Take A Knee’s 2009-10 SBC Basketball Preview

South Alabama Jaguars

Probable Starters:

PG. Bryan Sherrer 6’0” 195 Sr.
(5.3ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.6apg)

SG. Tim Williams 6’3” 200 Jr.
(21.4ppg, 8.1rpg @ Motlow State CC)

SF. LaShun Watson 6’5” 195 Sr.
(7.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.2apg)

PF. DeAndre Hersey 6’6” 205 Fr. (Redshirt)

C. Phillip Tabet 6’8” 210 Sr.
(2.5ppg, 3.1rpg, 0.3apg)

USA Certainties:

Available Minutes.  Ronnie Arrow returns only 4 letter winners who combined for just 32 starts last season (Watson 21, Sherrer 11) and a fifth redshirt freshman.

All 5 spots on the floor will be an open competition… Probably for the entire season.  To help with this competition, Arrow signed 8 and added another 6 talented walk-ons. Essentially, that means that there will be 19 Jags with a chance of playing significant minutes this season.

USA Questions:

Who is going to play in all those available minutes?

The Watson/Sherrer duo was signed from the JUCO ranks last year to replace Demetric Bennett and Daon Merritt.  They fell well short.

Dominic Tilford’s fear of passing certainly contributed to the pedestrian numbers. But those two will have to deliver significantly better results. Otherwise, Ronnie Arrow, a former JUCO coach used to a revolving door of players, won’t hesitate to sit his returnees.

A Nice Luxury Would Be:

Keeping Tim Williams on the wing.

Williams is a first team JUCO All-American, a dynamic scorer and rebounder and the most likely of the newcomers to make a significant contribution this season.  That said, injuries and NCAA issues will sideline two of Arrow’s prized frontcourt recruits (Andre Gowins 6’9” 250 Fr., Augustin Rubit 6’8” 245 Fr.) and could force the strong bodied Williams to play extended minutes at the 4 if the likes of Hersey, the Tabets, Javier Carter (6’8” 195 Fr.) and Gary Redus (6’7” 185 Jr.) can not provide consistent frontcourt play.

This Team is Special If…:

Hersey or Martino Brock (6’5” 195 Fr.) win Freshman of the Year.

Arrow has upperclassman options on the wings, but these two are freak athletes and have the potential to be absolutely dynamic.  If one or both is ready to shine it would go a long way towards solving USA’s potential scoring problems.

Email the author: jhemingway.sbc@gmail.com