New coach seeks to change losing ways

By JOHN ENRIETTO Eagle Sports Editor

November 07, 2008 Last Updated: November 07, 2008 02:03 PM College

Butler graduate Jade Burka will be expected to bring down more rebounds for the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team this season.

SLIPPERY ROCK — Don't bother looking near the top of the PSACWest preseason coaches poll or at the preseason all-conference selections.

Slippery Rock University men's basketball doesn't exist in either place.

The Rock, coming off a 7-20 season, is picked to finish seventh in the eight-team league this season.

"That's what the other coaches in the league think of our program,"first-year SRUcoach Kevin Reynolds said. "Based on what's been going on in recent years, why should they think any differently?

"It's up to us to make them think differently."

Reynolds has taken to that task rather seriously.

Eight new names appear on the 14-player SRUroster. Seven are transfers from other schools. The lone freshman recruit is Tommy Kelly, a 6-foot-4 forward from Washington (Pa.)High School.

The point guard is 6-2 senior Kyle Camper, who started for Division IIona last year.

"He's got a lot of experience in Division Ibasketball and he's a bigger, stronger guy,"Reynolds said. "He's an unselfish player who can also shoot the 3. I believe he had six 3-pointers in a game against Rider last year."

Michael Evans Jr. is a 6-3 guard who played at Morehead State a year ago, where Reynolds served as an assistant coach. Evans' father, Michael Sr., played in the NBAfor nine years and is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors.

Denell Stephens is a 6-3 senior guard who was an all-conference player at Angelo State (Texas) a year ago. Bryen Spriggs is a 6-4 junior guard from Tusculum College.

Other transfers include 6-1 junior guard Maurice Douglas, 6-4 sophomore forward Maron Brown and 6-8, 250-pound sophomore center R.J. Rush.

"Rush was at SRUtwo years ago, went to a community college and came back,"Reynolds said. "He'll definitely help us inside."

So will Jade Burka, a 6-6 sophomore from Butler who averaged 4.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season.

"Jade's been recovering from an ankle sprain suffered in the preseason,"Reynolds said. "He's a tough kid who gives us a big, strong presence inside. We need him to rebound more this year."

Other returnees from last season include 5-10 junior guard Rashiid Coleman, 6-2 senior guard Darnell Johnson, 6-3 senior guard Jamar Scales, 6-5 senior post player Joe Vines and 6-1 senior guard Erroll Robinson.

Robinson (11.6) and Johnson (10.6) averaged in double figures last season.

"The immediate challenge is meshing all of these guys into a team. The talent is here,"Reynolds said.

Scales had decided not to return to the program after last year, but changed his mind.

"His teams have won 17 games in his four years here,"Reynolds said. "He's also 70 points shy of 1,000. These seniors want to leave the program in better condition than it was when they got here."

The Rock is coming off eight consecutive losing seasons and 16 losing campaigns in 17 years since finishing 23-9 in 1990-91.

"Joe Vines has dropped 30 pounds since the start of school,"Reynolds said. "He met with the coaching staff and we determined we needed him in better shape to maximize his potential."

Six of SRU's losses last year were by fewer than 10 points.

"They were still losses,"Reynolds said. "Every possession is critical in college basketball. You can't have anybody taking minutes off on the floor.

"Last year's schedule gave this team two home games out of the first 11 games. That's a recipe for losing."

This year's schedule features six home games in the first eight contests.

"We're serious about winning,"the coach said.

ScheduleNov. 8-at Providence, 7:30 p.m.;

Nov. 15-OHIO UNIVERSITY-EASTERN, 3 p.m.;

Nov. 19-SHEPHERD, 7:30 p.m.;

Nov. 22-OHIOSTATE-MANSFIELD, 3 p.m.;

Nov. 25-ASHLAND, 7 p.m.

Dec. 2-PENNSTATE-FAYETTE, 7 p.m.;

Dec. 6-at Bloomsburg, 3 p.m.;