Nov. 16, 2005
Steve Pikiell has one vision of Stony Brook University basketball, and anyone not sharing it need not apply as a player. The new coach shrugs off the history of losing and big-time schedule facing his team. He embraces the chore of making something out of close to nothing.
Pikiell immediately wants to do away with the Exit 62 Syndrome, the prevailing label affixed to a university considered miles away from college basketball civilization.
Former coach Nick Macarchuk spent the first six years of Division I play trying to coax players to join him. He had some talent but not enough, and he retired with a 63-107 record at the school.
Pikiell is 37. This is his first head coaching job. He at once endeavors to build a fan base, attract recruits and shout the praises of Stony Brook. Some would say he's new; he'll learn the frustration of the job. He says otherwise.
"The layout here reminds me of UConn in 1986," the former Huskies captain said. "You think Storrs was such a great area? It was a cow farm when it started."
There's no cows out here, but the refrain has to be Got Players? Pikiell is working on that. His first recruiting class will be announced shortly and there might be a 7-2 player in the mix.
Pikiell has not recruited from any perceived weakness, even though Stony Brook has made little impact in attracting stellar D-I recruits.
"I let them know I'm not going to be a good coach if they don't want to be a good basketball player," he said. "If you don't want to lift weights, don't come here. If you don't want to graduate, don't come here. If you don't want to play in the NCAA Tournament, don't come here."
Pikiell is all about making the NCAAs. He did it while at UConn. He was an assistant at Central Connecticut and George Washington when both made it to the NCAAs. He notes that everyone said neither could win. His model for success is his resume.
"We're going to win here," he insisted. "If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't have taken the job. If I can get a kid to come out here and see the place, we've got a chance."
Pikiell comes into a bare-cupboard situation based on injuries and defections. Guard Mitchell Beauford, arguably the team's best player since his arrival in 2003, still is recovering from a broken foot suffered last season. Now his grades might become an issue. His backcourt mate, Antwan Hardy, started slowly in preseason with a back injury and will have to work up to significant minutes. JonPaul Kobryn, who is 6-9, left the team to concentrate on his studies. Gordon Hurley, who is 6-8, was a victim of grades and transferred to Orange CC.
Forward Mike Popoko and guard Bobby Santiago represent the only experienced players. Stony Brook was picked seventh in the nine-team America East. "That is not really saying much about us," Popoko said. "That gives you a lot of anger to prove them wrong."
Pikiell preaches success. "You really want to give your heart to him," senior Hendrik Feist said. "He puts so much work in that you owe it to him."
Pikiell wants nothing to do with a rebuilding season. "When I took this job, I knew about the adversity," he said. "But I'm never going to take our kids in the room and say it's going to be a tough year."
He will experiment with his roster. Feist, with a career average of 3.8 points per game, will get a chance to start alongside Popoko (8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds). Solomon Bamiro is another rarely used senior who will get a look in the frontcourt, along with freshmen Andrew Goba and Stephane Bakinde.
Freshman guard Marques Cox could get a start or two after a strong preseason. Pikiell expects freshman guard Tre Cunningham to become an impact player later in the season.
Stony Brook will play a big- time schedule that includes Connecticut, Villanova, Boston College and George Washington.
"It may not be a lot of wins for us," Popoko said, "but when you play teams like that, suddenly [America East foes] Boston University, Albany and Binghamton don't look so tough. We might get pounded, might not, but if you get the crap beat out of you, get tougher."
