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LOCATION: Daytona Beach, FL
CONFERENCE: Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC)
LAST SEASON: 11-16 (.407)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 10-9 (5th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 1/4
NICKNAME: Wildcats
COLORS: Maroon & Gold
HOMECOURT: Ocean Center (9,000)
COACH: Horace Broadnax (Georgetown '86)
record at school 12-42 (2 years)
career record 12-42 (2 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Cliff Reed (Bethune-Cookman '91)
Rick Walrond (Methodist '75)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 12-15-12-1-11
RPI (last 5 years) 250-290-263-306-224
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference quarterfinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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One of the most improved teams in the MEAC and perhaps the country last season was Bethune-Cookman. Former Georgetown star Horace Broadnax and his team struggled through a 1-26 season two years ago but stepped up last year with a 10-game improvement to 11-16. Instead of getting blown out as had been their custom, the Wildcats were in just about every game. Most coaches would be pleased with such improvement. But Broadnax owns a national championship ring from Georgetown and was a key player on the 1984 Hoyas' national title squad. He appreciated Bethune-Cookman's improvement last year but wasn't satisfied. "We made a lot of progress last year but I felt we could have won some more games," said Broadnax. "At times last year, we started patting ourselves on the back and got a little too complacent. That kind of attitude cost us and we're going to have be more consistent this season." The worst of those losses were at home, where the Wildcats lost six league games. Bethune-Cookman finished the conference with a 10-9 league record and a fifth-place finish. "If we go 4-2 in those home games, we might be battling for first place in the conference," Broadnax said. "We lost a lot of close games last season, but that's part of being consistent and learning how to win. Hopefully, we'll be better at that this season."
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B- BENCH/DEPTH C-
FRONTCOURT D+ INTANGIBLES C+
Bethune-Cookman will be an interesting team to watch this season. The Wildcats stunned some teams last year, but Broadnax said they should have had more victories. This program is still a work in progress, and there are some areas of concern for Broadnax this year. A decent starting five is in place, but depth is a big question. An injury to someone in the starting five could be disastrous. Also, Bethune-Cookman isn't big in the frontcourt no player is taller than 6-8. The MEAC has some very good frontcourts this year, and those teams will provide a lot of matchup problems for the Wildcats. The MEAC will be better prepared for Bethune-Cookman and the Wildcats could struggle some this season. Look for a finish in the lower half of the league, but keep an eye on this program. Coach Horace Broadnax has it headed in the right direction. |
To Bethune-Cookman's credit last year, the Wildcats made their strides with a lot of the same players who had gone through the one-win season a year before. Not surprisingly under Broadnax, who learned the fine art of defense under John Thompson at Georgetown, the Wildcats were known for their defensive intensity last year. They were third in the league in points allowed (69.6). Opponents shot just 43 percent against them. Broadnax still wants to see defensive improvement. "We're getting there on the defensive end, but we still have work to do," said Broadnax. "And once again that boils down to consistency. We need to be more consistent on the defensive end." One area where the Wildcats should be improved is depth. Last season, the Wildcats couldn't go very far on the bench. That more than anything may have been the reason Bethune-Cookman didn't win its share of close games. "We have some depth now with some of the players we've brought in," said Broadnax. "We have bodies to put into games now and not lose too much. That hasn't been the case the past two years." One player who will see a lot of playing time this year will be 6-4 senior guard/forward Freddie Cole (17.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 70 three-pointers). Cole enjoyed a solid junior season and emerged as one of the better players in the MEAC as he led the Wildcats in scoring. But the demanding Broadnax wants some improvement from his senior. Cole shot just 39 percent from the field, and that needs to get better. "We need Freddie to hit more of his shots this year," said Broadnax. "He also needs to get stronger and make adjustments to the defense. At times last year, Freddie would get hot in the first half and score 18 or 19 points but then be held to two or three points in the second half. "Freddie had a good year for us last season. But we need him to take a step up this year and just be more consistent." Tyris Livas (7.