USF Has High Expectations for 2013-14 Campaign
4/12/2013 1:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN FRANCISCO -- USF's 2012-13 basketball season was as much about its future as it was the present.
Entering the season with the daunting prospect of having to replace 75 percent of its scoring and rebounding from the previous year with an inexperienced cast of players, head coach Rex Walters knew the Dons' road was going to be paved with a heavy dose of uncertainty, filled with twists and turns accompanied by plenty of teachable moments.
When it was all said and done, the Dons finished with a 15-16 overall mark and surprised many by tying for fifth in the West Coast Conference with a 7-9 ledger. An early exit from the WCC Tournament was systemic of a team that seemingly took two steps forward, only to take one back, all year long.
USF's inconsistency was perhaps a byproduct of its youth. Eight of the 12 players on the Dons roster had never played in a Division I game before this season and only one player had started more than one game in his career. Five freshmen combined to make 56 starts during the season while USF rolled through four players who made starts in the middle in the team's season-long quest for post presence.
Walters neither sees the glass half full or half empty, but finds it hard to mask his enthusiasm for next season when the Dons return a veteran team with seemingly enough firepower to challenge for a conference championship.
“It was a solid year but not a great year in terms of what we wanted to accomplish,” said Walters. “Even with all of the changes to our roster, I always have high expectations for our team.
“Our work ethic was really good. I can count on one hand how many poor work practices we had. There weren't a lot. Our culture got better as the season progressed. Some of those things didn't always translate to the game or the result, because it was a constant learning process. You could see their wheels turning on what they needed to do and how they needed to do it.
“There was a lot of learning and growth during the season that will definitely help us next year. I'm excited about the future.”
What is in USF's future for the 2013-14 season?
For starters, the Dons will return plenty of them. Ten of the 12 players on this year roster made starts at some time during the season. Barring off-season roster moves, the Dons will return all of its scoring and rebounding from this past season, including Cole Dickerson, who averaged 15.2 points and a conference-best 9.8 rebounds a game to earn first team All-WCC plaudits as a junior.
Dickerson was a double-double waiting to happen every night. His 23-point, 18-rebound performance in the season's final game against Loyola Marymount marked his 12th double-double of the season. He finished ranked in the WCC's top-10 in no less than six categories, including rebounding (1st), scoring (8th), field goal percentage (10th; .474), three-point field goal percentage (10th; .410), three-pointers made (10th; 1.5) and minutes played (5th; 33.0).
As good as Dickerson was in 2012-13, Walters is expecting even more next season.
“Cole had a great year,” said Walters. “He's gifted and talented and does some things you just can't teach. He can legitimately be the player of the year in the conference next season if he's willing to put in the work. He's naturally gifted. Now it's about taking that next step. He's not on the mountain top but he's pretty close. You have to work harder to get to the top. That should be a goal.
“Guys get better not because they get physically stronger but because they become mentally stronger. That's a big challenge. It's looking at yourself in the mirror and saying 'I'm pretty good now what do I need to do to get better?' I'm hoping Cole asks himself that question. Maybe his numbers will stay the same but perhaps he does it more efficiently. Kelly Olynyk was the most efficient player in the league because he was efficient from the start. If Cole understands that, he'll have a heck of a year. All of our guys can learn from that.”
USF will also benefit from the return of Cody Doolin to the point guard position, where he has started all 98 games of his career. Doolin was an honorable mention all-conference selection after he averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 5.5 assists a game. He led USF in scoring in six games mostly because he had to, given USF's relative inexperience.
A case can be made that USF had the best group of freshmen in the WCC last season. Certainly no team relied on its first-year players more than the Dons.
Tim Derksen started 25 of 31 games and averaged 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Avry Holmes led the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent while the versatile Mark Tollefsen was one of the Dons most productive players on the floor at season's end.
Tao Xu and Matt Christiansen also saw significant playing time in their first seasons on the Hilltop.
"Derksen, Holmes and Tollefsen can potentially be starters and all-league players and provide a great foundation for our future,” said Walters.
“There's no doubt in my mind Avry Holmes can easily be a starting guard for us next year. He can really shoot to the ball and we hope he gets his legs underneath him, regains some of that explosiveness I saw in high school and adds a few more elements to his game.
“Derksen is probably the hardest worker we have on our team. He spends more time on his game than anybody else on our team. He's making himself into a great player. He has talent, as well but when you work that hard it's hard to surrender. He's a guy that can be an all-conference player in the future. Just an unbelievable work ethic.”
