Basketball coach says he has ambitious goal

by THAD SMITH
reporter

Basketball head coach Greg White spoke about his opinions concerning the 2001-2002 team as the season approaches.

The following are reporter Thad SmithÕs questions and WhiteÕs responses.

Smith: Coach White, I know you're big on having goals. What are your goals for this year's team?

White: Our goals are to win the MAC and advance to the NCAA tournament. They have been the same since I've been here.

Smith: You've mentioned that junior college transfer Richard Wilson, redshirt freshman Enoch Bunch and true freshman Ronnie Dawn could start at point guard in the first game of the NABC Classic Thursday. Have you chosen a starter yet?

White: No, I'm still thinking about that right now. I'll talk to my staff tomorrow and try to make a decision, but right now the situation is the same. They will all play.

Smith: How much will the team rely on seniors J.R. VanHoose, Tamar Slay, Latece Williams and William Butler?

White: Those guys are going to have to be huge. However, Butler is like a freshman because of a career-threatening knee injury, so he is still going through some growing pains.

Smith: Butler has seemed to favor his knee slightly when he came to the bench in the exhibition games. Has he fully recovered?

White: He's recovered, but the injury doesn't get better overnight. He only got released a couple of months ago, and he's taking his time to get back in the swing of things.

Smith: What is the difference between this year's squad and the 2000-2001 team?

White: Last year I had a veteran crew across the board. This year I'll have to be patient. I have new guards, and it will take some time for them to get used to playing such an important role in the system.

Smith: Is being patient with the new guards difficult, especially since you played the position as well?

White: No, I understand that they're young and everybody makes mistakes. Travis Young was a freshman once. They can only get better by playing and getting experience.

Smith: The suspensions of two players, the loss of Ardo Armpulu due to the NCAA foreign issues and Ronald Blackshear becoming eligible only after the first semester leave you with a short bench. How will that affect the team?

White: We've been dealt a tough hand, and the bottom line is that we've got to go with what weÕve got to go with. I don't really have anything else to do with that, because I am not a compliance officer -- I'm a basketball coach. I am concentrating on winning.

Smith: Has there been any news from the NCAA on Armpulu's playing status?

White: No, but we appealed and are waiting on the response. Football didn't hear from [the NCAA] until the 11th hour, so we'll have to just wait and see.