RICHARDSON, TX (11.09.09) – Tabbed as the No. 12 program in the country by D3HOOPS.COM, the UT Dallas men's basketball team welcomes back a nucleus of talented veterans following an “Elite Eight” appearance in 2008-09.
The Comets, who won their second American Southwest Conference Championship last season, are also pegged as the frontrunners in the ASC East Division, according to the league's preseason poll.
But don't mention those rankings to UTD coach
Terry Butterfield. He knows the Comets have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat as conference champs—and earn an invite back to the NCAA III Tournament.
“I think we've got guys that are smart enough to realize that somebody putting a poll together doesn't mean anything,” said Butterfield. “We've got to remember that last year is last year, and this year is this year. But my early impression is that they're hungry to be successful again.”
In his 10th year at UTD, Butterfield returns to helm the Comets after a 26-5 campaign in 2008-09, a record-setting season that came to fruition when UTD throttled Trinity Univ. and Capital in the opening rounds of the NCAA III Tournament. The Comets advanced all the way to the “Elite Eight” before falling to Guilford College in the national quarterfinals. UTD was just four minutes away from advancing to the NCAA III Final Four, but was eliminated in overtime.
This season, Butterfield and company aim to eclipse their success from a year ago. But they will have to do so without ASC All-East performers
Temaine Wright and
Ernie Lowery.
Wright's departure leaves a vacancy at the point guard position, while Lowery's absence prompts returning wings to fill a giant void on defense. Ranked 11th in the league in scoring offense last year, the Comets will also find challenges in replacing Wright's productivity. The ASC All-East First Team standout led UTD in scoring (12.1 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg).
“Obviously those two guys are big losses to our backcourt, but we've got guys on the wings waiting to go,” said Butterfield. “We've got enough seasoned players back to where…we'll be able to establish an identity without them.”
One of those returners who will shoulder a greater load offensively is
Brandon Greene, the Comets' second-leading scorer (10.9 ppg) in 08-09. Greene, described by Butterfield as the team's most “versatile” weapon, led UTD in scoring in five games last season—including an 18-point outburst in the Comets' win over Sul Ross St. on Dec. 4.
Senior
Scott Rodgers is another perimeter player expected to bolster the Comets on offense. Rodgers, who averaged 9.1 points per game last year, will likely transition from the team's sixth man to a role in UTD's starting lineup. The Woodlands native is volcanic on offense, aggressively attacking the rim and showing deep range from beyond the arc.
“He's one of those guys where you just point him in the right direction, tell him what you want, and he's good to go,” said Butterfield of Rodgers. “He's never started, but he's always been a catalyst off the bench, and he's been an excellent one.”
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Jimmy Witten and
Jordan Eppink, both upperclassmen, have the inside-out skills to complement UTD's depth on the perimeter. Witten, a junior, led the Comets in rebounding (5.9 rpg) last year while Eppink, the ASC East Div. Freshman of the Year in 2006-07, averaged 8.3 points per contest. They both shot over 40 percent from 3-point range.
Other key returnees include sophomore
Chris Barnes, who was named to the ASC East All-Freshman Team last season, and centers
Andy Maish and
Garrett Hillen. Barnes, a 6-6 forward, averaged 11.7 minutes off the bench as a freshman.
Several players will be lobbying for minutes as UTD's floor general, including senior
Jared Fleming. A three-year Comet, Fleming is proficient from long range—he made 18 3s in 08-09—and was Wright's understudy the past two seasons. Transfers
Joe Wilson (Brookhaven College) and
Charles Griffith (Midland College), along with UTD junior
Wells Adams, will be vying for time at point guard as well.
The Comets have added depth to their lineup by adding swingman
Curtis Davis, a former ASC West Div. All-Freshman Team selection for McMurry, and freshman
Reese Dahse from New Braunfels HS.
While UTD retools its offense, it should have few problems on the other end of the floor. The Comets were the league's premier defensive squad a year ago, finishing the season first in scoring defense (59.8 ppg) and scoring margin (+11.9) while holding ASC opponents to just 40.2 percent from the field.
“Defense is what sealed the deal for us,” said Butterfield said of his team's success in 08-09. “In my opinion, the only way we're going to compete for a championship again is if we put that same emphasis on the defensive side. And I think we're pretty prepared to do it.
“I think Temaine and Ernie have left a legacy for the other kids. All the other kids are committed to (defense). It's paramount to what we do.”
The Comets will travel to Sherman, TX, on Nov. 15 for their non-conference season opener against Austin College, a team they beat twice last season. UTD will then compete at the Fred Jacoby I-20 Classic on Nov. 20-21 before heading back to Richardson for a three-game homestand that includes its ASC opener on Nov. 28 against Mary Hardin-Baylor.
