Fast Breaking with Coach Ed Conroy
August 21, 2006
Wow! The summer is rapidly coming to a close for me and it has been a blur. Since taking over as head coach on April 7, the pace has been non-stop. There have been a lot of fun moments mixed with a lot of hard work. This has been especially fun for me as I've been reconnecting with much of The Citadel Family and friends that I have not seen in a very long time. The support that has been offered has meant everything to me. I really did not expect anything less as Citadel people have historically and traditionally been there for each other.
I have decided to share an overview of several topics that dominated my summer:
Recruiting
Recruiting quality individuals who can play basketball is the first order of business. I attempted to line up recruiting before doing anything else as it was/is the priority. The response from most of the prospects on the trail was very encouraging. There are still quality young men out there who want to be a part of something special, that uniqueness we offer. They are able to see the great value of a Citadel education and in developing as a principled leader. I also believe that style of play and our improved strength of schedule have created a good amount of excitement. Almost every player wants to develop their potential to the fullest and enjoy the challenges of competing against the best. I think they realized how committed our staff is to individual development and teaching.
I was very pleased with our results. Signing first was Walter Howard from Inverness, Fla. Walter's signing was followed by Vaughn Wilson of Suffolk, Va., and Bryan Streeter of Jacksonville, N.C. Vaughn and Bryan visited campus after one of the most productive yet exhausting recruiting trips I've ever had. I left campus early in the morning and drove to White Oak High School to see Streeter. I left there just before class let out and headed to Nansemond Riven High School to see Wilson. Once finished, I grabbed the Diet Mountain Dews, satellite radio (I had to catch my White Sox play) and headed home. Exactly 926 miles later and almost 24 hours of travel, the locker room couch my temporary housing never felt so good. All three eventually came for official visits and signed with our program.
These three young men add skill and versatility to our basketball team and we are excited that they have joined our program.
Camp
I was so pleased with the response to our first summer of camp in McAlister Field House. It was difficult with the other demands on our time to get organized, but from all accounts, the camps went very well and the feedback has been great. I can't wait for next summer!
We had several campers attend multiple weeks but Jake Owens, Ross Burbage, and Whitney Parker attended all four sessions. Unbelievable!
Going forward, our camps will be an important part of our program. Our staff really enjoys teaching and had a lot of fun in the process.
How can one go wrong with Coach Clyde Wormley's famous hot dogs? Or forget Coach Doug Novak yelling “Stick. Pivot”! You had Coach P.J. Brown working the “D” and Coach Andy Fox putting the money on the floor under the basket. Hunt Conroy still thinks his shot hit the dollar bill. Fun times!!
Thanks to all who made camp a success and here's to a bigger and better camp next year.
Former Players
One particular group within The Citadel Family that has really touched me with their support has been our former players. They are an impressive group and all have done quite well for themselves since their days at El Cid. I have received calls, e-mails, and letters from close to 100 former players. Former greats like Tee Hooper '69, Tom Slawson '80, Regan Truesdale '85, Travis Cantrell '02, Leon Bryant '89, Ted Mosay '91, Randy Nesbit '80, Craig Burgess '87, Alan Puckett '02, Col. Jake Burrows '40, Kent Hill '88, Noy Castillo '97, Dave Bornhorst '68, Jamie Jenkins '98... all have checked in or stopped by. Though I named only a few, I could go on forever.
The support of all of these former players has been inspiring. They are an incredibly successful group by any standard and very impressive to visit with. The product The Citadel Basketball Program has produced over the years is second to none. I will serve as their head coach with great pride.
It is important for our current and prospective players to see these former players around the program. It shows them the value of what we do, adds to our family atmosphere and provides mentors and role models for our players. The Citadel network is awesomely powerful and the former players give us a network within a network. We will need their help if we are to fulfill our vision for the program.
In Columbia at the Brigadier Foundation's annual visit, Doug Bridges '67 presented me with a framed article of our win versus South Carolina in 1985. The article has a photo of me shooting with my facemask on. I broke my nose a few games earlier. I promised Doug that I would hang the framed article in my office. That was a great memory and I can't thank him enough for the gift. However, there are a couple problems: 1) I was a little lighter in those days, and 2) even though I was second on the team in scoring that night, I had a poor night at the free throw line (4-7). My staff has been all over me about it. Anyway, great memory and it will hang proudly. Thanks Doug.
Save the Date
While our basketball schedule will be released shortly, we have set Feb. 3, 2007 as the date for our annual time to “Lace 'Em Up Again” also known as our Alumni Basketball Game. More information will be forthcoming, but please try to save that date so we can have as many former basketball team players return to our alma mater. Even if you don't plan on playing, please try to return for that game and enjoy the fellowship and stories that only Citadel basketball players can share.
Send feedback, comments and questions to Ed Conroy here.
