Ball's in Sollazzo's court for Bucs

BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Adam Sollazzo chose East Tennessee State University because he wanted playing time.

Sollazzo’s about to get his wish.

The 6-foot-6, 185-pound freshman is slated to be the starting point guard for the Buccaneers when they officially open their season Nov. 14 against Temple in the Charleston Classic tournament in Charleston, S.C.

And while Sollazzo appears to possess the talent, confidence and desire required to play Division I basketball and play it well, he’s still less than a year removed from sweating it out for Armwood High School in Tampa, Fla.

Granted, Sollazzo rode in on a wave of recruiting buzz when he picked ETSU as his school of choice, after being named a finalist for the Class 5A “Mr. Basketball” award in Florida and was chosen as the Florida Athletic Coaches Association 5A player of the year.

And Sollazzo has looked strong in preseason practice — drawing praise from Buccaneers coach Murry Bartow — while dishing out a game-high seven assists, scoring four points and pulling down four rebounds in the Bucs’ 84-61 exhibition victory over Milligan College on Oct. 1.

But a freshman starting at point guard in Division I basketball?

Yes, it happens. But it’s rare. And when the situation arises, it usually doesn’t last. And if it does, it normally doesn’t go very well.

Sollazzo hopes to alter the trend, however.

“I like that the ball is in my hand,” Sollazzo said. “[I’ll] just try to help this team out and do as good of job as I can to help them get back to the [National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament].”

Sollazzo’s insertion into ETSU’s starting lineup became necessary when Bucs senior point guard Jocolby Davis suffered a wrist injury during the offseason. Davis is expected to miss at least the first month of the season.

However, Sollazzo’s sudden promotion is also a latent reaction to the Buccaneers’’ shaky 2007-08 season that saw the departure of two players, including then-sophomore point guard Dequan Twilley.

Twilley played in 12 games, starting seven, for ETSU last season, averaging 4.0 points, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 20.3 minutes. And he would most likely have battled with Davis for the Bucs’ starting point guard spot this year.

Now, Davis is injured. Twilley is gone. And ETSU is turning to a promising yet unproven and untested freshman for on-court direction and leadership.

“Definitely, as we start, Adam’s our starting point guard — without question,” Bartow said.

“It’s just where we are. If Jocolby was healthy, the way he was playing … he would be the starter. But he’s not there, you know? Now, [Adam] is going to have to be thrown into the fire very quickly, and you know he’s going to make mistakes. [But] what he will do, he’ll get you a lot of assists. There’s no doubt about that. Great passer; great vision. Gets his teammates involved. So, he’s not your typical – maybe immature – freshman. [He’s a] very mature kid; very smart.”

Sollazzo’s challenge symbolizes ETSU’s fight this season.

The Bucs (19-13, 11-5 Atlantic Sun Conference in 2007-08) are now four years removed from their last trip to the NCAA tournament – an 80-77 defeat to Cincinnati in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Atlanta Regional.

And while Bartow and the Buccaneers have continued to pile up wins – ETSU is 95-61 in six years under Bartow and has averaged 17 wins a season since its last trip to The Dance – some have questioned the recent direction and focus of the Bucs’ program.

The questions could quickly mount this season, as ETSU deals with the departure of three key seniors – forwards Andrew Reed and Kenyona Swader, and shooting guard Travis Strong – who accounted for 28.9 points per game last season.

In addition, the Buccaneers are already dealing with several significant injuries, and will be forced to rely on three freshmen – Sollazzo and guards Micah Williams and Jarvis Jones – and just three seniors as they play eight of their first nine games on the road.

There is hope, however.

While Sollazzo and Jones have all-conference potential, ETSU returns its top two scorers from last season: senior guard Courtney Pigram (15.8 points, 3.4 assists in 2007-08) and senior forward Kevin Tiggs (14.6 points, 5.5 assists).

Sophomore center Tommy Hubbard and junior forward Mike Smith are expected to round out the Bucs’ starting five.

“In our league … people might hate hearing me say it, but it’s going to come down to late in the year – you’ve got to win the [conference] tournament,” Bartow said. “These early games – I mean, obviously, we want to win them all. But it’s not ... if we lose, it’s not the end of the world. You just want to improve.”

btsmith@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2569

East Tennessee State

Nickname: Buccaneers

Arena: Memorial Center (6,000)

Coach: Murray Bartow (95-61 in sixth season, 198-144 in 11th season overall)

Last season: 19-13 overall, 11-5 in Atlantic Sun (tied for third, lost in semifinals of conference tournament)

Key Returners: Courtney Pigram (Sr., G, 6-0, 185), 15.8 points, 3.4 assists; Kevin Tiggs (Sr., F, 6-4, 210), 14.6 points, 5.5 assists; Mike Smith (Jr., 6-6, 225), 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds

Key Losses: Andrew Reed (Sr., F), 9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds; Travis Strong (Sr. G), 10.7 points, 39 percent (73 of 183) 3-point field goals; Kenyona Swader (Sr., F), 8.8 points, 5.7 rebounds

Key Newcomers: Adam Sollazzo (Fr., G, 6-6, 185), Tampa (Fla.) Armwood; Jarvis Jones (Fr., F, 6-2, 160), Memphis (Tenn.) Mitchell; Seth Coy (Fr., C, 6-11, 240), Montgomery (Ind.) Washington

Strength: Offense. Pigram is one of the most underrated shooting guards in D-I basketball. Tiggs has the ability to take over and dominate a game. ETSU had no problem putting the ball in the basket last season. And while the Bucs won’t shoot as well from the outside now that Strong has moved on, they’ll still put numbers on the board.

Biggest Concern: Experience. The Bucs are young, inexperienced and untested. This leaves little room for error. Yet injuries at the starting point guard position and to a thin bench already present problems. How will ETSU handle adversity? And how will a 30-game regular season and an eight-out-of-nine game road stretch to open the year affect the young Bucs.

Analysis: ETSU’s caught in the middle of a transition period. The combination of Pigram-Tiggs should have the Bucs at the top of the A-Sun and playing in the NCAA Tournament. However, there is a sharp drop-off in regards to experience and battle-tested talent on the rest of the roster. ETSU has the potential to hang with Belmont and make a return trip to The Dance. But the Bucs will first have to weather what could be a surprisingly tough regular season.