Spring Break
McCarthy hopes Pirates continue improvement
Kellen Holtzman
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: Sports
"I'm really pleased with those two guys," said McCarthy. "That's going to be critical. If we're going to be good this year, they don't necessarily have to have great years statistically, but they've got to have great years as leaders of this basketball team."
Hinnant and Legan will be backed up on the wing by sophomore Jontae Sherrod and freshmen Chris Turner and Chris Kupets.
Kupets is a combo guard with a knack for scoring who will also compete with sophomore Brock Young at the point guard position. Turner is a versatile player who possesses the skill to become an instant fan-favorite.
"He's a little different from our other guys who can score in that he can [score] in a variety of ways," McCarthy said of Turner. "He can beat you down the floor, take you off the dribble, finish at the rim as well as shoot the basketball…you're going to see flashes of brilliance, but the more we can get him to be consistent, the more he'll contribute right away."
Replacing three post players from a team that ranked dead last in C-USA in rebounding margin will be no easy task. But the cupboard isn't exactly bare either.
Darrius Morrow, a physical 6-foot-8 freshman, is expected to fill the void and should see big minutes this season. Morrow originally committed to play for Dave Odom at South Carolina but had a change of heart following Odom's departure. ESPN.com ranked the Atlanta native as the 30th best power forward prospect in the nation.
McCarthy expects the team's only true center, sophomore Chad Wynn, to be a much more formidable force in the post thanks to a long summer spent focusing on strength and conditioning.
Wynn will be joined on the low blocks by 6-foot-7 sophomore Daquan Joyner. Joyner should see his playing time increase significantly after being used sparingly last season.
Sophomore Jamar Abrams is the team's most dynamic returning player and is looking to capitalize on a promising freshman campaign. Abrams, a natural small forward, was forced into the power forward position last season and is likely to see the same duties this year.
Hinnant and Legan will be backed up on the wing by sophomore Jontae Sherrod and freshmen Chris Turner and Chris Kupets.
Kupets is a combo guard with a knack for scoring who will also compete with sophomore Brock Young at the point guard position. Turner is a versatile player who possesses the skill to become an instant fan-favorite.
"He's a little different from our other guys who can score in that he can [score] in a variety of ways," McCarthy said of Turner. "He can beat you down the floor, take you off the dribble, finish at the rim as well as shoot the basketball…you're going to see flashes of brilliance, but the more we can get him to be consistent, the more he'll contribute right away."
Replacing three post players from a team that ranked dead last in C-USA in rebounding margin will be no easy task. But the cupboard isn't exactly bare either.
Darrius Morrow, a physical 6-foot-8 freshman, is expected to fill the void and should see big minutes this season. Morrow originally committed to play for Dave Odom at South Carolina but had a change of heart following Odom's departure. ESPN.com ranked the Atlanta native as the 30th best power forward prospect in the nation.
McCarthy expects the team's only true center, sophomore Chad Wynn, to be a much more formidable force in the post thanks to a long summer spent focusing on strength and conditioning.
Wynn will be joined on the low blocks by 6-foot-7 sophomore Daquan Joyner. Joyner should see his playing time increase significantly after being used sparingly last season.
Sophomore Jamar Abrams is the team's most dynamic returning player and is looking to capitalize on a promising freshman campaign. Abrams, a natural small forward, was forced into the power forward position last season and is likely to see the same duties this year.
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