FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern University men's basketball team (6-9, 2-4 SSC) will look to fend off the Florida Tech Panthers (11-6, 1-5 SSC) at home Saturday at 4 p.m. live on 640 Sports. NSUSharks.com spoke to
Gary Tuell prior to the matchup.
Q: Wednesday was a tough night to be a Shark, with both the men and women falling on the road to Palm Beach Atlantic. Can we get your take on that outcome? A: Overall, our game at PBA Wednesday (a 62-60 loss for NSU) was a terrific college basketball game. I can't speak for PBA's team, but our guys really competed and did a great job. They have essentially the same players and same team that hung 88 points on us twice last year, so for us to hold them to 62 on their floor was a tremendous defensive effort by our guys. Both teams defended well and both struggled to find good shots. We had a lapse on the defensive end to the start the second half, as we often do, and we did a poor job blocking out on a few critical possessions, especially in the final four minutes. Those two things cost us. We were about as good as we could be defensively for 32 or 33 minutes, but it's a 40-minute game. In a game where points are hard to come by, you simply can't afford to have any lapses. When you are as small as we are, the margin for error is about the size of a head on a nail. We simply cannot accept any defensive or rebounding lapses.
But losing at PBA is no reason for guys to hang their heads. That's the same PBA team that lost a three-point game to Lynn, one of the best teams in our league. That's the same PBA team that lost a three-point game to Saint Leo from our league. They are the same team that dropped a two-point game at Florida Tech and a two-point game to a very good Paine College team and beat a very good Benedict team on the road. They've been close to winning a lot of games, play everyone tough, and we knew going into the game that we would have to play extremely well to beat them on their floor. We were good enough defensively, but 10 for 19 at the foul line will cost you a lot of games. There were some other things that went on that were difficult to overcome, but overall I was very pleased with our effort and the improvement we continue to make. I like my team. I love my team when it competes on the defensive end and we're getting better and better in that area, which is something we often lacked with previous NSU teams.
Q: The old mantra in another sport is, "styles make fights." PBA has played especially tough against NSU over the last five outings. Are they built to face a team like NSU? A: I don't think styles have much to do with the close games we've played against PBA. I think a lot of it, especially in the past, has been mental on both sides. As a provisional member of the Sunshine State Conference, PBA isn't eligible for the regular season or postseason league championships yet. Convincing our guys that it's an important game or that we need our best effort has not been easy. I think it's human nature to relax a little, maybe not take the game as seriously as we would if it were a league game. On the other hand, PBA probably approaches games against SSC teams with a little extra edge or focus. Games against teams in our league are there chance to prove that they belong in the league and can compete and win in the league. They probably have a mental edge in their games against SSC teams, and especially against ourselves and Lynn and Barry since we're all located in the same general area. But I don't think that was the case Wednesday. I think both teams came into the game competing as hard as they could and working very hard to get the win. It was a terrific game. We just came up two points short on the road. Move on.
Q: On a positive note, Mike Chalas (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) was huge in the second half and kept the Sharks in the game during a tough stretch. How crucial is his production off the bench moving forward? A: I love Mike Chalas. He has such a positive attitude every day. Whether he plays 20 minutes or two minutes, Mike gives you his best effort and is always ready to help us any way he can. He sat out last year and didn't play basketball (after two years playing for Indian River State College). He's slowly picking up our offenses and defenses and gets a little better every day. He's a terrific shooter, maybe the best pure shooter on a team of good shooters. He also has the athletic ability to get his own shot. And his quickness and speed on the defensive end create problems for other teams. I've always believed he would be a major contributor to our team this year once we got back in the groove of playing and once he picked up the things we like to do. We need Mike to continue to grow as a player. He can be a huge contributor to our success over the remainder of this season and next year. Everybody on the team roots for Mike because of his attitude and work ethic. He's a small guy but he's hugely important to this team. One of these nights he's going to have a breakout game and score 20 points and the coach of the other team will be scratching his head and asking "Who IS that guy?" But we all know what Mike is capable of and we think he can be a double-digit scorer the second half of the season.
Q: Florida Tech is loaded with talent. Chris Carter had a triple-double Wednesday, Jermaine Jones is notorious for big nights against NSU and Corbin Jackson is one of the league's premier post players. How difficult is this matchup Saturday? A: Florida Tech is loaded with big, athletic, talented players who present a tremendous challenge for us. Their starting five is as talented and athletic as just about any starting group in the league. Jordan Majors (6-3, 190 freshman point guard) and Chris Carter (6-5, 200 senior guard) give them a very big, very physical and talented backcourt. Majors is a load when he can get into the paint and create shots for himself and others. Carter is capable of a triple-double any night. Their front court is athletic and intimidating. Corbin Jackson (6-6, 210 junior forward), Jermaine Jackson (6-4, 230 senior forward) and Akeem Johnson (6-6, 205 senior forward) are a nightmare to play against at both ends of the floor. They stuff the stat sheets as scorers, rebounders and – especially in the case of Corbin Jackson – as shot blockers.
