Dec. 2, 2004

Charleston, SC - J'mel Everhart spent the off-season putting up jump shot after jump shot, working to extend his shooting range.

But The Citadel's 6-4, 183-pound sophomore hardly needed any range at all in putting up a career-high 21 points last Monday in a 80-61 victory over Chowan College. Everhart dunked four times and didn't take a shot from outside of three feet in making 9 of 12 attempts and pulling down 12 rebounds against the Braves.

"He's going to take what they give him," said Citadel coach Pat Dennis, whose 3-1 Bulldogs take on Voorhees tonight at McAlister Field House. "J'mel is not going to jack up a 3-pointer just because he hasn't taken one. In the two years I've been coaching him, I don't remember him taking more than five bad shots in that time."

Everhart's off-season work on his shooting and ball-handling didn't go to waste, however. Through four games this season, the slender forward from Tyler, Texas, looks to have expanded a game that was good enough last year to make the Southern Conference all-freshman team. Everhart is averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds, leading the Bulldogs in both categories and up from his averages of 7.4 points and 7 rebounds last season. He's shooting 67.9 percent from the field, fourth in the Southern Conference at this early stage, and has even hit 3 of 6 shots from 3-point range.

"The two major things J'mel needed to work on were his shooting and ball-handling," Dennis said. "We've always know he's a very good rebounder and with a great nose for the ball, and he's like a glove on defense.

"But he's become a much better shooter, although he's still more of a scorer than a shooter, and his ball-handling has gotten much better. We also wanted him to build up his body. He's never going to be Hulk Hogan, but he's holding steady."

Dennis often calls Everhart the Bulldogs' "warrior," and hopes that mentality will rub off on The Citadel's freshman post players, Warren McLendon and Demetrius Nelson.

"We've got to get some more scoring inside, not just from J'mel," he said. "Aaron Xia, Andy Miller, Warren and Demetrius, we've got to get more of them scoring in the low post for us. That's something we're really looking for in this game."