Andrew Novick: Men's BBall Coach Summarizes Ongoing Season

Eric Brill was able to catch up with PSU Men's Basketball coach Andrew Novick. The team currently posts a 6-16 overall record, with a 2-9 record in Little East Conference play.

Eric Brill (EB)- "Up to this point in the season, summarize how the 2012-2013 season has gone for the Plymouth State Men's Basketball team."

Andrew Novick (AN)- "So we have four games left in the year, or at least in the regular season. This year, there is a new rule where everybody in the Little East Conference qualifies for the playoffs. We have four opponents remaining, with the next two on the road (note, the first of the two road games was against Keene State this past Tuesday), and the final two are at home. After the Keene game, we will be playing at UMass Boston, and they got us the first time around, but I think we got some positive things out of that game that will help us their. Our last two games are at home against a very good Southern Maine team and a Western Connecticut team who is certainly getting better. It is a very tough schedule to finish the year, but at the same time that we are coming off of a loss, we had a three-game winning streak prior to that. That was a good confidence booster for our guys to know where we can get to, and that bodes well for the remaining couple of weeks."

EB- "Going back to earlier in the season, five of your losses were within six points. You obviously don't want to lose, but did it give you a positive vibe seeing that those games were close?"

AN- "I think that if you look at the fact that we are coming off a little bit of a winning streak, it is a reflection that the kids haven't given in. They have taken the games early in the year, and used them as building blocks. We are learning on the fly how to win some closer games, and how to play more consistent over the course of a game. Some of those early season losses have certainly helped us. One thing about us is that our schedule is very difficult, in that we played a lot of road games, and we play a lot of games in a short period of time. That has made us a little bit more battle tested then hopefully some other teams as we come down the stretch. I think we have used it as a positive piece to help us down the road."

EB- "The closer games that you had earlier in the season help you more down the road too, because you know how the team is going to handle themselves when it comes down to the pressure situations."

AN- "No question. You try to practice to replicate the situation, and simulate games, but it is just different. Sometimes your best game experience is game experience. We really have one senior right now playing; two others are injured, so we really have a young ballclub. You kind of go through some growing pains here and there, but the guys have responded really well. We continue to get better, which is a good thing."

EB- "One of the sophomores, Alex Burt, he leads the team with 14.5 points per game right now. Talk a little bit about his production so far this year."

AN- "Alex has been a real benefit for the program. He is a very skilled player; he can shoot it, he can put it on the floor, and he understands how to defend. The biggest thing about Alex is that he loves the game, and he loves to be in the gym, and he loves to play. That time of passion for the game is infectious for all the rest of the kids. He has done a great job. If you have read the box scores, there have been some games that are lights out. Plymouth has seen a 30+ point scorer in a little bit. The one thing with all young players is that you have to get some sort of consistency. If he can get more consistent for the course of the season, and the next season, I think you are going to see some great basketball from him."

EB- "Uche Nwokeji is currently leading the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. How has his production been this year?"

AN- "When we recruited Uche, we told him he was going to have to play for us right away, and he has. He has really been active on the boards; he understands that early in his career, rebounding and defending will be critical. His numbers reflect how well he has rebounded. He brings great energy, and great athleticism to our group. He has a wonderful personality that really resonates with the guys on the team. He is another young player that you sort of see the peaks and sometimes the valleys. AS he gets older, and he continues to develop his game, he has a very bright future."

EB- "Petey Skevas is leading the LEC with 98 assists, which is pretty far ahead of second place. Talk a little bit about his production during his junior year."

AN- "Petey is a really passionate player; loves the game, loves to be around it, and wants this team to win so bad. He is a little bit the engine for us. He is a great playmaker for us, and like the other guys, we want him to keep that consistency going for us. He has come a long way since I started coaching him last year, and he has a very bright future."

EB- "Going back to what you were saying earlier with this team being a younger team, you have five freshman, and four sophomores. Between the nine of them combined, they are getting a lot of playing time. How do you see them in the future contributing to the team?"

AN- "I knew going into this year we would have a lot of young players. The one thing with young players is that you have to keep them positive, and moving in the right direction, and understanding that there are ups and downs. These kids have been really resilient especially the young kids. The one thing I am hoping that our kids understand is now that they have been in the league, almost twice through every team, and through the course of the whole season is that they understand how hard the game is. You have to be so committed to be good. When you are playing like a lot of these kids are, you really get a first-hand feel as to what you need to do to get better. This will be an important offseason for those guys to take the next step."

EB- "Junior Mark MacGregor has started all 21 games so far this season, and is the only one on the team to do that. Talk about how this season has gone for Mark so far."

AN- "Mark is the glue that holds everything together for us. He is probably one of the hardest working kids I have ever coached. He plays with such intensity that is a total credit to him. He is a wonderful young man. He plays so hard that he helps us with every aspect of the game from rebounding, to scoring, to screening to defending. He has given it to us in all aspects of the game. There have been some games where we haven't taken him out for a whole half, or for most of the game. That is how much he has meant to our team. The great part about Mark is that, as last season went on, that being his first season, we could tell he was wearing down a little bit. This year he is only getting stronger. I think he will have a strong finish to the rest of this year, and will be a very important player for us next year."

EB- "As far as how Mark has progressed as the season has gone on compared to last year, are you going to try to have a lot of the guys follow what he did, whether it be in the weight room or off-season training?"

AN- "We will! We will certainly do that. Our season is a long season, and we will gear it towards that. Guys have to be physically fit, and mentally ready for the demand of a basketball season. Last year, was in some sense, was his first year playing. He had to go through it to really experience it. He is so smart that he understood how to tailor his training regiment. I think a lot of the other guys can do the same thing, which we will do in the off-season to make sure that we develop more consistency for the rest of the year."

EB- "The three seniors, between Kevin Eisenberg, Matt Cloutier and Stephan Roberts, talk about them individually in their senior season."

AN- "All three of them are excellent young men, who have very bright futures after graduation. Matt gave us some shooting help early on, and then got a knee injury, and had to have surgery, which put him out for the season. You never want that to happen to someone who is in their last year. Steph Roberts has been a great addition. He brings great energy. Unfortunately, he has been out for the past few weeks with a groin injury, but we are hoping he will get back soon so he can healthy for us in the stretch run. He brings great athleticism, great energy and a great quickness to his game that helps us. Kevin joined us as a transfer last year from Castleton. He is just a great role model on the team; he works very hard, he is a very spirited player. The kids on the team really respect him, which is why he is one of our captains. He brings a lot to our team in terms of offense and defense. He will be missed."

EB- "One thing you keep saying about every player is that they are hard workers. It always helps when you have hard working guys, and it will be beneficial for the future as well."

AN- "No question! It is a great group, and they work very hard.  It is one of those things that as we get more experienced we are going to enjoy some more success."

EB- "To wrap it up, what are your expectations for the rest of the year?"

AN- "In a situation like this, I just want the kids to continue to work hard, and bring a lot of energy to the floor. As I tell them, it is a long season, and it isn't about how your start, but how you finish. With a lot of basketball left, we have a chance to really move up in the rankings, and when you qualify for the tournament, and you know this being a sports fan, when you get to these tournaments, anything goes! If you can maintain the energy and the enthusiasm, and the work ethic, it is going to be fun to see how we finish.