MONTGOMERY – After having a week off, the Alabama State University men’s basketball team will host Fort Valley State in their final non-conference action of the season. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Dec. 30, at Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
With Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) action set to open Saturday, the Hornets (3-5) have plenty of work to do before Grambling State makes the trip over to begin conference play.
“We have been very inconsistent during our non-conference games,” Head Coach Lewis Jackson said. “I don’t want to be too down because we have done some very good things, but we are not going to win a lot of games if we don’t find some consistency on both ends of the court.”
The coaching staff put in a new up-tempo offense this season to take advantage of the athletic players ASU has on the court. The offense is going through its growing pains but ASU does lead the SWAC in points scored (77.0), field goal percentage
(.444) and three-point percentage (.403).
“I do like the way the offense is coming along, but we have a lot of work to do,” Jackson said. “We are shooting the ball fairly well, even though we have not shot the ball as consistently as I would have liked. I like what we’re doing and the good thing about the offense is we are doing ok, but we can be so much better.”
“We are doing a good job of getting the ball into the paint and our bigs are doing a good job of either getting a good shot or kicking the ball back out for an open three-ball. We just need to finish around the basket better.”
The Hornets have been extremely balanced in their first eight games this season with five different players being the high scorer in those eight games.
Jamel Waters leads the team in scoring (12.9) and assists (5.5) and while DeMarcus Robinson fought through some sickness for a couple of games before the break, he still averages 12.3 points per game and is the SWAC’s leading three-point shooter knocking down 53 percent of his threes.
Luther Page has moved to the bench to give the Hornets some punch off the bench and it seems to have worked out well as he is averaging a career-high 10.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Maurice Strong is averaging 10 points per game and Bobby Brown, also coming off the bench, averages 9.3 points per game.
When you run an up-tempo offense that means the opponents will have a few more opportunities to score, and it is on that end of the court the Hornets are looking to make the most improvement.
“You know there are always going to be games where the ball does not go through the net like you would like, and it is those games where your defense will carry you,” Jackson said. “It is on that end of the court we have to do the most work. We are doing a few good things, but just when it looks like we are moving forward we take two or three steps backwards.”
“ASU has always played good, tough defense and right now we are not doing that. We are consistently not getting back on defense, or losing players in our man defense, and the biggest thing right now is we are just not talking. A lot of our defensive problems fall on the fact the guys are just not communicating with each other. I do think we are playing hard, but just have to do a better job of talking.”
ASU is allowing 77.8 points per game, but out rebound its opponents by 6.2 per game, which leads the SWAC. Strong’s seven rebounds per game lead the team while Page is just behind. Bobby Brown (5.6) and Wendell Lewis (4.8) are also having solid rebounding season.
FVSU (0-7) is still looking for its first win of the season, but have been in several close games. They have a new starting five this season and Tyrone Brinson (11.0) is the leading scorer and leads the team in field goal percentage (.491) and rebounding (5.7).
Jamaal Garaar is one of the top three-point shooters in their conference knocking down 57 percent of his attempts. Desmond Lafland leads the team in assists (3.1) and Ralph Wilson has a team-high eight blocks.
The game with FVSU will be the first of three consecutive home contests for the Hornets. Following the game the Hornets will open SWAC play hosting Grambling State (Jan. 3) and Jackson State (Jan. 5).
