ETSU’s positive season opening win over UVA-Wise, 105-60, Saturday ended with some negative results.
Brad Nuckles, the Bucs’ (1-0) only experienced post man came out of the game after only four minutes of play with a foot injury. Just three minutes later Bucs’ guard Tim Smith came out after Parker Gemmell landed on his foot. Smith did not return at the behest of the trainer and a Buccaneer 55-16 lead at halftime.
Depth does not seem to be a problem for ETSU as Ben Rhoda stepped up to score 20 points tying his career high. Sam Oatman followed Rhoda’s example dishing out seven assists tying a career high also in 23 minutes of work.
Rhoda, now with three years of experience to boast and two NCAA Tournament appearances, is ready to accept a leadership role with Smith.
“James (Anthony) and I have to step up,” said Rhoda on his role as leader Saturday. “We need some other leadership out there especially to help some of the new guys.”
As predicted, the game got ugly for the Cavaliers (0-7) quickly as the Bucs took a 12-1 lead minutes into the first half.
Rhoda added his first five points with a three-point play off a foul and then he hit a quick field goal to put ETSU up 7-0.
Anthony matched Rhoda’s five points scoring a 3-point field goal to put the Bucs up by nine. Anthony went 3-of-5 from 3-point range and racked up 18 points on the day.
Going into the half Anthony and Travis Strong switched up scoring 3-pointers. The Bucs shot 52 percent from above the arc with nine 3-point field goals.
“We had a lot of positives and negatives today,” said ETSU coach Murry Bartow. “I’m concerned about Brad (Nuckles) and Tim (Smith). We came out with positive play from James Anthony and Ben Rhoda.”
Bartow was pleased that JUCO transfer Chris Mitchell and Andrew Reed both came out with double-doubles. Mitchell scored 17 points, pulling down 11 rebounds, and the freshman Reed scored 16 with 12 rebounds.
Reed is a highly touted freshman, one who is very athletic, according to Bartow. In his first collegiate basketball game he shot 7-of-9 from the floor.
“I just love playing,” Reed said. “I like to rebound, block shots and score. I’m out here to do whatever coach asks me to do.
“It was a good pick for me to come up here. I like the way they play up here. I’m in shape and ready to play.”
Six Bucs’ players scored in double figures. From the field ETSU shot 68 percent to the Cavs 32 percent.
Entering into their second game, a non-conference game at Marshall, on Tuesday the Bucs will be without Nuckles. Smith feels he will be ready to play at Marshall despite a sore foot.
“My foot won’t feel 100 percent by Tuesday,” Smith said. “But my team will need me there.”
Game Notes
* Tim Smith made Sports Illustrated again in their college basketball preview. SI writer Seth Davis, who has written on Smith before and picked ETSU over Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament, wrote the feature. Davis’s feature was on how speed is changing college basketball.
“They wanted to talk to me about speed and a little bit about my life,” Smith said. “I think they (Sports Illustrated) really like me. I was really surprised and appreciated from the bottom of my heart for giving me publicity.”
* A crowd of 4,366 people showed up for the game opener including a press row full of media outlets from radio, television and print media outlets.
* James Anthony scored ETSU’s first basketball on a lay up.
* A fan hit the half-court challenge sponsored by the Johnson City Press winning $1,400.
* Former ETSU basketball great Calvin Talford showed up for the game opener. Talford has been present for all of the Bucs’ games this season.
* Talford was not the only athlete in the crowd, Lady Bucs’ leader Ashley Barton was in attendance, and so was track and field sprinter Tiffany Collier and former ETSU football player Gaven Varner.

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