Exhibition: MBKB v. Lees-McRae Thursday 7PM HCC
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 7:46 pm
The Jim Fox basketball era gets underway in a semi-formal sense Thursday night when the Apps roundballers play an exhibition game with D-II Lees-McRae. There has been precious little news coming from fall practices--many of which have been closed. JFox has been guarded in his media interview comments. He speaks of buy-in from returning players and compliments the upper classmen for taking the newcomers under their wings.
When he's been asked about a starting line-up and a rotation for Thursday night, he's deflected the question with comments about the competition for PT and the entire squad learning a new system. I think I've heard most of his recorded interviews and here are the players he's mentioned by name (to my knowledge)...
Frosh PG J.Babic
Junior PG C.Burgess
Frosh PG L.Goesling
Junior 2G F.Eaves
Junior 2G Dustin Clarke
Senior 2G T.Hamilton
Frosh F M.Kostic
Frosh F G.Kinney
Junior F R.Gilbert
Junior F J.Lawson
Soph F M.Kobani
Senior F T.Spagnolo
In his SunBelt pre-season interview, Fox indicated that both Spagnolo and Lawson have had good pre-seasons and that expectations are high for both.
Missing from any comments I've heard from Fox was Obacha. I'm not exactly certain what to make of that. He did have a foot injury earlier.
An interesting note is that the PG spot is going to give Fox some interesting alternatives with the slick 6-2 Goesling, the tiny, but experienced 5-8 Burgess and the 6-5 Babic with uncanny passing skills. Babic is an interesting player with his size. One can count the number of PG's 6-4 or taller to play at Appalachian since 1962 on four fingers--Darryl Robinson, Wade Capehart, Rickey Nedd and Babic. He's in some fine company.
Fox has said on numerous occasions that he has not focused on previous seasons with his team. He prefers that the kids look forward--not to the past. Public expectations for the team are apparently in the dumper; as SunBelt coaches picked the Apps to finish last. Methinks this team will surprise some folks by late January.
When he's been asked about a starting line-up and a rotation for Thursday night, he's deflected the question with comments about the competition for PT and the entire squad learning a new system. I think I've heard most of his recorded interviews and here are the players he's mentioned by name (to my knowledge)...
Frosh PG J.Babic
Junior PG C.Burgess
Frosh PG L.Goesling
Junior 2G F.Eaves
Junior 2G Dustin Clarke
Senior 2G T.Hamilton
Frosh F M.Kostic
Frosh F G.Kinney
Junior F R.Gilbert
Junior F J.Lawson
Soph F M.Kobani
Senior F T.Spagnolo
In his SunBelt pre-season interview, Fox indicated that both Spagnolo and Lawson have had good pre-seasons and that expectations are high for both.
Missing from any comments I've heard from Fox was Obacha. I'm not exactly certain what to make of that. He did have a foot injury earlier.
An interesting note is that the PG spot is going to give Fox some interesting alternatives with the slick 6-2 Goesling, the tiny, but experienced 5-8 Burgess and the 6-5 Babic with uncanny passing skills. Babic is an interesting player with his size. One can count the number of PG's 6-4 or taller to play at Appalachian since 1962 on four fingers--Darryl Robinson, Wade Capehart, Rickey Nedd and Babic. He's in some fine company.
Fox has said on numerous occasions that he has not focused on previous seasons with his team. He prefers that the kids look forward--not to the past. Public expectations for the team are apparently in the dumper; as SunBelt coaches picked the Apps to finish last. Methinks this team will surprise some folks by late January.
