McDermott Looks Ahead To 2008-09

07.03.2008 | Men's Basketball

By: cyclones.com

Iowa State head men's basketball coach Greg McDermott is beginning his third season with the Cyclones, but it may feel like it's his first. When he was hired in March of 2006, McDermott was in for a rude awakening. Eight players that were allotted scholarships for the 06-07 campaign left the program, leaving just four returning players from the prior regime.

Despite the adversity, McDermott and his staff led the overachieving Cyclones to a tie for seventh in the league, finishing 15-16 overall and 6-10 in the Big 12.

McDermott figured the 2007-08 Cyclone team would take another step up in his rebuilding project, but again luck was not on ISU's side. Its top returning player, all-conference guard Mike Taylor, was dismissed from the team in July and one of ISU's top recruits, Lucca Staiger, was declared ineligible by the NCAA Certification Process in November and was forced to sit out the entire year. Those two losses coupled with nagging, season-long injuries to its top three players (Wesley Johnson, Rahshon Clark, Jiri Hubalek) led to a 14-18 overall mark and an 11th-place showing in conference play (4-12).

The ever-optimistic McDermott knew the road was not going to be easy. In all of his previous stops, McDermott had been patient in instilling his philosophies and principals, achieving his goals through player development and shying away from the quick fix. He has confidence it can happen at ISU as well.

“We're starting year three, yet we only have one player who has been with us all three years in Alex Thompson,” McDermott said. “So in that regard, we don't have a tremendous amount of experience in terms of guys who have been around our program. However, our returners have done a terrific job guiding our newcomers even though most are only in their second year with us.”

There is talent within the program. And there is time to grow with a group of players who will be here for the long haul. ISU has only one senior scholarship player on the roster (Alex Thompson) and returns two starters along with 46.9 percent of its scoring from a year ago. ISU has a chance to build around potential sophomore stars in Craig Brackins, Diante Garrett and Staiger. Brackins, a 6-10 post player, showed incredible promise in his rookie season, averaging 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Defensively and fundamentally, the Cyclones were sound in 2007-08. ISU held its opponents to 41.6 percent shooting from the field, the fifth-lowest ISU season opponent clip since 1967. ISU also ranked 78th nationally in least amount of turnovers per game (13.2 tpg) and 25th nationally in least amount of fouls (16.1 fpg). However, the Cyclones must improve on their offensive efficiency, after connecting on just 41.6 percent of their shots from the floor. McDermott believes ISU will improve significantly in that category next season.

“I'm hopeful that we have addressed an area of weakness that we've had the past two seasons in our inability to consistently shoot the 3-point shot,” McDermott said. “With the improvement of our returners in that area and the addition of Dominique Buckley, Wes Eikmeier and Jamie Vanderbeken in particular, I think we will be a much better 3-point shooting team.”

“Rebounding is certainly another area we have to focus on from day one due to the fact that we lost our top three rebounders from a team a year ago that I thought was a very average rebounding team to start with,” McDermott added. “Part of that had to do with injuries that some of our better rebounders had to fight throughout the season. Our challenge is to become a good team-rebounding squad. We're going to have to do it as a group and be fundamental in how we block out and pick our spots on the offensive glass to try and create second opportunities.”

The Backcourt

For the first time in his three years at ISU, McDermott finally has the luxury of returning players who are familiar with the system in the backcourt. In 2006-07 and 2007-08, ISU had starters and contributors on the perimeter that had no prior experience within the program. For this fact alone, ISU will be much further ahead of the game than at the start of the past two seasons.

ISU returns three guards who averaged 16.5 minutes or more a game from last season in Bryan Petersen (6-1, 180, Sr.), Diante Garrett (6-4, 180, So.) and Sean Haluska (6-3, 200, Sr.). Throw in Staiger (6-5, 220, So.), who competed the entire season on the practice squad while sitting out, and the Cyclones will have experience in the backcourt.

Petersen and Garrett handled the majority of the point guard duties a year ago and will be the frontrunners to run the team in 2008-09. A recruited walk-on from Kirkwood Community College, Petersen started all 32 games and was named to the Kansas City Star's Big 12 all-Newcomer team after averaging 5.9 points and leading the team with 92 assists. The Clinton, Iowa native showed the ability to knock down the 3-pointer (48-125, 38.4 percent) and possesses an excellent grasp of the offense, which should give him the opportunity to see more minutes this season.

“Bryan has done everything we have asked and his leadership has been outstanding,” McDermott said. “He's the full package and we couldn't be happier that he's on our team and part of this program. His leadership will be critical to us this season. He has a better understanding of what we're doing than probably anybody on the team, having played the point guard position. My expectations for Bryan are very high this season whether we use him strictly at the point or decide to slide him off the ball some. I think he'll do whatever we ask him to do.”

Garrett, a native of Milwaukee, Wis., was one of ISU's top reserves a year ago, averaging 6.3 points and dishing out 91 assists. Garrett is one of the hardest workers on the team and progressed immensely in his freshman campaign, averaging 3.2 assists in league action to rank 12th in the Big 12. He needs to work on his outside shooting, but Garrett was by far ISU's best dribble penetrator last season.