Walters calls Tollefsen “the most talented post player” he has ever coached but knows talent will only take a player so far.
“Mark can be a player-of-the-year type if he dedicates himself to the weight room, eats right and takes care of his body. There's not much he can't do on a basketball floor if he gets bigger and stronger, becomes a better post player, becomes a better shooter and gets better attacking the basket. He does all of those things pretty good right now but just he could be really scary with 15-20 extra pounds of muscle.
“He can win a dunk contest, a three-point contest and a sprint contest. That's a heck of a combination. Now it's a matter of putting all of those things together.”
One of the elements USF lacked this past season was perhaps that one thing which is hardest to quantify - intangibles. Enter Matt Glover.
After sitting out last season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, Walters expects Glover, a 6-5 guard-forward who spent his sophomore season at Penn State, to give the Dons a much-needed dose of toughness, scrappiness and leadership next season.
“Matt has a tremendous nose for the basketball and is one of the most competitive guys on our team who made us better every single day in practice,” said Walters. “He's a great 50-50 ball guy, rebounder and charge-taker. He does a lot of intangible things that determine winning and losing and we lacked that this year. Rashad Green and Angelo Caloiaro were those types of players. Matt brings that to the equation.
“He can make guys better. I'm not into ordaining anybody but there is something in his blood and his mindset. Just like you can't reach Cole how to rebound – Matt just gets it. He brings a certain amount of toughness and will to win. He's not a great scorer or shooter but he'll team with two or three of our walk-ons and they'd beat our starters.”
As USF continues with its off-season workout program, Walters unequivocally states the Dons should keep one goal in mind for the 2013-14 season.
“We emphasize the NCAA Tournament. Playing time and winning and losing will be directly impacted by how hard we want to work this spring and summer. We want to become bigger, faster, stronger, quicker and more athletic. We need to be more efficient offensively. All those things don't end just because the season is over. We all need a time for rest and reflection but you have to get right back at it real quick.”
Entering the season with the daunting prospect of having to replace 75 percent of its scoring and rebounding from the previous year with an inexperienced cast of players, head coach Rex Walters knew the Dons' road was going to be paved with a heavy dose of uncertainty, filled with twists and turns accompanied by plenty of teachable moments.
When it was all said and done, the Dons finished with a 15-16 overall mark and surprised many by tying for fifth in the West Coast Conference with a 7-9 ledger. An early exit from the WCC Tournament was systemic of a team that seemingly took two steps forward, only to take one back, all year long.
USF's inconsistency was perhaps a byproduct of its youth. Eight of the 12 players on the Dons roster had never played in a Division I game before this season and only one player had started more than one game in his career. Five freshmen combined to make 56 starts during the season while USF rolled through four players who made starts in the middle in the team's season-long quest for post presence.
Walters neither sees the glass half full or half empty, but finds it hard to mask his enthusiasm for next season when the Dons return a veteran team with seemingly enough firepower to challenge for a conference championship.
“It was a solid year but not a great year in terms of what we wanted to accomplish,” said Walters. “Even with all of the changes to our roster, I always have high expectations for our team.
“Our work ethic was really good. I can count on one hand how many poor work practices we had. There weren't a lot. Our culture got better as the season progressed. Some of those things didn't always translate to the game or the result, because it was a constant learning process. You could see their wheels turning on what they needed to do and how they needed to do it.
“There was a lot of learning and growth during the season that will definitely help us next year. I'm excited about the future.”
What is in USF's future for the 2013-14 season?
For starters, the Dons will return plenty of them. Ten of the 12 players on this year roster made starts at some time during the season. Barring off-season roster moves, the Dons will return all of its scoring and rebounding from this past season, including Cole Dickerson, who averaged 15.2 points and a conference-best 9.8 rebounds a game to earn first team All-WCC plaudits as a junior.
Dickerson was a double-double waiting to happen every night. His 23-point, 18-rebound performance in the season's final game against Loyola Marymount marked his 12th double-double of the season. He finished ranked in the WCC's top-10 in no less than six categories, including rebounding (1st), scoring (8th), field goal percentage (10th; .474), three-point field goal percentage (10th; .410), three-pointers made (10th; 1.5) and minutes played (5th; 33.0).
As good as Dickerson was in 2012-13, Walters is expecting even more next season.
