Price’s contributions boost Winthrop men

Scientists announced their discovery of gravitational waves on Thursday, a miraculous confirmation of Albert Einstein’s prediction made 100 years ago.

The same day, Winthrop’s 6-foot-10 center Zach Price made what could be termed a rediscovery.

On Winthrop’s second offensive possession during the 88-80 win over Longwood Thursday night, Price took an entry pass at the left block and pounded the basketball onto the deck a couple of times before muscling a shot up and in, while drawing a foul on the Lancers’ standout big man Lotanna Nwogbo.

“It really set the momentum,” Price said Friday.

The fifth-year senior had what coach Pat Kelsey called his best game in a Winthrop uniform, scoring nine points, grabbing nine rebounds and staying out of the foul trouble that has negated his influence at times this season.

It was only four or five years ago that Price was a top-100 recruit who looked destined for a productive college career at Louisville. He played two seasons with the Cardinals, amassing just 205 total minutes in 35 games, though he did win a national championship ring with Rick Pitino’s team in 2013.

Price wanted to play more and thus began a two-year odyssey that led him to Rock Hill. He transferred to Missouri, but while redshirting ran afoul of the program by getting arrested twice in one day for a prolonged dispute with a teammate. Winthrop coach Pat Kelsey said last year he and his coaches fully vetted Price’s background, and the big man has been a model citizen during his time with the Eagles.

That included another redshirt season and so there was naturally rust and barnacle build-up on Price’s game. He’s only scored in double digits four times this season, a figure that underwhelms given his pedigree.

But if the expectations piled on Price are replaced with the realities of his unusual last three years, the limited production is more understandable.

“Zach Price has been getting better every day,” senior Jimmy Gavin said after the Longwood win. “He had two years off, that’s what I always remind people. His progress has been amazing. It was an awesome day for Zach; I’m happy for him.”

Maybe Price should score more, but so much of what he can contribute to the Eagles’ cause doesn’t make the stat sheet. Against Longwood, Price needed to make Nwogbo work on offense, and he did that by using his 6-foot-10 frame legally and staying out of foul trouble.

“My main goal was to lock their big man up as much as I possibly could,” Price said. “That’s a big thing that’s been going on with us, improving our post defense. So just implementing the things I’ve been practicing over the last nine days made a huge difference.”

As Kelsey pointed out in the postgame press conference, Price - averaging 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game - also set the screen that freed Gavin for the late 3-pointer that began to swing the game Winthrop’s way. Price’s attention to those little things has increased as he’s spent more time under Kelsey, a relentlessly details-oriented coach.

“Lately me and Duby have been getting a lot of illegal screens called on us,” Price said. “So for us to take the proper steps in order to not get those illegal screens and getting my other teammates open for shots makes me feel just as good.”

But it wasn’t just intangible stuff that made Price’s performance encouraging. He would’ve reached double digit points had he made more than one of his four free throws, and he was effective when the Eagles threw the ball inside to him. That also kept Nwogbo occupied.

“Zach and Duby (Okeke) have actually really good post moves,” said sophomore Xavier Cooks. “They’re the kind of guys you just give them the ball and they’ll do work. I feel like we don’t give them the ball enough at times.”

As Gavin pointed out, Winthrop’s blistering pace doesn’t lend itself to a lot of post-ups; the Eagles rank 15th in the nation in possessions per game (74).

But Kelsey has stopped practice on multiple occasions this season when Price backed a defender down, only to pass the ball cross-court a mere four or five feet from the rim. He didn’t do that against the Lancers.

“I feel like I’m definitely starting to get back acclimated to where I used to be,” said Price. “Even at Louisville I did not play that much. This whole college experience has been pretty rough for me, so to get back to where I feel like I should be is making all of the difference right now.”

Price’s continued improvement would be a major boost for the Eagles’ NCAA tournament hopes. There are few post players in the Big South Conference that can counter Price’s size, and the fifth-year senior takes pressure off still-developing redshirt sophomore Duby Okeke, who hasn’t hit peak form since injuring his wrist earlier in the season. Price is also the only person in the Winthrop men’s basketball program that’s won a NCAA Division I national championship.

“I know what type of player I am and I know what I’m capable of doing,” he said. “I just had to implement that in a game. I feel like that momentum is building.”

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 2:31 PM with the headline "Price’s contributions boost Winthrop men."