The 2014–15 season was a disappointment to say the least, but in hindsight one that we should have seen coming. Following the untimely departure of Jon and Ot Elmore, our players were awkwardly thrust into new positions and were forced to take roles they had never played before. It was unlike any other year in recent VMI basketball history (save for that debacle in '06 when two players were booted for honor violations, thus creating the impetus for our run-and-gun offense), with no true standout players but a collection of what I like to call "misfit toys" that had no serious direction or cohesion. Our scoring was incredibly balanced, much more so than in recent memory - three players averaged between 10 and 12 points per game, and four more averaged at least 5.
I won't fault our 11–19 record to a lack of leadership (because I think that's just an excuse when you don't know why things are going wrong), but rather to a simple lack of talent and basketball skill. Certainly our players must be commended for their efforts. While there were several games this year that left me dumbfounded (Navy, VaTech, UNC Greensboro #1 and #2, and of course Mercer last night), most of our guys gave it 100% effort the entire way. They just didn't have the size or skill to compete with the quality teams in this league. When you factor in all the roster changes, having 18 players on the team throughout the course of the season (four of which were walk-ons), the Elmore fiasco back in October, and losing QJ midway through the year, it's amazing we even got 11 wins. The guys did all they could, but what they could do wasn't enough.
Below I will asses the seasons of all of our players, starting with our seniors and working my way down. Today will feature the upperclassmen, followed by the underclassmen tomorrow.
Seniors
Brian Brown. Clearly the most talented among our senior class, Brian served adequately as a shooting guard but suffered obviously from the lack of a true PG. He worked best as a catch-and-shoot player, so rarely did he ever run the floor. I thought we should've used him more when breaking the press, because it looked to me like his ballhandling skills were superior to that of Eleby's. Nonetheless, Brian averaged 10.9 PPG and 1.8 APG, shooting 40% overall and a team-leading 39% from behind the arc. His 29-point, 9-three pointer performance against Furman will go down as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, single-game performances in Keydet basketball history. He scored in every game he played and had double-figures in 7 of his final 8 games. For his career, Brian hit 203 three-pointers at a 36% rate. I wish Brian the best of luck as he commissions into the military.
Christian Burton. This year was by far Chris Burton's most productive one. Having joined the program as a walk-on in 2011, Chris played in 29 games his first three seasons combined with no starts. This year, he played 28 games with 6 starts. He averaged 9.5 minutes/game and averaged 2.8 PPG on 30% 3PT shooting. Obviously he wasn't talented enough to get a starting role but served as a hustling backup point guard who gave 100% effort. Sometimes the effort was a bit unrestrained, as Chris tended to hound opponents defensively which resulted in many needless fouls. He averaged 4.7 fouls per 40 minutes, a pretty bad ratio. However, Chris was never one lacking for intensity and it showed.
Jarid Watson. Our only legitimate center on the team (though I say that hesitantly), Jarid played in every game this year and started eight of those. He shot 55% from the floor but his FT shooting was horrid at 12-29 (41%), albeit a small sample size. He ended up scoring 2.9 PPG and grabbed 3.0 RPG, with 26 total blocks as well, all career highs. Unfortunately Jarid didn't have the footwork or ability to finish at the rim we needed, so he sat behind Anglade for much of the year. He averaged 4 fouls per 40 minutes and his defense was shaky. It's disappointing Jarid wasn't better, especially given his size. We could've used him alongside Covington for a powerful 4-5 tandem. I wish Jarid well in the future.
Juniors
Phil Anglade. Phil made his way to be my favorite player on this team, not only because of his shot-blocking ability but also his work ethic, hustle, and determination. Phil was, in his first two seasons, by no means a quality rim protector or post presence, but he worked tirelessly in the offseason and throughout the year to hone his craft. He shot exactly 60% from the field this year, tops in the SoCon by far. And he's a much better rim protector than most people give him credit for. He averaged 5.8 RPG (13th in SoCon) and while his 2.9 blocks per game were good for second in the league to Justin Tuoyo, his 5.02 blocks per 40 minutes were far and away the league best. Essentially, what that means is that Phil Anglade is the most efficient shot-blocker in the Southern Conference. And while his FT shooting was atrocious for much of the year, he picked it up in the final five games, shooting 24 of 35 (69%). His work in practice paid off and I have nothing but admiration for Phil. He is bound to get better next year and will be the cornerstone of our defense.
Tim Marshall. Tim had an up-and-down season, with a few more downs than ups. He scored 20 or more points four times, including 25 and 26-point games against Furman and The Citadel, respectively. However, for much of the year his three-point shot wasn't there and we needed it to be, given that 81% of all his FGs were from three. In a four-game stretch late in the year, Tim hit 24 of 56 three-pointers (42.8%), but immediately after that he finished 5 of 23 (21.7%) in the final three games. Hopefully he works on his shot in the offseason, because he will likely be one of our top three or four three-point shooters. Our offense depends on him.
Jordan Weethee. It seemed like Jordan could never string together several consistent games in a row. He bounced in and out of the starting lineup but ended up starting 23 games and playing in all 30 (he is still yet to miss a game in his collegiate career, not including his redshirt season). He missed easy layups here and there, and his three-point shot was wildly inconsistent. Jordan had a seven-game stretch of 6 for 28 from three (21%), a two-game stretch of 6 for 11, a two-game stretch of 1 for 10, a three-game stretch of 7 for 14, and ended the season on a five-game skid of 2 for 11. All told, Weethee shot 32% from three and scored just under 6 points per game. To sum Jordan's inconsistencies in one sentence: he had seven games of 10 points or more, and six games without a single point, including the monstrosity that was the quarterfinal game against Mercer. A consistent season from Jordan next year would be more than excellent.
Tomorrow I will asses our underclassmen, plus the four walk-ons, as well as recap the season in full and postulate about the future.
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