Coach, players promise better season

The ASU men's basketball team is gearing up for the 2009-2010 season, and after their losing record last year, Coach John Brady and company promise to surprise everyone this year.

"We're much better than we were a year ago," Brady said. "We're bigger, we're stronger, we're more physical. I think we can do better than we could a year ago, and we'll score a little easier than we did a year ago."

The Red Wolves had a strong start last season, despite losing to Ole Miss 52-65 in their opening season game.

ASU won their next six victories against teams like Murray State and Indiana State while maintaining a strong record.

They failed to pull together enough wins during the conference games, thus ending their season with a 13-17 record.

"A lot of people look at the charts and I think they got us like 11th overall and second-to-last in the league, so I think we're going to shock a lot of people," said senior forward JeJuan Brown. "This year, we have a lot of talent. We have five freshmen that are working hard, and everybody is, actually, so the vibe is definitely better this year."

Other than proving their critics wrong, Brady asserts that the main challenge the Red Wolves face this season is bringing the eight new players that ASU acquired this year into the fold and turning them into Red Wolves.

"The biggest challenge we're going to have is meshing eight new faces with five returning guys and see if we can make a cohesive team," Brady said. "But I don't think that there's any question that our talent level has improved. Now we just have to come together and play as a group efficiently."

The Red Wolves have several aces this year and with the new faces on the team, there is guaranteed competition for virtually every position on the roster.

"Team-wise, I think we're a lot better," said senior guard Michael Lance. "We have a lot of competition and competition makes everyone better. And the guys we brought in this year are really good, so I'm excited about this year."

"Right now it just seems like every spot is up for grabs," Brown said. "Everybody is going for each other, going hard."

Another boost for the Red Wolves this year is senior guard Donald Boone being named pre-season All-Sun Belt Conference third team.

"Donald Boone is our returning leading scorer from a year ago and he deserves to be where he is and be one of the top 15 players in the league and I don't think there's any question about that," Brady said. "Those things are great for individuals to get, but I also know that he probably appreciates that, but what he wants to do even more than that is for our team to become the kind of team we can become and hopefully win the Sun Belt or win the conference tournament and have a chance to go to the NCAA."

Although receiving All-Conference brings momentum to the team, Boone assures the focus of the team is strictly on the conference.

The season kicks off against Henderson State on Nov. 5, at 7:05 p.m. at the Convocation Center.