Division I report

Brady has optimism for season

John Brady knows the season is already past the halfway point, but he’s still holding out hope his Arkansas State men’s team can redefine itself over the final seven weeks.

Brady is still looking for a more consistent defensive team heading into a key Sun Belt Conference road stretch against two of the league’s favorites.

Some nights he sees potential realized, like in Saturday’s 72-60 victory over South Alabama, but other nights Brady is left puzzled, like in a 98-84 loss to Troy on Jan. 9.

“The team I have from a defensive standpoint is kind of like Forrest Gump and his box of chocolates,” Brady said. “I don’t ever know what I’m going to get.

Some nights, I get a gooey chocolate, and some nights I hit a hard almond.”

Brady said the goal is to “not get those almonds every night.”

ASU (10-5, 3-1) ranks eighth in the Sun Belt in scoring defense (73.7 points per game) and ninth in rebound margin (minus 2.7) heading into tonight’s game at conference leader Georgia State (10-6, 3-0), which has won seven in a row.

Brady reinserted senior guard Ed Townsel into the starting lineup before Saturday’s victory against South Alabama to increase his team’s defensive presence. Townsel had been pushed to the bench last month because of a puzzling shooting slump - he was averaging 6.0 points after eight games - but he had 12 points and 10 rebounds against South Alabama.

Brady said Townsel will start again tonight against the Panthers, who are averaging 77 points and shooting 47 percent in conference games.

“Ed can really defend,” Brady said. “I kind of have got a football team. Some guys are good on offense and others on defense. I’m trying to get a combo of players who can score it pretty good and defend it.”

UALR MEN Thomas cleared

The return of J.T. Thomas could come as soon as this weekend, but UALR Coach Steve Shields is still preaching patience with the junior point guard who has missed 12 games because of a groin injury.

Shields said Thomas, who was the Trojans’ starting point guard through the first four games, has been cleared to play when UALR (8-8, 3-1) travels to Western Kentucky (10-6, 2-1) tonight and Georgia State on Saturday, but his return to the lineup depends on his ability to withstand lingering pain and how quickly he can get back into shape.

“We’re trying to go day to-day with him,” Shields said. “He worked out [Monday] the entire time but his legs were pretty dead, which you expect when you’ve been out that long.”

Shields would like Thomas back for depth and his leadership, but he can be patient considering he’s been pleased with how DeVonte Smith has handled point guard duties since Thomas has been gone.

Smith is averaging 4.1 points and 3.0 assists per game and leads the Sun Belt with a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio, a more important statistic than anything else for Shields.

“His value of the basketball has been unbelievable for this team,” Shields said.

UAPB MEN

Lions back at home

Arkansas-Pine Bluff Coach George Ivory is used to having his team play the first two months of the season on the road.

This season wasn’t any different, as the Golden Lions’ first 15 games were away from H.O. Clemmons Arena in Pine Bluff. UAPB (4-11, 2-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) went 2-10 in the nonconference schedule, which included games at Oklahoma State (97-63), Texas A&M (88-55), Oregon State (77-63), Creighton (88-51) and Iowa (86-61).

The Golden Lions have rebounded well in SWAC play. They won 78-73 at Mississippi Valley State on Jan. 4 and 72-64 at Alabama A&M on Jan. 11 before losing 77-64 on Monday night at Alabama State. Junior guard Tevin Hammond, UAPB’s leading scorer (14.4 points per game), scored a season high 30 points at Alabama A&M.

Ivory said the Golden Lions, who are ineligible for postseason play because of low Academic Progress Rate scores for a second consecutive season, are deeper this season with Hammond and junior forward Davon Haynes.

“Being on the road helped us get used to the road in the SWAC,” Ivory said.

The Golden Lions finally get to play a home game this weekend. UAPB hosts Southern University of Baton Rouge on Saturday and Alcorn State on Monday.

“We’re in pretty good shape coming home,” Ivory said. ”They’re very excited about being at home.”

Sports, Pages 23 on 01/16/2014

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