“His leadership and work ethic is at a level that it has never been before,” McDermott said. “Obviously, his ability to shoot the perimeter shot is an area that he needs to improve on and I think he has made good strides in that regard. If he can add that perimeter jump shot to his game with his ability to get to the basket and finish in the paint, he can be very dangerous with the basketball in his hands.”

One of ISU's top recruits, Dominique Buckley (6-3, 195, Fr.), has a chance to see time at the point guard slot. A native of Detroit, Mich., Buckley was ranked as the 124th-best player in the nation (ESPN) and was a Detroit Free Press Dream Team member. Buckley, who averaged 15.2 points and 6.3 assists for one of Michigan's best high school teams (Romulus), already has the body to play at the Big 12 level and has proven to be competent floor leader.

“I would be disappointed if Dominique does not play an important role on our team and what role that will be is too early to tell,” McDermott said. “He's a true point guard in every sense of the word and he would rather set a teammate up for a basket than score himself. His body is ready for the Big 12 and now it's just a matter of getting him on the floor and getting him some experience early in the season so that he can continue to grow as a player.”

Staiger, a native of Blaustein, Germany, will likely be a starter. Staiger was declared ineligible by the NCAA Certification Process last November when it was learned he played on a German club team that was deemed professional by the NCAA because two of its players received money. He sat out the 2007-08 season and lost a year of eligibility, but impressed the coaching staff every day in practice with his skills. Staiger will play on the German U-20 national team this summer and his shooting ability and great passing skills will no doubt earn him plenty of minutes next season.

“I hope he's able to gain some game experience this summer playing with the Junior National team in Germany to make up for what he missed last season,” McDermott said. “Until you get him on the floor, under the bright lights and in front of the crowd, we're not going to know exactly what to expect from Lucca. He has done the things he needed to do to improve his game. Defensively he has come a long way since he first arrived on campus, and his ball-handling and strength has improved. We just have to get him some game experience so he understands what it is like to play at this level.”

The Cyclones return a pair of two-guards who saw action last year in Haluska and Charles Boozer (6-3, 195, So.). Haluska, a recruited walk-on from Carroll, Iowa, started five games and averaged 3.4 points. After a slow start, Haluska showed he could be counted on for solid defense and his shooting ability. He was 14-of-31 (45.2 percent) from downtown in his last 13 games and will be a key reserve at off guard next year. Boozer could also see time as a reserve. He played in 15 games and averaged 1.7 points last season.

“Fortunately for us, Haluska ended the season on a positive note,” McDermott said. “The rough patches in his season came early but he continued to battle through it and shot the ball very well in conference play. Defensively, he became one of our go-to defenders and that's a role he'll play to start the season. He is a guy we can stick on one of the other team's better perimeter players and know that he's going to make it difficult for them.”

McDermott brought in two newcomers that will figure into the future of the shooting guard position in Wes Eikmeier (6-3, 175, Fr.) and Scott Christopherson (6-3, 200, So.). Christopherson, the 2007 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball Award winner from LaCrosse, will sit out next season after transferring from Marquette where he played in 18 games as a true freshman. Eikmeier, a native of Fremont, Neb., is considered one of the best shooters in the Class of 2008, winning Gatorade Nebraska Player of the Year honors in 2007 and 2008. He capped off his outstanding prep career by scoring 2,193 points, the eighth-most in Nebraska prep history. His long range shooting touch and his ability to score off the dribble will give him chance to see time as a rookie.

“I would have guessed early in the process that Wes would be a likely redshirt candidate, but because of some things that have transpired within our program and Wes' ability to shoot the basketball and do some things off the dribble, he is farther along than we anticipated,” McDermott said. “I'll be shocked if he isn't part of our rotation. He can score in a lot of a different ways and has a few point-guard skills that I didn't realize he had. We may have the flexibility to slide him over and play him more as a combo guard at times.”

The Frontcourt

The Cyclone frontcourt took the biggest hit with the graduation of Jiri Hubalek and Rahshon Clark and the surprise transfer of Wesley Johnson. Hubalek, who earned third-team all-Big 12 honors, averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. Clark, who was a four-year starter and an 1,000-point scorer in his career, averaged 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds last season. Johnson suffered through an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, averaging 12.4 points and 4.0 rebounds. He made a sudden departure from the program in late May.

The trio's absence, plus the loss of reserve Cory Johnson, who transferred to Valparaiso, leaves ISU thin on experience in the middle. However, the Cyclones are not entirely depleted in the post. ISU boasts the presence of Brackins (6-10, 230, So.), plus the return of top post reserve Alex Thompson (6-10, 235, Sr.).

