Happy New Year Pirate Fans!!!

I appreciate all the questions and comments that we received this month. There certainly seems to be more interest in Pirate Basketball than at any time in my tenure here. That's another positive step. I thought I'd address our progress so far this season before getting to your questions.

We've gotten off to a good start and played at a high level considering the youth and inexperience of the team. With the exception of the second half against Wake Forest we have played well at home and were able to score a couple of wins over a pair of instate rivals. We played very well against two of the top teams in the CAA, splitting games with George Mason and VCU. We won a pair of games on the road at places we haven't won in a long time in Winthrop and UNC Wilmington. We handled the non-DI games the way we were supposed to, using them to define roles and gain confidence. We had a tough, but competitive loss at N.C. State with a real chance to win. We were very competitive against the sixth-ranked team in the nation, before getting blitzed in the second half by a team with a real chance to go deep in the NCAA Tournament. We had a disappointing loss at Coastal Carolina. Playing on the road is always tough, but this was a game in which we were very disappointed with the way we played in the first half. Whether it was a confidence hangover from the Wake game or post-Christmas letdown, we should have played better. We have a tremendous challenge this Saturday at another ranked ACC team in Clemson before we start league play. This is a very important week of practice for us.

We have done all this playing only eight players (plus Joyner when he was healthy for the first few games). Our two seniors, five sophomores and two freshmen have done a very good job playing at a high level so far this season; we are fragile from a numbers standpoint and from the experience factor, but we've been making significant progress. With the youth and all the injuries, I am pleasantly surprised at how well we've played so far. The kids have been very demanding of themselves and it has paid dividends. That being said, we have to continue to compete and improve at every phase.

Conference USA will be a challenge. The league has gotten better each year, and has more depth than any year since I've been here. There are outstanding players and coaches at every school. Every game will be a battle and we have to continue to improve to be competitive. We truly believe there's not a game on the schedule we don't have a chance to win. Conversely, there are no guaranteed wins either. The home court atmosphere we have been rebuilding at Williams Arena is critical to our success. We have had great crowds so far, and I can't express how grateful and appreciative we are for your support. We can't make this the program we all want without the Pirate Nation. This situation didn't occur overnight and we won't fix it overnight. However, we are certainly making steps in the right direction.

Thanks again for your enthusiasm and passion. I'll be back with another edition of the "Letters" next month. Hope everybody has a great 2009!!!

Go Pirates! Beat Kentucky!

Mack

Q: With the departure of seniors Sam Hinnant and James Legan after this season, what will you do to replace these players? Are recruits Erin Straughn and Wakefield Ellison supposed to be their replacements or will we possibly see some minutes played by Greyson Sargent and Howard Hurt? I've seen good potential out of Sherrod and Turner, but I wasn't sure if a few of the walk-ons would see some minutes. By the way everyone at ECU is proud of the effort shown by these kids and the job you and your staff is doing. GO PIRATES! - Alan Mills

A: Thanks for the nice letter and questions. Jontae Sherrod and Chris Turner will be returning wing players, although Jontae is playing the point guard position some, too. Hopefully, they will continue to improve and play productive minutes. The two signees are diversely talented guys who are natural wing players who can score, also. Howard Hurt is redshirting at this point, and Greyson sees minutes on occasion.

Pirate basketball is looking great this year. Keep up the good work and we'll see you in March. - Howard McMullen

Q: I am very pleased and proud of our basketball team and the competitive spirit they bring to the floor. They are very athletic this year and proving to be competitive also. I also appreciate the opportunity you have given "walk-ons" at ECU. I was a walk on in the early 1980's at ECU in football and certainly appreciate the opportunity that I was given. How do you facilitate this process at ECU and do you plan to continue looking for talent this way? I appreciate the job that you are doing and look forward to your continued success at ECU. You have brought class and integrity to our basketball program and I like what I am seeing. - Walter Krentz

A: I really appreciate your comments Walter. I believe in walk-ons. We would love to eventually have a jayvee program where we could even do more with them. I've mentioned this previously, but the starting guards on the Sweet 16 team I coached at Chattanooga were both walk-ons originally. Thanks for your support.

Q: My fiancé's favorite player for the past few years has been Sam Hinnant. Is there or will there be any opportunities that she could have her picture taken with him? - Matt Reams

A: The best time for photos with the players is in the hallway outside our locker room after games. Families and friends gather there and the players are always gracious when it comes to photos. Before or after practice is another opportunity. You can check with our office for practice times.

Q: I just read your "Letters of Mack" and was surprised to read the part about DaQuan Joyner. Is he out for the remainder of the year? - Roddy Simmons

A: DaQuan's injury status has been well documented. We are anxious to get him healthy and back in the rotation. He is responding to treatment and there should be more information soon.

Q: How do you decide on your substitutions. Is there a set "first guy off the bench"? And afterwards do you ever sub on a hunch or good feeling about a player who is due? Or do you sub more off of just the situation at hand? - John Collier

A: The first player in the game is determined first by position and second by feel for the flow of the game. At this point, we are only playing three guys off the bench. Darrius Morrow is the first sub for either the forward or the center spot. Jontae Sherrod is the sub at the point or on the wing. And finally, Chris Turner is the choice at either wing spot. Thanks for the question.