Pirate Fans,

We have two more weeks of summer school and then our players get about three weeks off prior to returning for the fall semester. Our staff also has about two more weeks of the July recruiting period, which is critical to the evaluation of next year's recruiting class. We are in a very fortunate position of not having to sign anyone since we don't have any seniors (other than Greyson Sargent and Derek O'Bryan). I hope you all are getting excited about Pirate Basketball as well as Coach Holtz's squad and the football season. I'll dive bag into the mailbox on August 3. Thanks for all your questions and compliments again this week.

Coach Mack

After Howard Hurt's knee surgery and after he has been redshirted his first year here at ECU, is he in line for a scholarship? Also what will be his role not necessary this year but in future years at ECU as a proven team player, good student, and real good perimeter shooter?
Howard is doing well after his off-season surgery. He has four years of eligibility left and is improving in all areas. We didn't get to know much about how Howard fits with the program because of his being injured. We do know he is working really hard and had a very successful prep career. We, like Howard, are anxious to get to see him healthy this fall. We have had a couple walk-ons earn scholarships, so we'll just have to see how this all plays out.

Would you tell us about Evan Salzano? Is he a scholarship player or a walk-on?
Evan Salzano is a walk-on from Sylva, N. C. He went through the tryout process last season and we were impressed. However, we weren't sure he fit the needs we had with last year's squad. He is a very nice young man and an outstanding student. He continued to work hard, practiced with the group that scrimmages against the women's team and worked out with our guys in the spring. We are glad things have worked out for Evan to walk on this fall.

Would you consider taking a transfer that has only one-year of eligibility left?
It would have to be an exceptional situation for us to take a player with one year of eligibility left. I'm sure there are such scenarios, but not one that's available to us right now.

Where do you see the basketball program in five years?
We have made significant progress in lots of areas. We've gotten better academically. We are in the process of eliminating the APR problems that we were facing. Our kids have been good ambassadors for the University and the basketball program. We have upgraded the non-conference schedule. We have also made progress on the floor in terms of being competitive. We have lots of work to do, but I clearly like the direction we're heading.

Are Erin Straughn, Corvonn Gaines and Wakefield Ellison on campus now and attending class?
Erin, Corvonn and Wakefield are here for the second summer session. Darius Morales has been playing in the 19 and Under World Championships with the Puerto Rican team. Allowing our incoming freshmen to attend summer school is one of the best rules ever passed by the NCAA. Our signees can attend class, work in the strength and conditioning program, get acclimated to college life in general and East Carolina University specifically. They will know where to go to get things done, and who to ask about whatever issue comes up when they get here permanently in the fall.

Could you give us an update on how well each of the current players are improving their games, weight, etc. Do you have any information how Darius Morales is doing in New Zealand?
All of our players have improved physically in the off-season. DaQuan Joyner made the most progress in terms of gaining weight and strength while rehabbing from his injury during last season. However, each and every one of the returnees has done a nice job of improving with the instruction of Danny Wheel and the strength and conditioning staff. Basketball is finally catching up with football in developing very sport specific activities. You will see a bigger and stronger and more agile team this fall.

Pirate Fans,

Thanks for all your questions and comments. First off I wanted to let y'all know that Sam Hinnant has recently signed a contract to play professional basketball in Luxembourg. Everyone associated with Pirate basketball is so proud of him. He was a four-year starter who did everything a coach could want both on and off the basketball court, including graduating on time. He earned his bachelor's degree in business and now has the opportunity to fulfill one of his dreams. We wish Sam nothing but the best of luck!

Just a quick reminder that we have two remaining camps this month. We have the Li'l Pirates camp again the week of July 13-17 from 6-8 p.m. each evening for youngsters ages 4-8. We also have our second day camp of the summer, this one for boys from age 7-7th grade that same week. Go to www.ecupirates.com or call Beth Kirkland or John Moseley at (252) 737-4592 to register. Our first week of camp was great and we are looking forward to another great week in July.

Now let's get to the questions.

Coach Mack

Are you doing much recruiting in Georgia after your success with Darius Morrow? We have some very good high school prospects in and around the Atlanta area; several in past few years were ranked number one at their positions in the nation. Any plans in trying to play Georgia Tech, Georgia or Georgia State to get some exposure in this area?
Many prospects have taken note of Darrius' success here at ECU and we are actively recruiting the entire southeast, including Georgia. With Darryl LaBarrie having been at Georgia Tech, Mike Perry at Georgia State, and my experience at Auburn, Chattanooga, and Georgia Tech, we have numerous contacts and connections in the area that we make good use of. We attempt to play a game in the areas where we sign players and have talked with all of the schools you mentioned in your question. We will continue to pursue those scheduling possibilities.

