Rodney’s team
Rodney Stuckey accepted the challenge of moving to a new position as a freshman and came through with a season unlike anything Eastern Washington University or the Big Sky Conference has ever seen.
Now he’s upping the ante.
“It’s going to be my team,” Stuckey said. “When I go, they’re going to go. If I’m slacking, they’re going to slack. This year I just can’t have bad days. I have to set an example every day.”
That would be pretty bold for an ordinary player but the 6-foot-4 sophomore guard is anything but ordinary and his coach agreed.
“He’s right, he can’t have bad days,” third-year head coach Mike Burns said. “His bad days have a lot larger affect on us than any one else’s bad days.”
Stuckey didn’t have many bad days.
As a rookie point guard on a team that would finish 15-15 with only one senior, Stuckey played point guard for the first time in his life and produced an MVP season.
His 24.2 scoring average was one of his seven school records and the best for a freshman in the 43-year history of the league, seventh best overall. He was rewarded with the Most Valuable Player award. Only 11 other freshmen in Division I history have been MVP of their league, none in the Sky.
It’s doubtful Stuckey would be so bold if he wasn’t confident in this team, which is switching to a more up-tempo offense.
“We’re just doing some things to best utilize the skills of our perimeter guys and our post guys,” Burns said. “We’re not going to overpower you in the post or play over the top of you. We’re trying to play a little more up-tempo style offensively to give our guys a chance to get out in the open court and make some plays.”
That pleases Stuckey, who is moving to his natural off-guard position.
“Last year we were a half-court team,” he said. “This year we’re more run-and-gun. Everybody is really excited.”
There could be an adjustment period, which could be tough with the Eagles opening the season at Gonzaga on Friday.
“The danger for us is if you’re playing a game with more possessions there’s more opportunities to turn it over,” Burns said. “You’re playing that style to give yourself more opportunities to score. But if you don’t take care of the basketball it defeats the purpose. That’s going to be something we need to do and have to do it very early.”
Once again the Eagles will have a new point guard, but that’s a natural position for true freshman Michael Taylor and junior college transfer Omar Krayem. Dependable senior Rhett Humphrey will add a steadying hand and there’s always Stuckey, who was among the league-leaders in assists.
Because all the point guards can shoot, the wings should be interchangeable as well. Mostly sophomore Matt Penoncello, senior sharp-shooter Neal Zumwalt and JC transfer Marcus Hinton will play opposite Stuckey.
The inside has a wild card in 6-10 Paul Butorac, who set a school season record for blocked shots with 51 and is nine short of the school career mark of 79. If senior Derek Risper and redshirt freshman Brandon Moore can hold their own inside, Butorac, who was honorable mention all-league, can alternate with 6-5 Kellen Williams at forward to create matchup problems.
“What we’re trying to do is a by-product of the fact we have great depth,” Burns said. “One of the ways to utilize that is to play a little bit harder a little bit longer.”
Junior forward Jake Beitinger and freshmen forwards Chris Sprinker and Jack Loofburrow are expected to redshirt.
Eastern’s season ended with an overtime loss to Montana in the conference tournament semifinals. The Grizzlies then beat regular-season champion Northern Arizona to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
NAU and UM return a lot of firepower but the Eagles are confident.
“My goal is to lead my team to the Big Sky championship, host the Big Sky Tournament, go to the NCAA Tournament,” Stuckey said. “This team can do that because we have so much depth and athleticism. It’s all up to us. We work hard in practice every day. We know what we have to do.”