“Cole had a great year,” said Walters. “He's gifted and talented and does some things you just can't teach. He can legitimately be the player of the year in the conference next season if he's willing to put in the work. He's naturally gifted. Now it's about taking that next step. He's not on the mountain top but he's pretty close. You have to work harder to get to the top. That should be a goal.
“Guys get better not because they get physically stronger but because they become mentally stronger. That's a big challenge. It's looking at yourself in the mirror and saying 'I'm pretty good now what do I need to do to get better?' I'm hoping Cole asks himself that question. Maybe his numbers will stay the same but perhaps he does it more efficiently. Kelly Olynyk was the most efficient player in the league because he was efficient from the start. If Cole understands that, he'll have a heck of a year. All of our guys can learn from that.”
USF will also benefit from the return of Cody Doolin to the point guard position, where he has started all 98 games of his career. Doolin was an honorable mention all-conference selection after he averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 5.5 assists a game. He led USF in scoring in six games mostly because he had to, given USF's relative inexperience.
A case can be made that USF had the best group of freshmen in the WCC last season. Certainly no team relied on its first-year players more than the Dons.
Tim Derksen started 25 of 31 games and averaged 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent from the field. Avry Holmes led the WCC in three-point field goal percentage at 47.1 percent while the versatile Mark Tollefsen was one of the Dons most productive players on the floor at season's end.
Tao Xu and Matt Christiansen also saw significant playing time in their first seasons on the Hilltop.
"Derksen, Holmes and Tollefsen can potentially be starters and all-league players and provide a great foundation for our future,” said Walters.
“There's no doubt in my mind Avry Holmes can easily be a starting guard for us next year. He can really shoot to the ball and we hope he gets his legs underneath him, regains some of that explosiveness I saw in high school and adds a few more elements to his game.
“Derksen is probably the hardest worker we have on our team. He spends more time on his game than anybody else on our team. He's making himself into a great player. He has talent, as well but when you work that hard it's hard to surrender. He's a guy that can be an all-conference player in the future. Just an unbelievable work ethic.”
Walters calls Tollefsen “the most talented post player” he has ever coached but knows talent will only take a player so far.
“Mark can be a player-of-the-year type if he dedicates himself to the weight room, eats right and takes care of his body. There's not much he can't do on a basketball floor if he gets bigger and stronger, becomes a better post player, becomes a better shooter and gets better attacking the basket. He does all of those things pretty good right now but just he could be really scary with 15-20 extra pounds of muscle.
“He can win a dunk contest, a three-point contest and a sprint contest. That's a heck of a combination. Now it's a matter of putting all of those things together.”
One of the elements USF lacked this past season was perhaps that one thing which is hardest to quantify - intangibles. Enter Matt Glover.
After sitting out last season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, Walters expects Glover, a 6-5 guard-forward who spent his sophomore season at Penn State, to give the Dons a much-needed dose of toughness, scrappiness and leadership next season.
“Matt has a tremendous nose for the basketball and is one of the most competitive guys on our team who made us better every single day in practice,” said Walters. “He's a great 50-50 ball guy, rebounder and charge-taker. He does a lot of intangible things that determine winning and losing and we lacked that this year. Rashad Green and Angelo Caloiaro were those types of players. Matt brings that to the equation.
“He can make guys better. I'm not into ordaining anybody but there is something in his blood and his mindset. Just like you can't reach Cole how to rebound – Matt just gets it. He brings a certain amount of toughness and will to win. He's not a great scorer or shooter but he'll team with two or three of our walk-ons and they'd beat our starters.”
As USF continues with its off-season workout program, Walters unequivocally states the Dons should keep one goal in mind for the 2013-14 season.
“We emphasize the NCAA Tournament. Playing time and winning and losing will be directly impacted by how hard we want to work this spring and summer. We want to become bigger, faster, stronger, quicker and more athletic. We need to be more efficient offensively. All those things don't end just because the season is over. We all need a time for rest and reflection but you have to get right back at it real quick.”
MBB | USF vs. Oregon State Postgame w/ Chris Gerlufsen, Ryan Beasley and Tyrone Riley IV
Monday, March 09
MBB | USF vs. Portland Postgame w/ Chris Gerlufsen, David Fuchs and Tyrone Riley IV
Sunday, March 08
MBB | USF vs. Santa Clara Postgame w/ Chris Gerlufsen
Sunday, February 22
MBB | USF vs. Gonzaga Postgame w/ Chris Gerlufsen
Thursday, February 19