What do you classify your offense as? Also in order to be fully successful at your offense what is the team lacking in the recruit department? I ask this because with the departure of Coach Cal and the obliteration of their recruiting class. I feel Conference USA is more open than ever to crown a new king within these next two years. What team do you feel has a legitimate shot at possibly becoming the next "Memphis" of C-USA?
I would describe our offense as flexible. While we have certain principles (attack inside out, have balance, have rebounding position when shots are likely, attack in the post or off the dribble to create free throw opportunities, etc.), we have to adapt to the strengths of our personnel in any particular season. We have been blessed to have some outstanding shooters, but have lacked a consistent inside threat. We also have not had the slashing drivers, which we would like to incorporate in our schemes and transition. We were too one dimensional even though we have dramatically improved our offensive output the past two seasons. This upcoming season we should be more inside oriented, a better passing team and an improved rebounding team. We have more players who can drive the basketball and finish in the half court and in transition. That being said, we will miss the ability of Sam Hinnant and James Legan to change the game with the three-point shot some nights.

In regards to the question about Memphis and who might challenge them, it's going to be interesting. First, understand that Memphis is still VERY good. They have outstanding talent and will continue to have a great program. I think Tulsa as well as several others are poised to challenge Memphis at the top of C-USA.

Coach, last season I thought you had a much better rebounding team. What do you attribute that to and do you expect to be better on the boards this season?
Like I said above, I think we will be improved in the rebounding category this season. We made some strides to where it wasn't a huge negative last year, but Chad Wynn will be better, Darrius Morrow showed glimpses of his outstanding talent and will be more consistent, DaQuan Joyner will be back, rebounding is Darius Morales' strength, and all of our wings are bigger and more athletic than in the past.

Coach Mack, I just saw where you guys are coming to Charlotte to play UNCC this year. I'm very excited about having the chance to see the Pirates play here in the Queen City. Living here I don't get the chance to make it back to Greenville often during the basketball season. Just wanted to say thanks for putting this game on the schedule for all the ECU alums that live here. Is there any chance this will become a regular series or will you guys be playing teams like Davidson or Winthrop in the future as well?
We are excited about renewing the Charlotte rivalry. Now, we've got to do our job and be competitive enough to make it a real rivalry. Coach Lutz and I would both like for the series to continue on an annual basis. We are in discussions with Winthrop and Davidson about future openings and scheduling opportunities. We have a great fan base in Charlotte, and I know the Pirate Nation will be out in great numbers like they were the great football win over Virginia Tech last year.

Coach, You have talked about your coaching staff in the past. Can you give a quick sentence or two about each member of the coaching staff touching on a few overall coaching strengths? Also, can you give some examples of their good traits on and off the court?
Thanks for asking about our staff. I've said it here before and on many other occasions--I wouldn't trade this group for any around. I'll give you a thumbnail of each guy in alphabetical order:

Larry Epperly is a veteran in the business. He's been a very successful assistant at the Division I level and a winning head coach for many years in Division II. There's not much he hasn't seen. He is a very organized and talented teacher of fundamentals. His skill development work, strategic thinking, and scouting have been very important to our program's development.

Besides being the director of our successful recruiting efforts, Darryl LaBarrie is an outstanding basketball mind. He's been around the game his entire life, played at a high level, and has a great understanding of all phases of the program. Despite his youth, Darryl brings a great deal of maturity and valuable experience to our efforts to making Pirate Basketball a winner.

First John Moseley is a Pirate--through and through. His love of and history with ECU basketball give him a unique perspective. He is an absolutely tireless worker. He knows the game and has been successful at a variety of schools and positions from high school to Delaware to Wright State to Winston Salem State and finally back to East Carolina University. His passion is contagious.

I've said this before, but Mike Perry has worked with three Hall of Fame coaches (Dick Tarrant, Dave Robbins, and Lefty Driesell) and learned from each one of them. He was winner as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach. He is wiling and able to do anything that needs to be done. Mike brings an awful lot to the table in terms of contributions to Pirate Basketball.

With the incoming recruits your bringing in and the returning players, do you think the future of the program could make the team competitive enough to be playoff contenders?
We really feel like we can compete for post-season play. That's a pretty big step for a team with no seniors and losing its two leading scorers, but our guys are working really hard, have a better understanding of the effort that it takes, and we're adding four (five if your count DaQuan) quality players to the mix.

Printer-friendly format	Email this article