There aren't many starting five's with the experience and talent of that group. But a few guys who often go unmentioned are also important to them off the bench. Caleb Wiggington (6-6 freshman), Nick Stahl (6-6 junior), Randy Echols (6-5 junior), Isaac Spence (6-5 junior), Robert Booth (6-7 sophomore) and Sam Daniel (6-7 freshman) are big and talented and can break your back on any given night. They have some terrific shooters from the perimeter, guys who can drive and guys who can finish in the paint. They're huge. It's an athletic mismatch for us, and keeping them off the glass and out of the paint is a daunting challenge. Heck, every night out for us is a test of our will and our character. But I like the way our guys are accepting that challenge and the way they're beginning to understand what's required of them if they want to be successful.
Q: The last time NSU faced Florida Tech (2/26/2014), NSU won on a game-winning 3-pointer from Justin Jeangerard, 75-73. It was another chapter in what has been a fun matchup with FIT throughout the years. Is this a matchup the Sharks look forward to? A: Our matchup with FIT is a lot like you mentioned earlier when you suggested that styles make for good fights. While they shoot the ball extremely well many nights, Florida Tech is built on size and athletic talent. They can certainly hurt you with the 3-ball, but they can obliterate you in the paint and on the glass. We might have one or two guys on our team who can dunk, and they might have one or two on their team who CAN'T dunk. In boxing terms, they're a true heavyweight with a good jab and a great knockout punch. We're a decent little middleweight or lightweight who can pester you by sticking and moving, but for us to win we have to find a way to mix it up inside without getting kayoed. I'm sure they look at us more as an irritant or a nuisance than as a team to worry much about.
What was it Muhammad Ali said when he was a young Cassius Clay and preparing for his first heavyweight championship fight with Sonny Liston? "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee … rumble, young man, rumble." We'll be floating and stinging them with an occasional 3 and they'll be rumbling and sledge-hammering us from all angles. It's only going to be an interesting fight if we can make enough 3's to stay in the game and if we can avoid being knocked out early because they have the talent, size and athleticism to hurt us from a variety of places.
Q: On a side note, Casey Carroll (Jr., Youngstown, Ohio) is out for the year, but is still a staple on the bench. How will seeing the game from this perspective affect him when he returns? A: You should probably ask Casey that question, but from my perspective it's been good for Casey to sit on the bench and watch. He's such a high IQ guy anyway, and he comes from a family where his dad was captain of the Kansas Jayhawks and went on to be a very successful junior college head coach and Division I assistant coach, so Casey understands the game and sees the game from a different place than most players. But being on the bench helps him see things he might not have noticed before. The key to Casey's year off is his attitude. He's been terrific. He's totally invested in practice every day, helping guys, pointing out things, and keeping things light with his tremendous humor. Same is true on the bench. He's another set of eyes which is helpful to our coaching staff because we're not real deep in that area! It's myself and volunteer assistant
Marquise Kiffin. Having Casey with us on the bench is helpful. Coach Kiffin is in a wedding the weekend we play at Tampa, so Casey will have a chance to slide over one chair and I'll rely on him to do a little more coaching on that trip. It will be good experience for him. He's such a joy to be with. Our players respect him and I know they appreciate how dedicated he has been to helping out and supporting them this year. He's a huge part of our team.
Q: Six of the next eight games are in the NSU Arena, is it good to be home after a grueling January? A: It's only good to be home if you win your home games. Obviously it's a little easier when you get to sleep in your own bed and you don't have to ride the bus for a few hours and get off and play. But we have the philosophy that winning on the road or winning at home are not dependent on the court, the crowd or the bed you slept in the night before. Winning is a product of competing successfully on the boards, in the paint and at the free throw line. When the defensive effort is there for 40 minutes we can win anywhere. When the defensive effort falters, winning is problematic anywhere, and especially on the road, where teams are generally more comfortable shooting the ball. As we transition from January to February it will be interesting to see how teams in the league begin to separate themselves from one another. Barry is clearly the head of the class right now, and I don't see any reason for that to change. They've already won on the road at Florida Southern and at Lynn, which seem to be the two biggest challengers to Barry for the league title. Southern and Lynn continue to play very well and look to be – along with Barry – among the top three teams in our conference.
I really like Tampa and Florida Tech for the second half of the season. I don't know if either of them can crack the top three because those first three teams are just exceptionally talented, deep and athletic clubs who have a chance to play deep into the NCAA tournament. But Tampa is really improving and I think Florida Tech is poised to make a huge run at this thing before it's over with. Saint Leo and Eckerd are both solid and it wouldn't surprise me if either of them finished the second half of the season with a run at the top four. Both of them have a history of winning and both of them have the talent to do it. Rollins has struggled early but they are oh-so-close every night. It might just take one win to get them going and if that happens then the race is going to be as interesting as ever. I don't know where we fit in. We don't have the athletes, the size or the depth that most of these other teams have. But we have big hearts and we're playing with tremendous pride and determination, especially over the past month. If we can continue to fight with the same defensive intensity that we have shown recently, we'll see how far our hearts can carry us.
