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TODAY, 01.15.03.)
East Carolina coach Bill Herrion couldn't ask for a bigger
stage than the one showcasing his program Thursday night.
Louisville. Rick Pitino. Capacity crowd. ESPN2 cameras.
Prime-time tip-off.
Not to mention a time slot which follows an N.C.
State-Boston College matchup that could bring additional viewers that may
have otherwise tuned in to CSI. If a few of those casual observers happen
to be potential in-state recruits, consider it an invaluable recruiting
tool, especially if the Tobacco Road double-header unfolds like this:
Boston College routs the Pack in front of a half-empty
house. The Pirates clip the Cardinals at home for the second-straight
year. Fans storm the court.
It could happen.
It won't be easy, though, not if the Pirates perform with
the same lack of intensity and desire they displayed Saturday against
Charlotte. A repeat effort will most certainly get the dials spinning long
before CSI's plot thickens.
To avoid such a scenario, forward Erroyl Bing must
contribute more than a bagel in the scoring column. Belton Rivers, at the
very least, needs to occasionally hit an open jumper. Center Moussa Badiane
must avoid foul trouble. Gabriel Mikulas must prove he isn't a defensive
liability.
If not, the nationally-ranked Cardinals will quickly turn
Billville into Blowout City. For a team that was beginning to receive early
postseason buzz, that could be an emotional backbreaker, something it can't
afford with a trip to DePaul and home date against Cincinnati on the near
horizon.
Dropping the next three games would slam the breaks on the
Pirates' dreams of an NCAA berth and possibly even an NIT bid.
But if recent trends are any indication, there's no reason
to think East Carolina won't play well against Louisville, if not win. For
the most part, the Pirates have played to the level of their competition
this season and have performed superbly following losses.
That goes without mentioning East Carolina's 7-1 record at
home, which has quickly become one of the most feared venues in Conference
USA.
"Anytime you have a great homecourt advantage and it's
difficult for opposing teams to come in to play, I think that's an advantage
for the whole basketball team," Herrion said. "Right now, where we're at in
the building process of our program at East Carolina, we're not the most
talented team in Conference USA.
"We had a great crowd in here December 30 against Marquette,
the largest crowd in the history of the building. I believe this Thursday
against Louisville, we will probably break that record because it's
Louisville and it's Rick Pitino."
East Carolina needs all the help it can get against a
deeper, more talented Louisville team. Reece Gaines is the early favorite
to swipe the league's Player-of-the-Year honor and Marvin Stone is arguably
the best big man in C-USA and top newcomer.
If the Pirates do have an on-the-court advantage, it lies
with Travis Holcomb-Faye, who could potentially dictate the game with his
ineffable ball-handling skills. Freshman Taquan Dean and junior Bryant
Northern have done an adequate job for Louisville thus far, but as
Holcomb-Faye showed last year, he can dissect a press with a surgeon's
precision.
Another stellar performance by the senior point guard is
paramount to the Pirates' success, because this time the Cardinals are
unlikely to be caught off guard.
"I think last year the first time through in Conference USA,
a lot of people were trying to figure out who they heck are we," Herrion
said. "Who's East Carolina? Where's Greenville, North Carolina? What's
this place all about?"
After a dismal outing at Charlotte, the Pirates desperately
need to send a reminder to their league foes Thursday.
Even more importantly, East Carolina has a chance to show
the nation.
And that's an opportunity the Pirates can't afford to
squander.
Rouse getting minutes
Herrion says playing time isn't a rite of passage in his program — it's a
reward for hard work.
"We've been saying it all year that we've got to get a deeper bench,"
Herrion said. "I like these guys, but you've got to earn it in practice.
"If you want to get on the court, you've got to earn that in practice.
We're just playing the guys right now that are earning it."
Lately, Corey Rouse has been reaping the benefits for his efforts and it
has paid dividends for the Pirates.
Heading into tomorrow night's tilt with the U of L, Rouse is averaging
4.4 points and four rebounds in just 11 minutes of action. In the Pirates'
thrilling 73-70 victory over Marquette, the Kinston freshman dropped in four
points and four rebounds, three of which occurred at the offensive end.
"If you look at our stats, he's got great production per minutes played,"
Herrion said. "He's only averaging about ten minutes per game, but he's
getting about 4.5 points, 4.5 rebounds.
"He's so active and I think we need to start playing him more. He just
makes things happen. He's long, he's athletic, he's up on the rim."
Noteworthy
East Carolina has a five-game winning streak against
league opponents in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
Bob Carpenter and Larry Conley will broadcast the game for
ESPN2 Thursday. Carpenter will handle the play-by-play duties, while
Conley will serve as the color analyst.
Since returning from an early-season absence due to
personal issues, guard Luke Mackay has quickly emerged as a capable backup
at the point. Against Marquette, the Juco transfer banged in five points
in 12 minutes. He followed that with an eight-point, six-assist effort
against Pembroke. At Charlotte, the Perth, Australia, native pulled down
five boards and dished out five assists in 17 minutes.
Lousiville reserve forward/center Kendall Dartez recently
lost an uncle in a car accident, but is expected to make the trip, Pitino
said Monday. Dartez averages 3.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
The Cardinals have ten players averaging more than ten
minutes per game. Only three — Gaines, Stone, and Luke Whitehead —
average double figures in scoring.
