Sports

ZEBRAS TRYING TO REPLACE LOST CONTRIBUTORS, FIND DEPTH

By Josh Tinker/COMMERCIAL SPORTS EDITOR
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:12 AM CST

Roll call sounds a little bit different for the Pine Bluff Zebras this season. After a year in which Pine Bluff was led by seniors at nearly every position, the Zebras will have newcomers manning several key spots this year.

Gone from the 2008-2009 squad are Cameron Luckett, Chandler Savage, Stephan Collins, and Obumneme Nwankwo. Comprising four-fifths of the Zebra’s starting lineup, all but Nwankwo, who was affectionately called “Boom” by coaches and teammates, are playing college basketball this season.

Collins is playing forward for Arkansas-Pine Bluff, while Savage and Luckett are playing at junior colleges in Tennessee and Alabama, respectively.

In all, Pine Bluff lost a total of nine seniors off last year’s squad.

“Really, it’s hard to replace those guys,” Pine Bluff coach Ron Moragne said. “But we’ve got to take what we’ve got and play with them. I think we’ve got a good group of kids coming back.”

The leader of these returnees is point guard Ryan Williams. The fifth starter for much of the second half of last season until an injury sidelined him, Williams, a senior, is the only returning Zebra with any significant varsity experience. Moragne said Williams, who was inserted into the starting lineup about the time 6A-South Conference play started, needs to develop into a dominate scoring option from the point guard position.

“He’s pretty good off the dribble, but we’ve really got to have more of a scoring punch from him,” Moragne said. “More than what he did last year. He’s got to be looking for his shot a little bit more.

“He’s got to be able to score, but he’s also got to be able to get some assists. He’s got to be able to drive the lane and find the right guy to get the basketball to. He’s got to know when to get the ball to the guys on the break and who to get the ball to on the break.”

Likely joining Williams in the starting lineup will be a hodgepodge of youngsters and inexperienced upperclassmen. Sophomore Jeffery Pulliam will likely start at power for ward, Moragne said, and James Scott will likely start at small forward. Justin Earnest will be the center and Jarvis Fisher will play the other guard position.

“Ryan and James are good slashers, and we think they can get to the basket,” Moragne said. “Jarvis is a shooter. If you kick it to him nine times, seven times out of nine he’ll make it. Jeffery is more of an inside kid who catches it in the paint and scores around the basket. Justin is usually the kid that can score, but would rather pass instead of score.”

Moragne hopes this change in personnel leads to a change in strategy as well. Led by the sharp-shooting Luckett and the uber-athletic Collins, who often preferred to drive the lane from the wing, the Zebras were a team with a perimeter-orientated attack last season. Moragne said he hopes to score more points closer to the basket this season, either by drives to the basket, kickout passes and feeding his big guys inside.

“We really would like to attack the basket, get people in foul trouble and shoot free throws,” Moragne said. “Sometimes it comes up where you got guys that are jump shooters, and you’ve got to take those shots. We’re hoping this team can do a little of both.”

The Zebras open the regular season Friday at Forrest City. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

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