The Western Carolina University men?s basketball team has a new coach, a new offense and even some new uniforms.
The Catamounts are hoping those ingredients will yield a new attitude and their first winning season since 1996-97 even though the roster is mostly filled with the same players who went 8-22 last year.
?It?s my last year,? said senior Jared Outing, ?and the thing I want most is to go out on top and with a winning record. We have a perfect opportunity with coach (Larry) Hunter and this offense.
?I don?t just want this for myself. I want to do it for everyone who thinks we can?t do it.?
The Catamounts open their season at 9 tonight against Bowling Green at the National Association of Basketball Coaches tournament in Blacksburg, Va.
Though WCU and Bowling Green have never met on a basketball court, Hunter is familiar with the Falcons and their coach, Dan Dakich.
?I?d like to have another two weeks to prepare our team, but we don?t,? said Hunter, who previously coached Bowling Green?s Mid-American Conference foe Ohio.
?I am anxious to see our guys play in the opener. I know coach Dakich very well. They run a motion offense and a hard-nosed defense. It?s a tough, tough opener, but our guys are excited about playing.?
WCU returns four starters and six of the top seven scorers from last year?s squad.
Corey Muirhead, the second-leading scorer (9.7 ppg) from last year, said there?s plenty of reason to expect a different outcome this year.
?It?s fair to say we?re more focused and dedicated to basketball,? said Muirhead, who was granted his release in the spring but returned to the team after former coach Steve Shurina was reassigned.
?We have a lot of new things to look forward to.?
Hunter?s Princeton-style, position-less offense features back-door cuts and other intricacies that take time to learn, but Muirhead said he believes the team will be running it smoothly by the time WCU gets into the heart of its Southern Conference schedule in January.
?At first, it was like Chinese,? said Muirhead. ?It was very intimidating and different. But it really teaches you how to play the game, and it?s catered to each of our individual talents. We?re getting more comfortable with it. We?ve got a lot more hooks to learn, but we?ll be humming by the time conference rolls around.?
The Catamounts are hoping those ingredients will yield a new attitude and their first winning season since 1996-97 even though the roster is mostly filled with the same players who went 8-22 last year.
?It?s my last year,? said senior Jared Outing, ?and the thing I want most is to go out on top and with a winning record. We have a perfect opportunity with coach (Larry) Hunter and this offense.
?I don?t just want this for myself. I want to do it for everyone who thinks we can?t do it.?
The Catamounts open their season at 9 tonight against Bowling Green at the National Association of Basketball Coaches tournament in Blacksburg, Va.
Though WCU and Bowling Green have never met on a basketball court, Hunter is familiar with the Falcons and their coach, Dan Dakich.
?I?d like to have another two weeks to prepare our team, but we don?t,? said Hunter, who previously coached Bowling Green?s Mid-American Conference foe Ohio.
?I am anxious to see our guys play in the opener. I know coach Dakich very well. They run a motion offense and a hard-nosed defense. It?s a tough, tough opener, but our guys are excited about playing.?
WCU returns four starters and six of the top seven scorers from last year?s squad.
Corey Muirhead, the second-leading scorer (9.7 ppg) from last year, said there?s plenty of reason to expect a different outcome this year.
?It?s fair to say we?re more focused and dedicated to basketball,? said Muirhead, who was granted his release in the spring but returned to the team after former coach Steve Shurina was reassigned.
?We have a lot of new things to look forward to.?
Hunter?s Princeton-style, position-less offense features back-door cuts and other intricacies that take time to learn, but Muirhead said he believes the team will be running it smoothly by the time WCU gets into the heart of its Southern Conference schedule in January.
?At first, it was like Chinese,? said Muirhead. ?It was very intimidating and different. But it really teaches you how to play the game, and it?s catered to each of our individual talents. We?re getting more comfortable with it. We?ve got a lot more hooks to learn, but we?ll be humming by the time conference rolls around.?
