Terrebonne moves on; Bourgeois season ends
November 7, 2006
Bad driving ends with drug arrest
November 9, 2006(Posted Nov. 7, 2006)
Last season, Nicholls’ basketball team had trouble winning close games. In Southland Conference play, the Colonels lost four games by less than 10 points. Had they won those games, their conference record would have been a healthy 9-7 — rather than 5-11.
Head coach J.P. Piper is hoping a year of experience for his players will help his team win those games.
“I think one of the things that we have working in our favor … is that we’re going to be year older,” the coach said. “(Last year) we depended heavily on some freshman. We had two starting and several coming off the bench. So those guys have a much better feel of what is going to be demanded of them in league play, and I think they are going to be much more prepared to deliver that for us.
“I feel a whole lot better this year, that in some of those close games, we’ll find a way to win.”
While the Colonels will rely on the growth of those players to turn their fortunes around — they finished 9-18 overall — they will lean on senior Stefan Blaszczynski, a Preseason First-Team All Southland Conference selection, for production.
Blazczynski was the fourth-leading scorer in the conference last year, averaging 16.4 points per game. He also averaged 6.9 rebounds per game, good for fifth in the conference. “Stefan’s really developed as a leader,” said Piper. “And he’s pushing the younger guys to work harder and demand more of themselves. He’s done that himself. He’s gotten stronger.”
Piper added that Blazczynski has worked on smaller things within his game in order to improve. “I think he’ll be a little better, maybe a little quicker to the basket; a little quicker to the gap, creating a shot for a teammate, which makes us better.
“He hasn’t rested on the fact that he’s become one of the best players. It’s actually motivated him to work harder.”
Blazczynski will be the Colonels’ go-to player, but Piper pointed out two other players that will represent the core of this year’s team with Blazczynski — Adonis Gray of Thibodaux High and Aaron Scott of H.L. Bourgeois.
“Adonis and Aaron are two juniors that we’re going to rely on heavily,” the coach explained. “I think when you look at those two guys and Stef, it’s kind of the nucleus of our team. That’s the leadership.”
He cited Gray and Scott’s strength as possible mismatches against opponents. “Aaron and Adonis are so athletic and so strong, that I think they’re really going to cause fits for people in the league.”
Piper said that Blazczynski, Gray and Scott will likely be three of the team’s starting five. “Gil Verner was probably coming into the season as a favorite to start, but he’s been hurt,” said Piper. “Then we’re still searching for that fifth guy. The big guy that’s going to start. We have Mitch Boyce, James Dixon and Ryan Bathie that are kind of battling for that spot.”
Verner has been plagued by injuries throughout the offseason. After injuring his knee while working out, he turned his ankle on the first day of practice. On his first day back from the turned ankle, he suffered a mild concussion.
Despite the injuries, Piper said he expects Verner to be ready to play by the time the season starts on Nov. 11. And from the start, the Colonels will playing some of the nation’s top competition, including Mississippi St., Washington, LSU and Texas. “I think there are two ways you can look at it,” explained Piper. “You can look at it with fear and intimidation, or you can look at it as I choose to look at it — with some excitement and understanding that it’s a challenge that’s going to toughen you and build character.”
Piper said he is hoping to see positives that can transfer from the out-of-conference competition into Southland Conference play. “It’s not as much, for me, about winning and losing the game as it is about how we compete. What are the things that we can do well against that level of competition? We know we can bring that back to the Southland Conference, and find some success with it.”
Once the Colonels enter conference play, things will be different than year’s past. Beginning this season, the conference has been split into East and West Divisions. In the East Division with the Colonels are Northwestern St., Lamar, Southeastern Louisiana, McNeese St. and Central Arkansas. “We want to finish in the top four,” said Piper. “Right now they have us picked fifth in the division behind McNeese. If we can bump ahead of McNeese, we arguably could finish in the top eight, and we’re in the tournament.”
Since the Piper took over as head coach two seasons ago, the Colonels have not reached the Southland Conference Tournament. “That’s our goal this year,” he said. “We haven’t done it since I’ve been here, and that’s the prize we have our eyes on.”
And with a roster filled with Piper recruits, he is confident his team has a good opportunity to reach that goal. “They’re all my kids,” said Piper. “There’s not a kid here that we weren’t involved in recruiting, and they have a great understanding for what’s expected of them.
“I think you can’t underestimate that. It’s kind of an intangible, but it’s an important thing.”
The Colonels open their season Nov. 11 at Mississippi St. Their home schedule tips off Saturday, Nov. 9, against North Texas.
