Injuries give freshmen chance to shine on court

Kris Moody / Reporter

The 2006-2007 men’s basketball season might be classified as the year of the freshmen. With all six members of this season’s recruiting class battling for playing time, the success of the team rests largely on the freshmen’s ability to adjust to college athletics and compete with older, more experienced players.

Coach Ernie Nestor said that he expects the freshmen to handle 40 percent of the playing time this season. Only seven out of the 13 players on the roster are returning athletes, leaving the Phoenix’s youth the challenge of playing against opponent’s experience.

“The guys who are 18-and-19-years-old find themselves playing against guys who are 21-and-22-years-old,” Nestor said.

Freshman forward Adam Constantine, who has played 215 minutes and averages 3.2 rebounds per game, said that because almost half of the team is new, he and his fellow classmates can’t just sit back. They’re expected to compete at the same level as the upperclassmen.

“‘I’m a freshman’ was not an excuse,” Constantine said.

Nestor said that freshmen are usually responsible for supporting, not filling roles. However, this year, the expectations are different.

“The freshmen must do more than just play,” Nestor said, “They need to play effectively.”

Facing this challenge with Constantine are freshmen Devan Carter, John Charlesworth, TJ Douglas, Scott Grable and Jon Ogolo.

The biggest challenge for the rookies came with the announcement that senior guard Montell Watson would not be playing at all this season. Watson underwent surgery on his right foot on Nov. 10 and is working toward a full recovery. Nestor said that Watson decided to redshirt the season so he can play the entire 2007-2008 season.

Watson’s strong leadership is what will be missed the most. It’s a quality that Nestor said “transcends basketball.”

Though Ogolo, who has played 166 minutes and is averaging 2.4 points per game, has never played a season with Watson, he recognizes what his presence does for the team.

“If he were playing, I’d be getting so much better because he demands a lot,” Ogolo said.

Constantine said that Watson’s loss is unfortunate, but that one person doesn’t make the team. He said the team’s goals haven’t changed and they are keeping their heads up.

The small number of returning players combined with the void of Watson’s loss places both Nestor and the freshmen in a unique position.

Last year Brett James logged 15-18 minutes per game as a freshman, but Nestor said that if it seemed like James was being outplayed, he could substitute an older player for him. This year Nestor doesn’t have that luxury.

Constantine views the situation as an opportunity to get better and gain game experience years before athletes at other schools.
“It’s a blessing to be in this role,” Constantine said.

Both Ogolo and Constantine said that they are looking forward to playing with Watson when he returns next season, but are trying hard to fill his void in the meantime.

Currently standing at 4-12, the team has some work to do to get back on track. Constantine says that he and the team are hopeful.
“We’re very confident,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind that we can’t turn this around.”

Though they may be freshmen by name, they’re hoping to play like seniors when called upon.