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| Matthew Medell takes over the
captain's role for a UT-Dallas team that advanced to the second
weekend of the NCAA Tournament last year but had five
seniors. UT-Dallas athletics photo |
Matthew Medell understands he will play a pivotal role for the University of Texas-Dallas men’s basketball team this season.
The senior guard is one of the Comets’ captains -- Nolan Harvey is the other one -- and the experience he brings to the table is huge for a team that lost five seniors to graduation and has 15 new players on the roster.
The Comets were 27-4 a season ago and marched all the way to the Sweet 16.
“It’s a new role for me being one of the older guys,” Medell said. I’m enjoying it. It’s cool being able to help out the younger guys and being a leader.”
Medell, the American Southwest Conference East Division Freshman of the Year in 2011, is coming off a year where he averaged 15.2 points per game and earned second-team all-league honors. He shot 54.8 percent from the field and scored in double figures 28 times.
Harvey had a big year as well last season, pouring in 13.9 points per outing. He was third-team All-ASC selection. The senior point guard scored in double figures 24 times and dished out 103 assists. He also came up with 33 steals.
The faith that UTD head coach Terry Butterfield has in Medell and Harvey is as strong as it gets.
“I kid with them a lot that I could take a vacation and let them coach the team,” Butterfield said. “They know my system very well and there are times where they will stop practice and make a coaching point. That carries a lot of impact with the younger players. It’s like having two coaches on the floor in games.”
Medell said the experience of last season helped him become a good leader and gain a better understanding of what it takes to succeed at this level.
“Nolan and I know it’s our last year, and we both want to have the best seasons possible,” Medell said. “Last year was big for us. It was my best experience as a basketball player. I learned a lot from it, especially about what it takes to win a conference championship and make a run in the (NCAA Tournament).”
But as great as last season was, it matters little now.
“Last year is last year. It’s a small speck on the horizon in the rear-view mirror,” Butterfield said. “It was fun while it lasted, but we’re starting over with a lot of new players on the team. It’s a new year with new challenges.”
Medell is ready to help the Comets deal with those challenges. He has been making an impact since his freshman season when he proved to be one of the best newcomers in the league. He started the final 14 games and averaged 6.4 points per game on the year.
An injury sidelined him at the start of his sophomore season. But Medell returned to play the final 18 games, coming off the bench to average 5.8 points per outing. A year ago, he took his game to another level, starting 30 games and finishing second on the team in scoring.
“I think I’ve improved mentally and physically as a player,” Medell said. “I’m ready to handle the spotlight of being a leader and I also worked a lot on getting better defensively and doing a good job being a secondary ball-handler.”
Medell and the Comets got their first taste of regular season action on Saturday. UTD knocked off Texas Lutheran 92-77 in its opener behind a career-high 38 points from Harvey. Medell scored 10 points. It was the 400th win of Butterfield’s career at UTD.
“We have a long way to go. We are definitely a work in progress,” Butterfield said. “But we have a lot of heart and spirit and good team camaraderie. The intangibles are there to be successful.”
The Comets have the potential to win their fourth conference title in program history. It’s just a matter of playing up to that potential.
“A lot of our success hinges on how well Matt and Nolan bring the other players along. We need contributions from a lot of players to be successful. If all goes well, and we get a little luck, we should be in the mix for a conference title at the end of the year.”
Knight time
Jordan Brink got his 2014-15 season started right, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to help Calvin knock off Anderson 108-98 on Saturday.
Brink also dished out seven assists for the Knights, who are coming off an appearance in the Sweet 16 last season and are the favorite to win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title this season.
Brink, a senior guard and preseason D3hoops.com All-American, connected on 11 of his 15 shots from the field, drilling two treys along the way. He also stepped up on defense, racking up five steals.
A year ago, he averaged 15.6 points per outing and knocked down 65 3-pointers.
Milestone win
Allegheny head coach Kate Costanzo earned her 100th career victory in the Gators’ 63-45 win over Case Western Reserve on Sunday in the championship game of the Greg Richards ‘08 Tip-Off Tournament.
Costanzo is the fifth coach in program history to win 100 games in her career.
Emma Pellicano played a pivotal role in the victory, scoring 18 points. She connected six of her 12 attempts from the floor in the win.
Pellicano, a junior forward, appears poised to build off her successful 2013-14 season when she was named a first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection. She was the Gators’ leading scorer last season, pouring in 14.5 ppg and also grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game.
Double trouble
Jaron Crowe and Justin Roth scored 11 points apiece for Baldwin Wallace in its 82-56 season-opening win over Eastern on Saturday.
Crowe, who earned first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors last season, is coming off a season where he averaged 15.4 points per outing. He dished out 156 assists as well, leading the conference in assists for the second straight season. The senior point guard dished out four assists in the win over the Eagles. He also nailed three 3-pointers in the victory.
Roth drilled three treys as well as he got back on track after missing all of last season with an injury. He averaged 10.6 ppg two seasons ago for the Yellow Jackets after transferring in from Division II Lake Erie.
Big win
Roanoke wasn’t fazed by playing nationally ranked Christopher Newport on Sunday, stunning the No. 18 Captains 74-62 to finish a 2-0 run through the Guilford College Classic.
The victory for the Maroons was their first over a ranked team since topping 18th-ranked Bridgewater during the 2006-07 season.
Tatum McKee, the MVP of the tourney, poured in 18 points to pave the way in the upset. She drilled three 3-pointers to highlight her performance. McKee pulled down eight rebounds as well.
McKee is averaging 16.5 points per outing through two games and is grabbing 9.5 rebounds per game as well. She scored 15 points in a season-opening win over Meredith on Saturday.
The senior guard/forward is well on her way to a breakout season after averaging 9.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game a season ago for the Maroons.
Storm warning
Oglethorpe completed a sweep of the Stormy Petrel Classic on Saturday with a 114-75 win over of Boyce.
The Stormy Petrels are 2-0 on the year after seven players scored in double figures in the win.
Drew Patrick came through with 15 points in the win as he connected on four of his five attempts from beyond the arc. Patrick, a junior guard, is averaging 10.5 points per outing. He has knocked down five treys and has pulled down eight rebounds.
Solid start
North Carolina Wesleyan opened the season with a pair of wins at the Jean Edge Classic, marking the first time the Battling Bishops have ever gone unbeaten in the tournament.
The Battling Bishops capped the tourney with a 79-77 win over Emory & Henry on Sunday. On Saturday, North Carolina Wesleyan topped Hollins 67-64.
Kenyata Harris showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Harris, the USA South Rookie of the Year last season, scored 21 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against Hollins before scoring 17 points in the win over Emory and Henry.
Harris, a sophomore guard, averaged 13 points per outing a year ago. She also pulled down 8.3 rebounds per game.
