JONESBORO — Expectations are on the rise in John Brady’s third season as coach of the Arkansas State men’s basketball team.
With four returning starters from a team that went 17-11 last season, the Red Wolves are being considered one of the teams to beat heading into the 2010-2011 Sun Belt Conference season. Sun Belt coaches voted the Red Wolves to finish second in the West Division earlier this week. Only North Texas and Western Kentucky received more votes to win the conference than ASU.
“I think they were picked right on target,” Brady said Thursday in Jonesboro. “North Texas deserves to be where they are based on what they did a year ago. Top to bottom, they were picked how I think it may go.”
The Red Wolves had two players selected to the preseason all-conference second team, senior guard Donald Boone and junior forward Martavius Adams. Boone was a preseason all-conference selection last year as a fifth-year senior before injuring his knee just minutes into the season opener. Boone returns for his sixth year after averaging 13.6 points per game during the 2008-09 season.
“My knee feels real good,” Boone said. “When I first got out of rehab I favored my right leg a lot, but it’s gotten better. It’s good enough to go through the league and play this year.”
Adams is ASU’s top returning player after averaging 11.6 points per game and leading the team in rebounding with 7.5 per game last season. He was one of two players to start every Red Wolves game.
“To have Martavius picked to the second team is certainly an improvement for our team. Donald Boone, who created the respect two years ago by how he played in our first year here, is also second team, so that is definitely an improvement for us,” Brady said. “The first year we came here, we had no one picked and now we have two players picked after our second year. Hopefully, that is a trend that will continue.”
Boone and Adams will be joined in the starting lineup by sophomore guard Trey Finn of Little Rock, sophomore forward Brandon Peterson and senior point guard Rashad Allison.
Allison led ASU with 127 assists and 69 steals last season while averaging 8.5 points per game. Finn became one of top guards in the conference defensively, and averaged 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds.
“Finn is a solid player,” Brady said. “A great team player and very unselfish. He is a great on-ball defender.”
Peterson also made an impact as a freshman last season averaging 6.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, while playing in all 31 games, and drawing 19 starts. He also ranked second in the conference with 61 blocks.
Brady said he hopes his returning talent will allow the team to have a balanced offensive attack.
“We don’t have to rely on one guy to score,” Brady said. “I don’t see a weakness. All five can score and defend. I translate that into having a successful season and winning some close games.”
The Red Wolves lost six games by five points or less last season and five games by two points or less.
“A successful season comes down to the ability to win close games,” Brady said. “Win three or four of those with 17 wins already and you have a chance to do something.”
In addition to the starters, ASU returns several players who contributed last season, led by junior guard Daniel Bryant who played in only 22 games after hurting his shoulder early in the year. Bryant averaged 10.5 points per game. Senior forward Jeremy Thomas also returns and is expected to be the first man off the bench after averaging 4.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Brady said progress has been made since his arrival at ASU.
“Our talent level is better now than what it was,” Brady said. “We are much closer now to winning the conference than we have [been].”
Sports, Pages 25 on 10/29/2010