Post by ElonPhan on Mar 13, 2007 8:54:34 GMT -5
Interesting quote from Nester in this article: "If you want to blame anybody for losses, you can blame me," said Nestor, who owns a four-year record of 42-78 at Elon. "We continued to improve our basketball program this year irregardless of what it may appear to others."
Elon finds positives in hard-knock year
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By: Adam Smith
Times-News
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ELON — The worst men’s basketball season of Elon University’s eight-year Division I existence recently came to a close and coach Ernie Nestor didn’t go searching for some secret spot to slink away to.
"I’d love to play another month with these guys," he said after his team finished 7-23 to register the school’s least number of victories since 1994-95, when Elon still was becoming acclimated to the Division II level.
"I think the general assumption is when you struggle that you’re not working hard. Obviously that could be true, but it’s really not true of this group of kids. In our practices at various times, I don’t know that you would’ve thought we were the team playing that way with that kind of record."
Elon won only four times in 19 games after New Year’s and ended the season losing 10 of its last 12 games.
The Phoenix, 5-13 in the Southern Conference, received the 10th seed and exited the 11-team league tournament by way of a 69-65 first-day defeat against Western Carolina.
That final loss marked Elon’s eighth defeat by three points or less — a development that probably spoke to the components of the Phoenix’s roster, which included three times more freshmen (six) than seniors (two).
"If you want to blame anybody for losses, you can blame me," said Nestor, who owns a four-year record of 42-78 at Elon. "We continued to improve our basketball program this year irregardless of what it may appear to others. I think we’ve laid a foundation."
In 2005-06, Elon’s 10-4 run through the Southern Conference largely powered its 15-14 overall record. And the Phoenix won the league’s North Division as Nestor raked in Coach of the Year recognition.
That season’s blueprint for success actually began to take shape during the latter stages of Elon’s agonizing 8-23 finish in 2004-05, when injuries thrust several younger complementary players into more demanding roles.
So here’s the idea: Maybe this season’s tortuous turns ultimately will lead to a good place down the road.
Sophomore guard Brett James, freshman forward Scott Grable and freshman guard Devan Carter made substantial strides in productivity during Elon’s final two weeks.
"You’re talking about guys that have got a lot of basketball in them yet," Nestor said.
James, in particular, showed signs of go-to ability for seasons to come.
He averaged 16.7 points covering Elon’s last six games and delivered five 3-pointers and 27 points against Appalachian State. Four days later, he supplied 21 points, seven rebounds and five steals in the tournament’s first round.
"I got more relaxed and I didn’t put so much pressure on myself," James said. "I guess you could say earlier this year sometimes I forced shots, feeling I needed to get something going to help my team."
Two players who watched every game in dress clothes — guard Montell Watson and swingman Monty Sanders — should factor in immensely next season.
Watson had surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot and took a medical redshirt. When healthy, Watson has been the Phoenix’s floor general. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.4 assists in 2005-06.
Sanders, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Twiggy Sanders, sat out after transferring from Richmond. He averaged 3.6 points for Richmond in 2005-06 and has two years of eligibility left at Elon.
Elon finds positives in hard-knock year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: Adam Smith
Times-News
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ELON — The worst men’s basketball season of Elon University’s eight-year Division I existence recently came to a close and coach Ernie Nestor didn’t go searching for some secret spot to slink away to.
"I’d love to play another month with these guys," he said after his team finished 7-23 to register the school’s least number of victories since 1994-95, when Elon still was becoming acclimated to the Division II level.
"I think the general assumption is when you struggle that you’re not working hard. Obviously that could be true, but it’s really not true of this group of kids. In our practices at various times, I don’t know that you would’ve thought we were the team playing that way with that kind of record."
Elon won only four times in 19 games after New Year’s and ended the season losing 10 of its last 12 games.
The Phoenix, 5-13 in the Southern Conference, received the 10th seed and exited the 11-team league tournament by way of a 69-65 first-day defeat against Western Carolina.
That final loss marked Elon’s eighth defeat by three points or less — a development that probably spoke to the components of the Phoenix’s roster, which included three times more freshmen (six) than seniors (two).
"If you want to blame anybody for losses, you can blame me," said Nestor, who owns a four-year record of 42-78 at Elon. "We continued to improve our basketball program this year irregardless of what it may appear to others. I think we’ve laid a foundation."
In 2005-06, Elon’s 10-4 run through the Southern Conference largely powered its 15-14 overall record. And the Phoenix won the league’s North Division as Nestor raked in Coach of the Year recognition.
That season’s blueprint for success actually began to take shape during the latter stages of Elon’s agonizing 8-23 finish in 2004-05, when injuries thrust several younger complementary players into more demanding roles.
So here’s the idea: Maybe this season’s tortuous turns ultimately will lead to a good place down the road.
Sophomore guard Brett James, freshman forward Scott Grable and freshman guard Devan Carter made substantial strides in productivity during Elon’s final two weeks.
"You’re talking about guys that have got a lot of basketball in them yet," Nestor said.
James, in particular, showed signs of go-to ability for seasons to come.
He averaged 16.7 points covering Elon’s last six games and delivered five 3-pointers and 27 points against Appalachian State. Four days later, he supplied 21 points, seven rebounds and five steals in the tournament’s first round.
"I got more relaxed and I didn’t put so much pressure on myself," James said. "I guess you could say earlier this year sometimes I forced shots, feeling I needed to get something going to help my team."
Two players who watched every game in dress clothes — guard Montell Watson and swingman Monty Sanders — should factor in immensely next season.
Watson had surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot and took a medical redshirt. When healthy, Watson has been the Phoenix’s floor general. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.4 assists in 2005-06.
Sanders, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Twiggy Sanders, sat out after transferring from Richmond. He averaged 3.6 points for Richmond in 2005-06 and has two years of eligibility left at Elon.
