The basketball team had their first official practice of the 2014-15 season.
Although they have been building team chemistry throughout the offseason, the Bobcats finally had their first official practice of the 2014-15 season Saturday in The Convo.
It was the first under new-coach Saul Phillips, who was hired to replaced Jim Christian in April. Phillips took North Dakota State to the NCAA Tournament last season and said the Bobcats have things to improve, which he thinks is good because otherwise he’d be bored for the next 30 days.
“I don’t come in with one way to do things, we’ve won doing a lot of different things in my past because it was out of necessity,” Phillips said. “I didn’t get to select each component for this team, but I do get a chance to make them work together. There’s some pretty neat parts.”
Senior point guard Stevie Taylor will play for his third coach in four years. He’s excited for his final campaign after averaging seven points and two assists per game last season.
“It’s more of a coach-friendly environment, player-friendly environment,” Taylor said. “This team, we hang out outside of basketball all the time. I couldn’t say that about my first three years.”
“I think (chemistry) will help us win a couple of those extra games where last year we kind of folded and we kind of gave up towards the end.”
The Bobcats finished 25-12 last season under Christian, and will have a batch of new faces after T.J. Hall, Ricardo Johnson, Nick Kellogg, Jon Smith and Travis Wilkins graduated. Ohio still has a strong core returning, including senior forward Maurice Ndour, who played for the Senegalese national team in this summer’s FIBA World Cup.
Phillips has been working with Ndour, a 6-foot-10 forward, and is still trying to figure out how to implement him in the Bobcats’ offense because of his ability to score from all over the floor.
“We’re all high on Mo — the guy’s special,” Phillips said. “We’re going to have NBA scouts drifting through town to watch the guy play, they don’t do that if you’re a stiff.”
Kenny Kaminski, a transfer from Michigan State, also participated in his first Bobcats practice, as did a pair of freshmen Ryan Taylor and Mike Laster.
“I’m not the new kid anymore,” Phillips said. “There’s kids newer than me here and that feels good for the first time in four months.”
Taylor, who is known for his swagger, sported a new look with a white headband and said that he’s going to be wearing it all season. He wore one while attending Gahanna Lincoln High School.
“I’m bringing it back,” he said. “This my last year so I might as well go out with a bang.”
@chadlindskog
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