University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Eustachy Pleased With First Practice
10/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Eustachy Pleased With First Practice HATTIESBURG, Miss.
Eustachy said that despite this being his first chance to evaluate the team as a whole, he was still pleased with what he saw.
"It's too early to tell right now," Eustachy said. "I like these guys, and I've liked them from the beginning. There's a good mix of returning guys and newcomers. We're trying to find leadership and toughness on this team, and that all will come."
Like every first practice under a new head coach, today served as an evaluation period for both the coaches and the players, with each group adjusting to the other.
"We were just trying to evaluate toughness and talent today," Eustachy said. "Because the rules don't allow us to evaluate the team 5-on-5 before today, this was kind of a different practice. I wanted to break them down and see who handled adversity. I also wanted to see them play full court, and we did that. I know a lot more about our team now than I did earlier today, and that is important. I'll keep learning more about these guys, and they'll keep learning more about me."
The first practice was one filled with teaching the basic skills involved in Eustachy's style of play and practices, with a higher emphasis placed on solid fundamentals in defense and rebounding.
"This practice was a little slower than most practices because we were teaching," Eustachy said. "But we are going to take baby steps, and we will get a real base to our team in the areas that I think wins games. Most importantly, the sooner these players believe that -- all of them -- the faster we will move along. It was a good day."
Eustachy still remains far from knowing how well his team will fare this season, but he believes the foundation is being put in place for this season and for years to come.
"We are in the infant stages of what we are trying to do, and it will take time," Eustachy said. "It's not just about this year, but instead, it's about building a foundation."
The Golden Eagles, who are in the middle of fall break, now take a day off before hitting the court twice on Monday. The team will practice at 10 a.m., and then again at 5 p.m.
Southern Miss has three weeks to get ready for its exhibition opener, Nov. 6, against Belhaven at Reed Green Coliseum, and another 14 days to prepare for a Nov. 20 regular-season opening tournament at Nevada in Reno, Nev. Tickets for the fast-approaching season may be purchased at the Southern Miss Athletic Ticket Office, located in the Ferlise Center, or by calling 1-800-844-TICK or 601-266-5418.
