Jan. 8, 2005

Charleston, SC - Demetrius Nelson muscled in under the basket for the rebound, then put Chattanooga center Matt Malone into the air with a pump fake. As the 6-10, 255-pound Malone fouled him, Nelson stuck the ball in the basket. Then, he made the free throw for a three-point play.

"It was a big-time play," said Citadel basketball coach Pat Dennis. "I said to myself, 'That's why we recruited him.'"

Such moments are coming more often for the 6-6, 231-pound Nelson, a freshman forward from St. John's High School on Johns Island. He played the best game of his young career last Wednesday at Chattanooga, scoring a season-best nine points with three rebounds in the Bulldogs' 66-57 loss.

The Bulldogs (8-3, 1-1) will need more of the same from Nelson today when they host Georgia Southern (6-6, 1-1) in a key Southern Conference game at McAlister Field House. "It's coming for Demetrius; he's getting there," Dennis said after practice Friday. "He's getting a lot more comfortable with the system. He's starting to adjust and we saw some good things from him the other night.

"He went after the ball hard, he scored some inside and his defense is improving. Hopefully, he will keep improving the way we need him to."

Nelson was an all-state and All-Lowcountry player at St. John's, averaging 21.4 points and 14 rebounds as a senior. During the Bulldogs' 6-22 season a year ago, Dennis would often invoke the names of recruits Nelson and 6-5, 255-pound freshman forward Warren McLendon as a promise of better days to come.

But while McLendon has been a starter from his first game and already has won a SoCon player of the week award -- he's averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds -- Nelson's progress has been a bit slower. He's averaging 3.8 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

"I'm proud of Warren," Nelson said. "I'm happy he's having the success he is. I feel that if he is doing well and I'm starting to play better, that can only help the team."

Dennis said that Nelson has every bit of the potential that McLendon has. "We keep telling Demetrius, he's going to be a very good player for us before it is all said and done," Dennis said. "He's got a huge upside. Warren is a little bigger and stronger and a little more developed in his game. But I'm telling you, in the end Demetrius will be as good as Warren McLendon."

The battles Nelson and McLendon stage in practice will only help both of them, Dennis said.

"They battle each other strong, and one thing about Demetrius is he won't back down," the coach said. "There's been a lot for him to learn, because we have to do so much on offense and defense to be competitive. He's had a lot more to learn here than he might in another program."

Nelson's biggest adjustment has been to the speed of the college game. Early in the season, Dennis said Nelson was "about a second late" on defensive rotations and switches. Lately, Nelson has whittled down that reaction time.

"The big difference is the whole speed of the game," Nelson said. "Everything is more physical, more aggressive and faster than it was in high school. I think I'm understanding things a little better as the games go on, and each practice I think I'm getting better with it."

Nelson's progress will be even more vital to the Bulldogs if McLendon's penchant for foul trouble continues. McLendon's 36 fouls are the most on the team, and he's been limited by foul problems in each of the last two games.

But if Nelson keeps playing as he did against Chattanooga, that won't be such a concern.

"It made me feel that I can play in this conference, against anybody in the whole league," Nelson said. "I'm confident in myself, and I know if I work as hard as I can, good things will happen for me."

-- Today's game against Georgia Southern will be Law Enforcement/ Firefighter's Day at McAlister Field House. All law enforcement officers and firefighters with a valid ID will be admitted free to the game.