W&M, Hampton relying on influx of new faces
But both return key cogs in Tribe’s Knight and Pirates’ Marrow
It was April of 2003, and Dane Fischer was ready to network in New Orleans. The Final Four was in town, and there would be no better chance to meet and greet.
At the first event he attended, Fischer saw then-Kentucky coach Tubby Smith. Introduced by a friend of a friend, they shook hands and exchanged hellos. It was brief, but it made an impression on the impressionable Fischer.
“I was 22 years old,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit starstruck.”
Sixteen years later, Fischer is in his first season as William & Mary’s head coach. His debut will come tonight at High Point, whose head coach is none other than Orlando “Tubby” Smith.
You can bet their pre-game chat will
include this nugget: Fischer’s wife, Chelsea, grew up in Kentucky. Her PE teacher at Lexington Catholic High was Smith’s son and current assistant, G.G Smith.
“Kind of neat, isn’t it?”
Fischer said.
Not that Fischer’s first game as head coach needs more of a peg. Tonight will mark the beginning of a new era at William & Mary, which had been under the direction of Tony Shaver since 2003.
The Tribe will have a very different look with seven newcomers, including three transfers. Nathan Knight, arguably the best big man in the program’s history, is the only player on the roster who averaged more than 6 points and 2 rebounds a game last season.
Those who have followed the Tribe over the years will notice some not-so-subtle changes. For one, don’t expect to see W&M put up nearly 25 3-point attempts a game, as it did the last three seasons. For another, don’t expect an upand-down pace.
“Some of that has to do with our depth, and some of it has to do with the strength of our team being our two starting forwards,” Fischer said, referring to Knight and 7-footer Andy Van Vliet. “We want the opportunity to play through those guys in the half court.”
Another thing Fischer is emphasizing is defense. In the previous three seasons, the Tribe gave up 79 points a game.
“We want to keep teams out of transition and make them face a set defense throughout the game,” he said.
On Wednesday night, Hampton University will get things started against MidAtlantic Christian at the Convocation Center. It will be Buck Joyner’s 11th season opener with the Pirates, making him the longest-tenured coach in HU’s Division I era.
Like Fischer, Joyner returns his leading scorer in guard Jermaine Marrow, whose 24.4 points a game last season ranked eighth nationally. But also like Fischer, Joyner will be relying on an influx of newcomers. Of the 14 players on HU’s roster, eight are either freshmen or transfers.
“Right now, we’re painting by numbers,” Joyner said. “Jermaine is the engine that makes us go, and we have Greg (Heckstall) back. We’re mixing it all in, and I like where we are at this point.”
Heckstall, Hampton’s leading rebounder last season at 7.4 per game, is expected to miss at least the first two games after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on both knees. In the meantime, Joyner will work on his rotation.
“We know that, especially in those first two games leading up to William & Mary (on Nov. 15), we’re going to try to play at least 10 or 11 guys to give everybody a look and a feel,” Joyner said. “I have an idea, but you still want to see when the lights come on.”
Joyner has been impressed with graduate transfer Amir Smith, who played most recently at Florida Atlantic. He’s listed at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, the same size as sophomore Ben Stanley. Joyner considers Smith and Stanley the two most athletic players on the team.
“They have professional bodies,” he said. “We hope they can be a problem for bigger guys but also be a mismatch for smaller guys.”
Smith is the son of former NBA player Joe Smith. Also among the Pirates’ newcomers is Saheem Anthony, a transfer from Northwest (Wyo.) College who is the nephew of 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony.
Joyner also likes JUCO additions Davion Warren and Edward Oliver-Hampton. He believes all three freshmen — guards Russell Dean, Chris Shelton, and Danny Bannister — will see minutes.
“We’ve had good talent around Jermaine, but this might be the most we’ve had at one time,” Joyner said. “He has to learn he has people he can rely on a little quicker. It’s an adjustment to all of them, but it’s one they all seem willing to make.”