Brackins is the top Cyclone returnee and his development will be a major factor in ISU's success in 2008-09. A native of Palmdale, Calif., Brackins became the third Cyclone freshman in school history to start every game of their rookie season. He averaged 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and showed his versatility by draining 21 treys. Brackins fine-tuned his game with a wide array of post moves and posted five 20-point games, tying for the third-most 20-point games by an ISU freshman. He broke ISU's single-game freshman scoring mark with 33 points in his first Big 12 game vs. Baylor. Brackins' potential is unlimited and he has one year of Big 12 play under his belt.

“It's just a matter of consistency with Craig and I hope that comes with maturity,” McDermott said. “I'm really proud of Craig that he got through a tough stretch in his freshman season and was able to battle through it and finish the season on a positive note with his play against Kansas State and Texas A&M in the last two games of the year. That gave him some confidence heading into the offseason. His perimeter jump shot needs to become more consistent and he needs to get stronger. He's added 15 pounds of muscle since the end of the season and he is certainly someone that will be a focal point of our offense.”

Thompson, a hometown product from Ames, was one of five Cyclones to play in all 32 games a year ago. Although his numbers were not eye-popping (2.1 points; 2.1 rebounds), the senior's length and strength inside were a positive influence. Thompson was third on the team in blocks (17) and averaged 12.7 minutes per game.

“Confidence comes from repetition and Alex has spent a lot of time in gym since the season has been over, honing his shooting skills, working on his post moves and working on his ability to finish,” McDermott said. “He's a little leaner than he was a year ago and I think that has helped him. Due to the fact that we're relatively young and inexperienced in the front line, he's going to have an opportunity to have a huge impact on this basketball team.”

McDermott brought four new post players into the mix for 2008-09 in Jamie Vanderbeken (6-11, 240, Jr.), Justin Hamilton (6-11, 220, Fr.), L.A. Pomlee (6-8, 230, Fr.) and Clinton Mann (6-7, 220, Fr.). McDermott hopes at least two of the fresh faces in the post will emerge as contributors right away.

“As a whole, just the addition of Clinton, Justin, L.A. and Jamie will give us bigger bodies in the front line, which is a luxury that we haven't had here in the last couple of years,” McDermott said. “I'm looking forward to working with those four guys and finding out where they can best help our team.”

Vanderbeken, a native of Belleville, Ontario, who was a star at Tyler [Texas] Junior College last season, has a leg up on the competition because of his experience. The big man has a great chance to be a starter at either the four or five position with his overall skills. He was an all-Region XIV pick at Tyler after averaging 14.1 points and 9.1 rebounds and McDermott likes his ability to stretch the defense, made evident by the 40 treys he made a year ago.

“Jamie was recruited because of his ability to shoot the 3-point shot and his skill on the perimeter for someone as big as he is,” McDermott said. “He can stretch the defense and make it difficult for opponents to double team any of Jamie's teammates. We will continue to work extremely hard with him on the defensive end of the floor and on his low-post game so he is not a one-dimensional player. He's got a great feel for the game and we're excited to have him here.”

Pomlee was nice addition in the late signing period. The first-team all-state selection from Davenport, Iowa led his Central High squad to the Class 4A state final. Pomlee has an outstanding frame and has a chance to be a force in the middle with his rebounding and shot-blocking ability. He was ranked as the 38th-best power forward in the class of 2008 by Scout.com.

“Pomlee brings us something we have not had since I have been here,” McDermott said. “From a rebounding standpoint, he's Big 12-ready. He can go get a rebound at the top of the square and he can block shots that not many people in our program are able to block. Now we just have to develop the offensive part of his game. His basketball IQ is very good. He understands positioning and angles. We just have to develop his offensive game to give him a few more options to put the ball in the basket.”

Hamilton was one of the biggest sleepers in the Class of 2008 and has unbelievable upside. The Alpine, Utah native has only played organized basketball for three years, but he still earned first-team all-state honors while leading his Lone Peak High School squad to the Utah state championship as a senior. Hamilton, who blocked a school-record 10 shots in the state title game, can run the court extremely well for a big man and could develop into an outstanding player once he gets some seasoning.

“Any time you ask someone to do something and they follow through with flying colors, it gets you pretty excited about what there could be in the future,” McDermott said. “We told him during the recruiting process that he was likely to redshirt because his body wasn't ready for the Big 12 and he went out and did something about it. Now we just have to teach him the game a little bit better, but at 6'11” and 250 pounds, he can handle the physical play in our league. His work ethic is off the charts and his focus and commitment to the game are as good as anybody I've ever been around from a front line standpoint. We are just really excited to get him in the gym on a daily basis and continue to develop his game.”

Mann is an athletic hard-working power forward who was one of the top players in Kansas last year. The Overland Park, Kan., native was a first-team all-state selection while averaging 18.6 points and 9.4 rebounds. Mann is also known for his hustling play and his ability to extend out and defend on the perimeter and in the post.

“Clint's an energy guy and his versatility, work ethic and toughness are the reasons we decided to bring him here and he hasn't disappointed us in that regard,” McDermott said. “I think he can play multiple positions and he moves his feet well enough to defend someone on the perimeter and yet is tough enough and strong enough to mix it up in the paint. I believe his work ethic will allow him to find his way onto the playing floor.”