The Johnsonian

Issue date: 11/7/07 Section: Sports

[Note: Hey Guys, sorry this article is appearing late. It was a screw up on my end, sorry about that-Javy]
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A lot has changed in the men's basketball program since this time last year.

Former Head Coach Gregg Marshall has gone to Wichita State and other key players to last year's team are gone.

Last year's team motto was 'unfinished business', this year is 'building a foundation' according to new Head Coach Randy Peele.

The magical season is over, done, out of the window. Now the focus is on maintaining the success of the program and adding onto it. That is why there are more new faces on the team than any team assembled in recent memory.

Half of the team consists of players that have never played in a Division I basketball game. Those with no such experience are five true freshmen, not including red-shirt freshman Byron Faison and junior-college transfer Andy Buechert. This is the youngest team for the Eagles in recent history and Coach Peele is doing everything he can to prepare these young men for battle.

The young Eagles include point guard Justin Burtin from Durham, N.C., guard Marc-David Vil from Montreal, Quebec, forward Chris Malcolm from Orlando, Fl., center/forward Charles Corbin from Griffin, Ga. and forward George Valentine from Fayetteville, N.C.

Helping Peele on the bench is returning assistant Paul Molinari and new assistants to the program, Larry Dixon and Marty McGillan.

Three weeks of practice are over and Peele talked about the progress and rigors of coaching these freshmen.

"We are where I thought we would be," Peele said. "Are we where I want to be? No. It's been a long time since I coached six freshmen and you can see I don't have a lot of hair already."

The challenges of being an athlete for a college program, particularly freshman, are very difficult, guys that were all-state or of other significance at their previous schools mean nothing now. The change in the speed of the game is significant and the practices are a grueling test. Despite this struggle, Peele believes that the freshmen will be successful.

Those returning to the team are seniors Chris Gaynor (7.8 points per game), Michael Jenkins (14.8 ppg), Taj McCullough (7.9 ppg) and Antwon Harris (5.5 ppg). The others include junior being walk-on Jonathan Rice and recruited sophomore Mantoris Robinson.

This season is a defining moment for the seniors players.

Not only will they play a huge part in the outcome of the season but they will also be expected to pass down everything they know to their new teammates who will be the future stars of the program to continue the winning tradition, according to Peele.

Three of the seniors, Gaynor, Jenkins and McCullough, have a Big South Championship ring for every year they have been at Winthrop. They know what it takes to be champions and look for the college eligibility completion of rings by getting their fourth.

"I expect nothing less than a Big South Championship," starting point-guard Chris Gaynor said. "Everybody's gone (Martin, Bradshaw, Williams). All that hype is over with." Only Gaynor and Jenkins had the prominent roles in last year's team so the expectations for McCullough and Harris are high in order to be successful.

The Big South preseason poll that was released in October placed Winthrop to finish second to High Point.

The teams in the Big South Conference are on an even playing field since three of the best players to play in the conference graduated, Peele said.

The loss of key players Torrell Martin, Craig Bradshaw, Phillip Williams and even the loss of teammate and friend De'Andre Adams, will test this team ways unlike before.

The overall feeling thoughout the team is that they are playing with a purpose.

Adams' unfortunate death over the summer undoubtedly hit a nerve throughout the program and university.

"Every time we step out on the court this year, it will be in honor of him," Jenkins said earlier in the fall.

On the first day of practice, emotions ran high as it was the team's first practice without Adams.

"It was really hard when practice started," Peele said. "That first day was tough."

Last year was 'unfinished business' and the mission was accomplished. This year, not only are the Eagles building a foundation with a purpose and conviction to continue the winning tradition

"I want my fourth ring," Gaynor said. "I guess you can call that greedy if you want to. I think everyone in the whole community wants us to win another Big South (championship). So I don't see any let downs this year."

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