Monday, December 06, 2004
Tipler to start as UTM visits ASU
By Matthew V. Roberson
Sun sports writer
Dereke Tipler?s time has come.
Arkansas State will have a new face in its starting lineup when the Indians return to the hardwood this evening as they host Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee-Martin.
Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Tipler, a junior point guard who transferred from Three Rivers (Mo.) Community College, will take the place of sophomore Andre King-Holland as the starter after a good week of practice following ASU?s 70-68 victory over Ole Miss.
King-Holland started the first four games and both exhibitions, but didn?t have the type of work ethic ASU coach Dickey Nutt would like to see, so Nutt decided to make a change.
?I want attitude and effort every day and I demand both of those,? Nutt explained. ?Dereke Tipler has given me that in the last few days. Sometimes we get complacent with where we are. Just because we won a game doesn?t mean you can do what you want to in practice.?
The 5-foot-10 Tipler has played in all four games this season, averaging 18 minutes compared to King-Holland?s 17. Tipler leads the team in assists with 15, including 9 in a 91-65 rout of Liberty. But Tipler played just four minutes, didn?t score and had no assists against Ole Miss. He is averaging 2.5 points a game.
King-Holland is coming off his best game of the year, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 24 minutes against the Rebels. He also had 2 assists and just 1 turnover.
Nutt did not indicate how much King-Holland would play but said he would come off the bench at some point.
?You have got to have a great attitude and great effort every day or you will be replaced and that?s what we?re doing,? Nutt said. ?Dereke Tipler will start and we?ll see how the game goes.?
ASU?s other starters will remain the same as the first four games with senior guards J.J. Montgomery and Dewarick Spencer, sophomore forward Isaac Wells and junior forward Kitus Witherspoon getting the nod.
Tennessee-Martin (2-3) is making its first trip to Jonesboro since playing ASU home and home early in the 1994-95 season. The Skyhawks are led by 6-foot-5 junior guard Jared Newsom, who averages 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.
UTM has yet to win against a Division I opponent, although the Skyhawks lost 81-74 at Evansville last Wednesday. The Skyhawks were blown out at No. 10 Duke 88-46 and at Illinois State 80-51 while their victories have come against Reinhardt and Bethel.
Nutt said Tennessee-Martin prefers to play at a fast pace and he expects a high-scoring game.
?They run and go at you and they love transition basketball,? Nutt said. ?They have some outstanding shooters and a couple of 6-9 guys on the inside who are very good. It will be an up-and-down game and that?s something we like, too.?
UT-Martin?s inside game centers around junior posts Jason Thompson and Cleve Woodfork. Thompson is second on the team in rebounding with 7 a game and averages 6.8 points while Woodfork is second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game.
Witherspoon is ASU?s top rebounder at 9.8 a game while Wells is averaging 12.2 points and 7 boards a game.
The Indians have emphasized executing the offense and keeping with it during practice the last two days. Nutt said the team has been fairly sharp in practice and will try to take it right at the Skyhawks.
?Our emphasis the first five minutes has got to be inside,? Nutt said. ?We?ve really tried to design things through our offense to try to be inside-oriented. We?ve got to have some success inside.?
The Skyhawks have gotten a lift from the return of senior Earl Bullock, a shooting guard who averages 9.8 points. Bullock suffered a season-ending injury in the fifth game last season.
After beating Ole Miss in front of a rowdy crowd of 7,281 last week, Nutt is a little unsure about how the team will respond in its first game since.
?You always worry about that as a coach because you had a lot of emotional charge for that game and were able to win,? Nutt said. ?We haven?t won enough to feel like we can just go out and win.?
Tipler to start as UTM visits ASU
By Matthew V. Roberson
Sun sports writer
Dereke Tipler?s time has come.
Arkansas State will have a new face in its starting lineup when the Indians return to the hardwood this evening as they host Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee-Martin.
Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
Tipler, a junior point guard who transferred from Three Rivers (Mo.) Community College, will take the place of sophomore Andre King-Holland as the starter after a good week of practice following ASU?s 70-68 victory over Ole Miss.
King-Holland started the first four games and both exhibitions, but didn?t have the type of work ethic ASU coach Dickey Nutt would like to see, so Nutt decided to make a change.
?I want attitude and effort every day and I demand both of those,? Nutt explained. ?Dereke Tipler has given me that in the last few days. Sometimes we get complacent with where we are. Just because we won a game doesn?t mean you can do what you want to in practice.?
The 5-foot-10 Tipler has played in all four games this season, averaging 18 minutes compared to King-Holland?s 17. Tipler leads the team in assists with 15, including 9 in a 91-65 rout of Liberty. But Tipler played just four minutes, didn?t score and had no assists against Ole Miss. He is averaging 2.5 points a game.
King-Holland is coming off his best game of the year, scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in 24 minutes against the Rebels. He also had 2 assists and just 1 turnover.
Nutt did not indicate how much King-Holland would play but said he would come off the bench at some point.
?You have got to have a great attitude and great effort every day or you will be replaced and that?s what we?re doing,? Nutt said. ?Dereke Tipler will start and we?ll see how the game goes.?
ASU?s other starters will remain the same as the first four games with senior guards J.J. Montgomery and Dewarick Spencer, sophomore forward Isaac Wells and junior forward Kitus Witherspoon getting the nod.
Tennessee-Martin (2-3) is making its first trip to Jonesboro since playing ASU home and home early in the 1994-95 season. The Skyhawks are led by 6-foot-5 junior guard Jared Newsom, who averages 17.2 points and 8.2 rebounds.
UTM has yet to win against a Division I opponent, although the Skyhawks lost 81-74 at Evansville last Wednesday. The Skyhawks were blown out at No. 10 Duke 88-46 and at Illinois State 80-51 while their victories have come against Reinhardt and Bethel.
Nutt said Tennessee-Martin prefers to play at a fast pace and he expects a high-scoring game.
?They run and go at you and they love transition basketball,? Nutt said. ?They have some outstanding shooters and a couple of 6-9 guys on the inside who are very good. It will be an up-and-down game and that?s something we like, too.?
UT-Martin?s inside game centers around junior posts Jason Thompson and Cleve Woodfork. Thompson is second on the team in rebounding with 7 a game and averages 6.8 points while Woodfork is second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points per game.
Witherspoon is ASU?s top rebounder at 9.8 a game while Wells is averaging 12.2 points and 7 boards a game.
The Indians have emphasized executing the offense and keeping with it during practice the last two days. Nutt said the team has been fairly sharp in practice and will try to take it right at the Skyhawks.
?Our emphasis the first five minutes has got to be inside,? Nutt said. ?We?ve really tried to design things through our offense to try to be inside-oriented. We?ve got to have some success inside.?
The Skyhawks have gotten a lift from the return of senior Earl Bullock, a shooting guard who averages 9.8 points. Bullock suffered a season-ending injury in the fifth game last season.
After beating Ole Miss in front of a rowdy crowd of 7,281 last week, Nutt is a little unsure about how the team will respond in its first game since.
?You always worry about that as a coach because you had a lot of emotional charge for that game and were able to win,? Nutt said. ?We haven?t won enough to feel like we can just go out and win.?
