The Winthrop Eagles men's basketball team won the 2009-10 Big South Conference tournament title and returned to the NCAA tournament after a one-year hiatus.
The Eagles picked up the pieces after a 5-9 start and earned the third seed in the conference tournament, where they won two games on the road.
Winthrop has been a defensive-minded, tournament-style team for more than a decade, which has landed the Eagles nine appearances the last 12 years.
The Eagles did it this year despite being the worst team in the league in shooting -- overall and from 3-point distance. The Eagles were second worst in free throw shooting and scoring offense.
With this season in the books, here's five questions to ponder heading into the 2010-11 season:
1. Will anybody on this team be able to shoot the ball or will a shooter be recruited?
Only one player has proven to be a shooter. Matt Morgan was one of only three players that shot better than 40 percent (.504). The 6-foot-9 forward will be a junior next season and has shown the ability to knock down baseline jumpers a step inside the 3-point line. He made 64-of-122 shots (52.5 percent) and averaged 12.7 points in his last 12 games.
Returning guards Andre Jones and Gideon Gamble would benefit from a summer filled with shooting routines. They were brought to Winthrop as scorers but combined to hit less than a third of their shots.
Shooting is where the Eagles need the most help, or, where they'll have to make the biggest improvement. That was uncovered and exposed by Arkansas-Pine Bluff last Tuesday night. Winthrop shot 29 percent from the floor and made just 2-of-21 3-point attempts. The back court combined to make just 3-of-26 shots vs. UAPB, but it wasn't just one game. Winthrop struggled all year.
Opponents practically invited the Eagles to take outside shots. Of 334 Division I schools, Winthrop ranked 329th in field goal percentage, dropping from 325th following their 15-for-66 shooting performance in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Jones must rebound from a sophomore slump that saw his scoring average drop from 9.1 points per game to 5.9. Jones started the first 13 games before being replaced by freshman Robbie Dreher.
Gamble is a lanky 6-foot-7 player with a lot of range and hit some big shots this year as a redshirt-freshman. His effectiveness was spotty, though. He averaged 3.5 points and made 26 percent of his 3s. He wilted down the stretch making just 1-of-12 shots from the floor and 1-of-7 3-point attempts in his final four games.
Dreher had an outside shot in high school but became a hesitant shooter late this season. Coach Randy Peele has started talking about reworking Dreher's mechanics this off-season. There is a lot of work to be done.
2. Who will be the defensive stopper and assume Mantoris Robinson's role?
Sophomore Reggie Middleton came a long way toward becoming a great defender in his sophomore year. Peele often spoke of Robinson and Middleton in the same sentence late in the year when talking defense. Middleton has the personality and the desire to begin carrying the team.
Robinson was a two-time Big South Defensive Player of the Year and covered up mistakes by his teammates. One thing is for sure with any team of Peele's though, they will defend.
Other potential stoppers could be George Valentine and Dreher. Valentine, a 6-8 center returns from season-ending wrist surgery that limited him to seven games this year. He was considered the team's second-best defender going into the season. He has 31 blocked shots and 49 steals to his credit in two-plus seasons.
Dreher took on tough defensive assignments most of the season as a freshman. He made his mark more on the defensive end of the court than on offense.
3. Will Julius Francis be ready to play at the Division I level?
Yes. Francis is a 6-11 center with a lot of upside. He is from Nigeria and was redshirted this season. He gained a lot of confidence in practice and received a lot of individual attention from Winthrop assistant Marty McGillan. His footwork has improved and he seems to move with purpose around the basket.
