Patience is not a virtue many college students have. But this year it will take a lot of patience as a new Bucs’ basketball team hits the court.
Last season the Bucs did not lose their first game until traveling to Clemson in mid-December. That game was close all the way until the end.
Presently ETSU has only beaten NAIA teams at home and has lost two mediocre basketball programs. Marshall, not known for basketball prowess, at one point during the game racked up a 19-point lead and held on to win.
Fresno State is only ranked ninth preseason in the Western Athletic Conference coaches poll behind Tulsa, Boise St. and SMU, to name a few.
In the transition from last season, ETSU lost its senior leadership to graduation. If anyone doubted the impact that the losses of Zakee Wadood and Jerald Fields would have on the team, they would be surprised. Their experience an element to a team that lost only one Southern Conference game last season.
Last year, the presence of Wadood and Fields opened up the lane for players like Ben Rhoda. They gave Tim Smith a place to pass the ball down under. Smith was able to garner only five assists but that’s not a negative on Smith or Rhoda.
When the lane is open the hard-driving Rhoda takes advantage on easy layups. Last year he was able to drive the lane with Wadood and Fields to guard on the outside. Saturday when Smith tried to dump the ball down under the newcomers would freeze up. That’s not hard to believe as the Bulldogs carried three players with 6-9 frames all weighing in at over 225 lbs.
Dillion Sneed got into foul trouble early taking the Bucs biggest man at 6-7, 265 lbs. out most of the game. Sneed’s two fouls in the first half left inexperienced freshman Andrew Reed and a host of smaller framed players to take on the Bulldogs’ big men.
ETSU was forced to play a smaller lineup as Brad Nuckles who weighs in at 260 lbs. is still out with a foot injury. Nuckles’ loss may end up being a blessing for ETSU by the end of the season.
The new guys will get experience and a lot of it. They will need it as ETSU heads into conference play with a very equipped Davidson and Georgia Southern looking for an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Davidson has already beaten Missouri and played Duke down to the final five minutes. One fan Saturday was irate because Smith was taking so many shots. He has to at this point; this literally is his team. He was 9-of-27 from the floor and yet he scored three of ETSU’s four 3-pointers. The Bucs two 3-point men in Travis Strong and James Anthony were 0-of-8 Saturday.
“I think Tim (Smith) feels the pressure,” said Bartow. “He has to take a lot of shots now.”
ETSU’s first conference game is Saturday against the College of Charleston. Charleston is down and out as well.
The Bucs will have plenty of time before their next conference game. They will face a host of non-conference games at Central Michigan, Old Dominion and Memphis. After Charleston they have just a tad over a month until they head into conference play at Appalachian St. on Jan. 5 in Boone.
“We aren’t coming together yet,” Smith said. “We still have things to accomplish and definitely have to get better.”
“Everybody is expecting to come out and win like last year. That’s very high expectations. We can’t look at last year we have to look at this year.

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