Southern bulks up for 2008-09 campaign

This time of the year never fails to excite Southern basketball coach Rob Spivery.
The excitement that comes with the start of basketball season is often matched, but always evident in Spivery’s smile and relaxed demeanor.
But below the surface is the underlying fact that Spivery and company were able to acquire two big men in Tim Brown and Gregory Horne to go along with last year’s freshman sensation, Barry Honore’.
Add sophomores Earnest Jones—returning from a medical redshirt (leg)—along with Andre Davis to the mix, and SU looks to have a nice nucleus of big men Spivery covets as the Jaguars look to improve from last season’s 11-19 record.
“I think we’re going to see a major difference, particularly on the front line,” Spivery said. “As a coach I’ve always had guys that can power the ball up around the basket.”
Power certainly wasn’t a part of SU’s offensive attack last year as the Jaguars often looked like a team Charmin soft at gut check.
So, will this year’s crop of talent give SU that added dimension it so desperately needs?
“I hope so,” Spivery said. “We had a lack of strength around the basket last year. I think there is some power there now.”
That power will be counted on heavily with the outside play of guards Chris Davis and Steffon Wiley.
“Offensively we like to play inside out,” Spivery said. “We will depend heavily on Davis, Wiley and Geri Guillory because they are the three seniors. Once that is established it opens up things for them to get open shots.”
Even in a reduced role last season, Davis worked his way back into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in his return to the program after missing all SU’s December games while dealing with personal issues.
Upon return, Davis lit up the SWAC on his way to finishing second in total points (369), averaging 15.5 per game.
But Davis will be relied on too much this season to pull a ghost move and have another miraculous return.
“I’m very optimistic about this year,” Spivery said. “We have enough players returning from last year which gives us that experience of knowing what to do and what to expect around the league.
“Hopefully we can get the proper leadership from them to guide this team to a conference championship.”
X-Factor
Spivery said Wiley holds the key to the SU offense.
“Steffon is the only guy in the program from our championship team,” Spivery said. “If he can handle the point guard role, get his teammates involved and provide leadership he can make this team what we want to be.”
CD being CD
Joining Wiley in the SU backcourt will be veteran Chris Davis, the teams’ leading scorer last year.
“Chris Davis is going to do the things he’s capable of doing….scoring the basketball and playing with a lot of energy,” Spivery said.
Cookie dough soft
Although Spivery stopped short of saying his team was soft down low last season, he did admit that this years’ team should be considerable better in that area.
Plus, with the addition of Brown and Horne, SU has three big men on its roster for the first time in Spivery’s time at the school.
“Big men are something we’ve had at every school I’ve been at,” Spivery said. “This is the first time we’ve had this kind of physical presence down low since I’ve been at Southern.
“Those guys can hold their own around the basket with anybody. They don’t mind mixing it up and getting bang up a little bit, and they don’t mind dishing it out.”
Lagniappe
With a jolt of big men inserted into this years’ lineup, Spivery is hopeful a steady rotation of Davis, Brown, Scott and Honore’ will just what SU needs to jump back into the upper echelon of SWAC contenders.
“Those guys really add some good size and strength around the basket, something that we did not have over the last couple of years,” Spivery said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do going along with Barry Honore’.
“It’s just going to come down to them learning their role and what the team needs them to do.”
Returnees
Brandon White
Chris Davis
Steffon Wiley
Julius Ingram
Jazz Williams
Geri Guillory
Douglas Scott
Andre Davis
Earnest Jones
Barry Honore
Newcomers
Derrick Richardson
Brian Talley
Lester Johnson Jr.
Desmond Griffin
Tim Brown
McCall Wollman
Gergory Horne
Tommy Hawthorne Jr.
Curtis Lawrence Jr.