2008-09 Gophers Better Understand Expectations

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.”