TOWSON, Md. - Pat Skerry is a high-energy type of guy even when he's sitting down. His coaching style and his hunger for improving had him running around the sidelines during his first season and now has him searching the nation for players that can help his program on and off the court.
 
People with no knowledge of the situation have gone through social media to take pot shots about last year's record and the streak. Only people who follow Towson basketball understand that Skerry came into a tough situation where his best player (Isaiah Philmore) transferred to Xavier and his center (Braxton Dupree) left the program before the season even began.
 
And there have been other roadblocks on and off the court that Skerry has had to face. The latest dilemma has Skerry back to interviewing assistant coaches again after losing coordinator of basketball operations Duane Simpkins, who left for an assistant coaching job with UNC Greensboro and Kenny Johnson, who left for an assistant coaching job at Indiana University.
 
"Kenny's opportunity is great," said Skerry, who was also instrumental in Simpkins getting the UNCG job. ."I was caught off guard a little bit. He's a great person and will work hard. I wish I had him longer. He's a good guy and bright guy. It's an accomplishment for him and our program to have him go to Indiana and have a chance to be on the number one team in the country."
 
Skerry mentioned that he was in the middle of interviews and would have an annoncement shortly on the hiring of both jobs.

Despite coming off a 1-31 season and losing two coaches, there is a bright future for Towson basketball. That's probably lost on the TU bashers in the world of social media who want the joke to last. Despite adding two quality transfers in Jerrelle Benimon from Georgetown and Mike Burwell from South Florida, along with the sixth-highest recruiting class in the nation amongst non-BCS schools and number one in the CAA according to CBS Sports, Skerry wasn't finished in the late signing period.
 
In the fall, Skerry signed 6-foot-8 power forward Barrington Alston, point guard Jerome Hairston, guard Frank Mason and forward Timajh Parker-Rivera. In the spring, Skerry added a defensive-minded guard in 6-3, 200-pound Rafriel Guthrie, a native of Washington D.C., who averaged 15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds with 47 steals for Southern Idaho. Guthrie also shot 49% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc and was named honorable mention National Junior College Athletic Association All-American.
 
"The plan was to get an older guy on the perimeter," said Skerry. "We heard about him last year. We're really pumped up to get him. You want him to be bigger, longer, more athletic and shoot better, but he finds a way and is tough as they come. He was in a great conference and had 23 rebounds in a game. He was a prolific scorer at Cardozo High School in D.C."
 
Towson lost Robert Nwankwo to graduation and Erique Gumbs for medical reasons so even with Alston coming in, there was need for some size and experience at center. Bilal Dixon (6-9, 245) decided to transfer to Towson from Providence, giving Towson an experienced and accomplished center for one season. Dixon averaged 8.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in his freshman season. He played fewer minutes due to a coaching change, but still managed to average 4.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and had 37 blocks while shooting nearly 56% from the floor in the 2011-12 season.
 
"Bilal is a good student," said Skerry. "He just as big if not bigger than Daryl McCoy from Drexel. My last year at Providence was his freshman year and he was on the Rivals BIG EAST All-Rookie team. He got a lot done. He's been banged up a little bit. He can come in and be an immediate impact. If he can get in shape, there's no telling what he can do. He's been boxing and swimming. He's excited about coming in and mentoring the young guys. We'd be crazy not to kind of lean on him. We look different on the floor physically when you put him on the floor next to Jervon (Pressley at 6-7, 245) and Jerrelle (6-7, 237)."
 
The third prospect brought in during the late signing period was Marquis Marshall, a 6-foot-5 guard, who also happens to be the son of Donyell Marshall, who played in the NBA for 18 seasons. Marquis averaged 16 points per game for Berks Catholic High School in Reading, Pa. 
 
"We significantly upgraded at that position," said Skerry. "He has good genes being Donyell's son. He can really shoot the basketball and as anybody that watched us play knew, we didn't shoot it (that well) last year.  He has to get a lot stronger though. He's a very good student and a high character kid. We have to develop his body. He has a high upside. He needs some time with the physical development but he might be our best shooter."
 
Skerry is also excited about the Tigers hiring a new strength coach along with renovated locker rooms, along with the new "Tiger Arena" expected to be completed around Feb. 1, 2013.
 
Next year's new additions include Dixon, Benimon, Alston and Parker-Rivera up front, along with Burwell, Guthrie, Mason, Hairston and Marshall to the backcourt. The 2012-13 version will be a bigger, more skilled, athletic, deeper and more physical and only time will tell how good this team will be with all the new parts.
 
Stay tuned to TowsonTigers.com for my next blog entry on Coach Skerry's thoughts on the new arena, recruiting for 2013 and the progress made by the players returning from last year's team.

-TowsonTigers.com-