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| The plan was probably not for Jalen Weber to be UT-Dallas' leading scorer, but with a preseason All-American selection never taking the floor, and another starter lost in the opener, he has taken that role. UT-Dallas athletics photo |
By Brian Lester
D3sports.com
Jalen Weber was talking with teammate Xavier Ferrell the other day about how they will react if they are fortunate enough to help UT-Dallas win the ASC tournament later this month.
A championship is a big deal no matter what the situation is, but for the Comets, who have endured more adversity than most teams deal with in a typical season, it would be extra special.
“If we win the conference tournament we are probably going to tear up and cry,” Weber said. “It’s been a rough year. We’ve lost a lot of guys but have still managed to find a way to grind it out.”
It hasn’t been easy. That much is for sure.
The Comets lost Dimitrius Underwood, last season’s ASC Player of the Year and a D3hoops.com preseason All-American, to a wrist injury in the offseason.
Curtis Allen, a returning shooting guard, was lost for the year after his heart stopped in the season opener against Redlands. It was a scary moment. Allen had to be revived with a defibrillator. He hasn’t played since but remains close to the team, both at practice and at games.
The Comets have seen three other players go down with injuries as well.
“To say we have been under adversity would be a big understatement,” UTD head coach Terry Butterfield said. “I think what our kids have done is nothing short of amazing considering all the adversity they have faced.”
The expectations of the program going into the season could have collapsed under the weight of the adversity. Excuses could have been made for a reigning conference tourney champion that won 24 games a year ago and played in the NCAA tournament.
Butterfield wasn’t sure if his team could absorb the loss of one of the best players in the nation.
“That’s a pretty significant loss for anybody,” Butterfield said. “I’m sure it’s not the first time someone has lost a player like that. But we built our schedule around the fact that we had a good team coming back. It seemed surreal something like that would happen.”
Yet, Butterfield reminded his team it had to keep its head up and push forward. No one was going to drum up sympathy for the Comets.
“I told them and I’ve told others that no one is going to feel sorry for us. No one is going to cry tears for us,” Butterfield said. “Everybody has adversity. We happened to have our fair share of it this year, but so what. I told them let’s deal with it and get on with it. Our kids have been really good about having that mentality.”
Capitalizing on that mentality has allowed the Comets to surge into first place in the East Division of the conference. They have won their past seven games and are 19-5 overall. They share top honors in the ASC with West Division leader Sul Ross State, both teams boasting 12-2 records.
“We have faced a lot of adversity, but as the season has progressed, we have found a way. We’ve had a lot of guys step up and have gotten into a good rhythm,” Weber said.
Weber has been one of those players rising to the occasion. He did it last year, too, after transferring in from Collin College. Weber was a second-team All-ASC pick and the East Division’s top newcomer.
Weber has seen his scoring average rise significantly this season, pouring in 18.1 points per game, nearly six points more than what he averaged last season (12.1). The senior has also been a big-time playmaker, dishing out 101 assists.
“We needed people to step up and I knew opportunities would present themselves,” Weber said. “Luckily, guys are making shots and taking advantage of opportunities. We’ve been fortunate to get past the adversity and get better.”
Weber said his ability to adapt without the presence of a player like Underwood on the floor has made a difference for him.
“With not having Dimitrius out there, I’ve had to create more opportunities for myself off the dribble,” Weber said. “Last year, when he had the ball, defenses collapsed on him and I was open for spot up shots. I don’t get as many of those this year.”
Two other seniors, Hans Burwitz and Ferrell, have been crucial to the Comets’ success as well. Burtwitz is the second-leading scorer on the team (15.2 points per game) and is the leading rebounder at 11.2 rebounds per outing.
Ferrell is averaging 4.3 points per game and has been a huge asset defensively, coming up with 28 steals.
“We’ve gotten strong leadership from those three seniors. They have been the heart and soul and core of who we are,” Butterfield said. “Each one has played an incredibly significant role in getting us to where we are. If you take any one of those three away, I wouldn’t want to think of the consequences of that.”
Kelden Pruitt (12.2) and Michael Forster (10.8) have been pivotal pieces of the Comets’ success, too.
“Both have had really great games throughout the season when we’ve needed someone else to rise up,” Butterfield said.
Not only have the Comets found a way to thrive on the offensive end of the floor, but their defense has also been on point. UTD leads the conference in scoring defense (70.9) while forcing teams to shoot just 39.9 percent from the floor.
“I really believe our defense and rebounding has saved the day for us on more than one occasion,” Butterfield said. “The guys are smart enough to know that if we take a step back on defense, we take a big risk, and they also know I’m going to get right after them if we do. I love offense as much as the next guy, but defense and rebounding win games.”
Staying united off the court has also helped the Comets navigate their way through the minefield of adversity.
“We’re always having fun, and this time of year, it’s important to keep doing that,” Weber said. “There is a lot of pressure on us but you need that outlet to relax and have fun. Sometimes teams lose sight of that. But we haven’t. I think that’s allowed us to play with confidence and be where we are as a team.”
This is a battle-tested team, one that has played 15 of its 23 games away from home, and while the Comets have continued pushing forward, they can’t stop for a breather now.
“Our theme is that we haven’t reached the station. We’re still chugging forward and still have a lot of room to grow and develop and get better,” Butterfield said. “I’m not sure we’ve played our best game yet. We’ve had great stretches and great wins, but we still have more in the tank in terms of getting better.”
Weber said there isn’t a team he’s ever played on that has been as close as this one, and he’s proud of what he and his teammates have been able to accomplish so far.
“This team is always going to hold a special place in my heart,” Weber said. “With all the stuff we’ve gone through, it shows a lot of character in the guys and shows how dedicated we are.”