs in front of a big-screen television.
Paid for with private donations, the facility is the kind of place more commonly found in the nation's elite conferences, not the lightly regarded Horizon League where Wright State is looking to build a new image with a new coach after struggling on and off the court.
"This school is starting to believe that this is a place where you can win in basketball, and they want to win," said the Raiders' coach, Brad Brownell.
Hiring Brownell, former coach at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, was seen as a coup for Wright State. Under Brownell, the Seahawks went 83-40 over four seasons and twice won bids to the NCAA tournament.
The Seahawks play in the Colonial Athletic Association, which last season sent George Mason to the Final Four. And under Brownell, the Seahawks played heavyweights such as North Carolina and North Carolina State in nonconference games.
Wright State began searching for a new coach in March, when Paul Biancardi resigned after the NCAA barred him from recruiting until October 2007 for violations when he was an assistant at Ohio State. Biancardi has denied any wrongdoing.
Under Biancardi, Wright State had a 28-28 record over two seasons. Biancardi replaced Ed Schilling, who was fired after posting a 75-93 record over six years. The Raiders haven't had a winning season since going 17-11 in 2001-2002.
"It's probably not really known right now as a basketball school," said Brownell, the first coach that Wright State has hired who has been a head college coach. "But the university has made a much greater commitment now."
DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright, who hired Brownell as an assistant coach when Wainwright was head coach at Wilmington, said Brownell an excellent teacher.
"He's a really, really solid coach," Wainwright said. "One of his strengths was game preparation and player development. He loves the game, and he loves studying the game."
The 37-year-old Brownell was raised in basketball-crazy Indiana in a basketball family. His father grew up in Dayton, graduated from nearby Wilmington College, and became a teacher and basketball coach at schools in Evansville.
"It was great for me," Brownell recalled. "I was obviously always in the gym. I grew up riding the school buses to games in the front seat with Dad, going scouting."
Brownell played college basketball at DePauw University, a Division III school in Greencastle, Ind. He was hired as a graduate assistant for coach Jim Crews at the University of Evansville the year the team went 24-6 and earned a bid to the NCAA tournament.
He emphasizes man-to-man defense and a balanced scoring attack.
Wainwright said Brownell will make sure his players minimize mistakes.
"Wright State won't beat themselves," Wainwright said. "And they'll be a great defensive team."
Brownell is not sure what to expect from this year's team.
"We're going to be smaller so we're going to have to try to use some speed," Brownell said. "We're going to have to be a little bit unconventional at times. You might see four guards out on the floor at one time."
DaShaun Wood, a guard who averaged 17.9 points a game last season, is back as are forwards Drew Burleson, who scored a season high 18 points against Butler last year, and Jordan Pleiman, who had 19 points against Bowling Green.
But five players from last year's team have transferred. And Pleiman, at 6-foot-9, is the team's tallest player.
The team will get an early test. The Raiders play LSU - which advanced to the Final Four last season - in the Hispanic College Fund Classic on Dec. 27-29 in Baton Rouge.
"We're not as big as we probably need to be," Brownell said. "We're pretty small, to be honest with you. But we do have a couple of good, experienced players."