Skerry Prepares a "New" Team Over the Summer

"Summer basketball" used to have a different meaning. In the past, college players had to work out on their own or find a loosely organized league to get some competition and remain in shape over the summer.

In January, the NCAA approved new rules to give coaches eight hours per week for eight weeks with their teams while players take summer classes. Two of those hours could be spent on the court doing anything from full-fledged scrimmaging to individual skill development. The other six are reserved for weight-lifting and conditioning.

In the case of Towson head coach Pat Skerry, he took advantage of the summer practice just to get to know his nine new players.

"We've been trying to stay consistent," said Skerry. "Up until recruiting started, we went about three times a week for almost 40 minutes. We had emphasis on skill work stuff, and we emphasized defense. We had a lot of new guys that will take some time to learn a new defensive system."

Skerry will lean on his three returning players in junior small forward Marcus Damas (6-7, 210), redshirt-sophomore center Jamel Flash (6-10, 220) and sophomore point guard Kris Walden (6-1, 175). He also has two players who sat out last season due to transfer rules in juniors Mike Burwell (6-5, 205) and Jerrelle Benimon (6-8, 245). The Tigers added four highly regarded freshmen with point guard Jerome Hairston (6-3, 190), forward Timajh Parker-Rivera (6-7, 215), wing Marquis Marshall (6-5, 170) and center Barrington Alston (6-8, 220). Skerry then added some size and toughness in grad student and Providence-transfer Bilal Dixon (6-9, 260) along with junior college transfer Rafriel Guthrie (6-3, 210). Another transfer who is not eligible to play this season due to transfer rules is guard Four McGlynn (6-2, 180), a sharpshooting sophomore who was the 2012 America East Rookie of the Year from Vermont.

"We're certainly bigger, with more length and more talent," said Skerry. "We've had an unbelievable summer with the workouts and lifting. Plus our talent is better. Our guys like each other, and the ball movement is good. To be as good as I think we can be, we have to become a great team defensively, and we aren't there yet. But our ability to move the ball and make plays on offense is light years to where it was."

With so many new players and a new assistant coach in Bruce Shingler, the Tigers had to install schemes and work on the nuances of the game in the little time they had to do skill work this summer.

"We've put in our transition game and the basics of our man-to-man," said Skerry. "We were working on skill work and competing. We've also gotten a read on guys and what they have to get better at. Just getting to see the guys in the gym, that's what you get in the business for."

Towson struggled with turnovers last season (580 in 32 games) with a very inexperienced team and just one ballhandler on the floor. They'll be led by another freshman point guard this season in Hairston, but he will have some help as likely starters Burwell and Benimon both handle the ball extremely well for their position. But the key is Hairston, who comes to this program as one of the most highly-touted freshman ever recruited by the program - rated 114th in the nation by Rivals.

"Hairston is starting to play very well," said Skerry. "The last week-and-a-half, he's starting to pick things up defensively and he's learning to play under control. He's big, strong and has vision."

Skerry also expects big things from Parker-Rivera, a power forward from Connecticut; Marshall, a smooth shooter from Pennsylvania; and Alston, the very athletic big from Delaware. Marshall is the son of Donyell, the former All-American at Connecticut and long-time NBA player. More than likely, those three freshmen can be brought along slowly because they have more experienced players in front of them.

Benimon, the Georgetown transfer who sat out last year, was solid in practice last season and looks even better this year. As a power forward, Benimon can play the "stretch four" role, meaning he can face the basket and shoot at the 3-point line or he can take his game down on the block. Teamed with Dixon, who looks motivated after starting 68 of 94 games at Providence, Towson will have one of their biggest post duos in the history of the program.

"Jerrelle has had a great summer," said Skerry. "Dixon has lost 20-something pounds. He has gotten into good shape. He's a big tank. He and Jerrelle gives us experience and physicality."

One of the biggest additions to the program was the hiring of strength coach Adam Fletcher, a former basketball player at Miami-Ohio and assistant strength coach at Michigan. Skerry raved about the improvements of his returning players on the court and in the weight room.

"Our returnees have done a good job," said Skerry. "Kris (Walden) has gotten much stronger and so has has Mike Burwell. Marcus (Damas) has had days where he's been our best player on the floor. He had a workout where I left saying he's better than all of them. Can he do that every day? I don't know. If he can, we're going to be good."

In a short period of time, Towson was able to accomplish things both on the court and off of it. Skerry and his staff had a lot of new players to work with, and he tried to use that time to mold his individuals into a unit before they start pre-season practice in October. But there's no doubt, this is a deeper and stronger team than those of the last several seasons that appears to play with smarts and guile.

"We have some versatility and are deeper on the perimeter, and we have some competition up front," said Skerry. "I'm proud of how hard the guys have worked. We had a good summer in the weight room, the classroom, the workouts and (in developing) chemistry. This is a good advantage. We want perfection."

Thanks to an unsatisfactory APR (Academic Progress Rate), Towson is not eligible for postseason play this year. Skerry is dealing with it the best he could. Towson just announced another challenging schedule that will include the likes of Temple, Georgetown and Oregon State on the road. That means every regular season game will mean something.

"Our goal is to get better every day and win every game," said Skerry. "I have a high-character group of guys that is committed to winning and to getting this thing done. Our expectation and our goal is to have a big-time year. The guys will be disapppointed if that doesn't happen. My staff, the players and support staff have done a great job academically. Unfortunately we're paying for somebody else's sins."

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Skerry Prepares a "New" Team Over the Summer