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LOCATION: Cullowhee, NC
CONFERENCE: Southern (North Division)
LAST SEASON: 8-21 (.276)
CONFERENCE RECORD: 2-14 (6th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Catamounts
COLORS: Purple & Gold
HOMECOURT: Ramsey Center (7,826)
COACH: Phil Hopkins (Gardner-Webb '72)
record at school 51-62 (4 years)
career record 51-62 (4 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Chad Dollar (Milligan '95)
Terry Rogers (Gardner-Webb '70)
Jon Smith (Alabama '97)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 14-17-14-12-8
RPI (last 5 years) 229-186-201-247-267
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in conference semifinal.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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The heart of the Western Carolina basketball program was shocked back to life last March. The Catamouts were pronounced dead on arrival entering last season's Southern Conference Tournament after suffering through a dismal regular season. Fan apathy had set in, and there were rumblings that the tenure of coach Phil Hopkins, the only coach ever to lead the Catamounts into the NCAA Tournament, was about to come to an end. Perhaps, though, Hopkins is at his best when the odds seem to be stacked against him. For a brief history lesson, refer to 1996, when an improbable Western Carolina run through the conference tournament culminated with a win over league powerhouse Davidson, which was undefeated against conference teams up to that point. The win over Davidson earned the Catamounts a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they came within a missed jumper of knocking off top-seeded Purdue. A bit of deja vu occurred last season as the Catamounts defeated Wofford in the first round of the conference tournament before once again stunning Davidson, this time in the quarterfinals. The run ended when the Catamounts met nationally ranked College of Charleston in the semifinals.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT B BENCH/DEPTH C
FRONTCOURT B INTANGIBLES C
Things are looking up for the Catamounts after two consecutive losing seasons. The team has All-Conference talent in Dondrell Whitmore and Casey Rogers and the signings of the Hayes twins appears to be a major coup. Hopkins has also softened his non-conference schedule. Last year, the Catamounts lost all of their post-practice confidence by opening with a 113-46 loss at Maryland, then playing the likes of Clemson, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas on the road. This year, there are still games against Missouri, Nebraska and North Carolina State, but a few Division I beatables such as Southeast Missouri State, UNC Asheville and Mercer have been sprinkled in. One of this team's major drawbacks is a lack of depth. The Catamounts have just 10 players on scholarship, which means that players such as Whitmore and Rogers could be forced to play a lot of minutes. The newcomers will have to pan out or WCU could be looking at a third straight losing season. In the tough North Division, the Catamounts may still finish toward the bottom, but they could be an interesting team to watch once again in the league tournament. |
Still, there is a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the progam heading into the 1999-2000 season, and even beyond. Six of the 10 scholarship players on Hopkins' roster are freshmen or sophomores. Western Carolina has one of the league's better returning one-two punches in 6-6 senior forward Dondrell Whitmore (13.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 40 assists, 34 steals, 18 blocked shots) and 6-0 sophomore point guard Casey Rogers (12.9 ppg, 3,7 rpg, 144 assists, 45 steals). "Dondrell is a three-year starter," said Hopkins. "He has to be our leader this year. For us to have a good year, Dondrell's going to have to have a great year." Whitmore is capable of doing exactly that. He ranked 10th in the conference in scoring last season after hitting for double figures in 21 of 29 games, and was the league's fifth-best rebounder. Whitmore is a polished inside-outside offensive player. He has a good mid-range jumper and uses his athletic ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. He shot 142 free throws last season. Whitmore's athleticism also makes him an extremely effective offensive rebounder. He had 80 offensive rebounds as a junior. Rogers was chosen Southern Conference Freshman of the Year in 1998-99. He ranked second in the league in assists. Rogers shot just 38 percent from the field but also hoisted a team-high 201 three-pointers. He made almost 32 percent of his shots from long distance and shot 75 percent from the free-throw line. "Casey is the consummate floor general," said Hopkins. "He's a great passer and a good shooter. We are going to play a more up-tempo style this season and that will benefit his game greatly." Rogers wasn't afraid to have the ball in his hands in big games last season. He was voted to the league's all-tournament team after scoring 22 points in WCU's opening-round win over Wofford and 17 points the next night against Davidson. He hit six three-pointers in an early-season game against Arkansas and made four consecutive free throws in the final seconds in a 64-63 win over UNC Greensboro. The Catamounts' only other returning starter 6-6 sophomore forward Cory Largent (9.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 38 assists, 22 steals, .418 3 PT) will probably be the team's sixth man this year. Largent was extremely productive late in the 1998-99 season as he scored in double figures in seven of WCU's last eight games, averaging 13.1 points during that stretch. A key to Largent's season will be remaining healthy. He broke his hand during the conference tournament and was hampered during the off-season by an ankle injury. "(Largent) has had a tough summer rehabbing," said Hopkins. "He is going to have to continue working hard. We are expecting a lot from him at the wing position. He guarded the other team's best scorers a lot last season. He won't have to play as many minutes this season, which will make him a more productive player." The reason Largent's minutes might be down this season is the same reason he also might be coming off the bench the arrival of 6-6 freshman swingman Jarvis Hayes (Douglass HS/Atlanta). Hayes averaged 28 points and 18 rebounds last season. He has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Hayes was recruited by high-profile schools like Auburn and Clemson but settled on Western Carolina, in part because Hopkins was also willing to sign up his twin brother Jonas. Not that Hopkins minded doing so. Jonas is also an excellent prospect at the Southern Conference level. Jonas plays more of an inside game than his brother. He averaged 25.5 points and 13.5 rebounds last season. "Both players are very good athletes," said Hopkins. "We will expect both to play, probably more than you normally would want freshmen to. Jonas is a very good offensive rebounder and runs the floor well. He also has a great wing span. Jarvis is an exceptional athlete. He's a good shooter. He needs to work on his ball handling and fine tune his guard skills. He has a chance to be special. He is as high a rated player as the Southern Conference has recruited in some time." Hopkins can create a two-headed monster at the center position with 6-9 junior Todd Seibert (2.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, .528 FG) and 6-9 sophomore Colin Kearns (2.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 10 blocked shots). Kearns started nine games last season and Seibert two. Both players can bang inside and rebound. Their talents will probably be used more when Hopkins is looking for a change of pace. He has committed to playing a quicker pace this season and will probably use a small lineup to help achieve that goal. That should result in some quality minutes and perhaps a starting position for 6-6 senior swingman Leon Davis or 6-4 junior Ricky Gandy (Western Nebraska CC/Augusta, Ga.). Neither played organized basketball last season. Davis was redshirted after appearing in 18 games in 1997-98 and averaging 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds. Gandy finished up work on his associate's degree last season at Western Nebraska after playing the previous two seasons at that school. "Gandy is a very good athlete," said Hopkins. "He has been our biggest surprise. He can penetrate and is shooting the ball much better than I thought he could. Leon Davis has had the best off-season conditioning program of any player on our team. He is similar to Dondrell in some ways. He is a good inside-outside player." Backing up Rogers at the point will be 6-1 freshman Kori Hatcher (Valdosta HS/Valdosta, Ga.). He averaged 12 points and 7.5 assists last season while leading his team to the Georgia 4-A state championship game. "Kori is very quick and tough," said Hopkins. "He is more of a penetrator now than a passer. He will spell Casey and, at times, we will play those two together. We are looking for him to play somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes a game."
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