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 174 assists) is a 5-11 senior point guard who was one of the big reasons the Wildcats improved so much last year. His 6.2 assists per game average led the MEAC and was 13th in the nation. "He should have had more assists, because we missed some shots when he made some great passes," said Broadnax. "One of the big reasons we were able to turn things around last year was because of him. He did a great job of running our offense and getting the ball to the right people at the right times. The only thing I'd like to see him improve on this year is scoring. We'd like to see him score a little bit more and we think he'll be able to provide us that this year." Javon Dukes (0.8 ppg, 12 assists), a 5-7 junior guard, will provide depth at the point. The Wildcats lacked size last year with 6-6 senior center Delvin Thomas (9.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 45 blocked shots) and 6-6 senior forward Valder Ned (7.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) providing Bethune-Cookman's inside game. They'll get some help this season with some incoming recruits but Broadnax hopes the two will be even better in their final year. Thomas did a nice job in the pivot for the Wildcats, as he led the conference in field-goal percentage (.590). Ned is a great defender who gives Bethune-Cookman everything he has. "Delvin was very effective for us last season," said Broadnax. "He runs the floor and shoots the ball very well. We also like his defensive ability as he the ability to block shots and alter shots. He's undersized, but he gets the job done. "Valder is a great story for us," said Broadnax. "He's not the most skilled player we have but his hard work is a talent. Valder plays tough defense and does things that doesn't show up in the box score. He's good to have on the team and we expect a great senior year from him." Three other returnees who played some last year are expected to have more of a role this year. Start with 6-6 junior swingman Derricus Lockwood (2.4 ppg. 2.7 rpg) who nursed an injured wrist most of the year. "Derricus is a body for us who knows how to play good defense," said Broadnax. "He's a versatile player who can play either forward spot and the shooting-guard slot. We expect him to come into his own this year and be able to help us at all three of those positions." Expected to help inside this season is 6-5 sophomore Brent King (3.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg). King will play either the power-forward spot or at center. "Brent is another player who is a little undersized but he can help us," said Broadnax. "He came off the bench last year and did a good job on offense and on the boards for us. We need him to do more of the same this season plus give us a little more on offense." Bryan Sanders (3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg) is a 6-6 senior forward who Broadnax would like to get some production from this year. Emerson West (0.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg), a 6-4 junior forward, didn't play much last year but could be more of a factor this season. Broadnax has brought in five new players. The key player is 6-4 junior forward Larry Gilbert, who comes from McCook (Neb.) Community College. Gilbert will try and fill the shoes of last year's second-leading scorer Johnny McClenton (13.2 ppg). Gilbert averaged 12.1 points and 4.0 rebounds last season. "Larry is a key recruit because we expect him to pick up where Johnny McClenton left off," said Broadnax. "He's a player who can play either the two-guard or small-forward slots. Larry shoots the ball very well and has three-point range. He can also score off the dribble and we'll need his scoring this season." Backing up Livas will be 6-1 junior guard Brian Cox, who played at Daytona Beach (Fla.) Community College a year ago and averaged 8.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. "Brian gives us some depth at the point this year," said Broadnax. "He knows how to play defense and for a guy his size can rebound. Brian's a real competitor and we expect him to make a contribution." Three freshmen have been brought in to help the Wildcats in the pivot. Bethune-Cookman's opponents will be seeing double during the year when 6-8 freshmen Jerry and Jesse Daniels go into the game. The twin brothers come from Hallandale (Fla.) High School and both are projects with potential. "We look for Jerry and Jesse to become better as their careers progress here," said Broadnax. "Jerry will help us as the season goes on, while Jesse is a little more stronger and more advanced than Jerry and has the possibility of helping us a little quicker." Jerome Nicholson is a 6-8 freshman center who averaged 8.2 points and 9.0 rebounds last season for Titusville (Fla.) High. Nicholson weighs 280 pounds and Broadnax would like to see that come down some before the season starts. "Jerome is big and wide and will take up space this season inside," said Broadnax. "He needs to lose about 10 pounds before he can really help us. He's looked good during preseason workouts, but the jury is still out on him. Hopefully, we can try and get him some experience this season."
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