2008-09 Gophers Better Understand Expectations
Trevino: Team Must Cut Down on Giving Up Easy Baskets
November 13, 2008
TOWSON, Md. – It wasn’t until the eighth game last
season that Goucher’s men’s basketball team actually
trailed a Division III opponent at the end of regulation.
Sounds like head coach Leonard Trevino’s Gophers got off to
a pretty good start in 2007-08. So one might be surprised to learn
that when they walked off the court following a 60-59 loss to
Apprentice School in the first round of the Cruzin Classic on
December 19, they had only two wins and six losses to show for
their efforts up to that point.
Granted, in the first four losses the Gophers suffered, they and
their opponent were tied after 40 minutes of play. So Goucher did
set a new NCAA Division III record by going into overtime in four
consecutive games, but they still all counted as losses.
There was also a 45-point setback to an in-state Division I
opponent.
So there were extenuating circumstances that could possibly help
explain the not only 2-6 record after eight games, but also the
final mark of 6-19.
But Trevino never has been one to make – or accept –
excuses.
“It took a long time for us to figure out our rotation last
season,” according to Trevino, who has logged 18 seasons as
the head coach at Goucher. “Not only who should start and who
should come off the bench, but which players worked best together
when they were on the court at the same time. You’re going to
have to deal with this when you have as many new players in your
program as we did.”
Trevino has a much better understanding of his players and what
they are capable of doing heading into the 2008-09 season. At the
same time, the players have a better idea what is expected of
them.
“We gave everybody a chance to show us what they can do
(last season),” Trevino said. “I think they enter the
new season having a much better idea of what we’re trying to
do here and how we are trying to accomplish that. I see us being a
much improved team over last year even though there hasn’t
been a huge overhaul with the roster.”
Of the six players who averaged at least six points per game last
season, five are back. Among the returnees are Darrin
Boswell II (Nottingham, Md./Joppatowne), the leading
scorer at 10.1 points per contest, and Marcus Cotton
(Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook), who supplied the Gophers
with 221 points (8.8 ppg.) and a team-leading 123 rebounds.
Two areas that Trevino believes his team can improve upon over
last season are perimeter shooting and field goal percentage
defense. Opponents shot .471 from the field against the Gophers in
2007-08.
“We have any number of players who can shoot from the
outside, but we need to show some patience in taking those shots.
I’d rather work the offense a little longer to get a lay-up
than take a three-point attempt 10 seconds into a
possession,” offered Trevino, who has guided the Gophers to
235 wins during his career.
“More than anything though,” he added, “we
can’t give up easy baskets on defense. That was a problem
last year. We’ve got to contest every shot they take.”