2008 Woodie Awards
Tillette praying for fewer turnovers as men struggle
Christopher Smith
Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: Sports
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Like an intricate ballroom dance, there’s something refined and elegant to it.
Lately, that elegance has been more like a CD that skips in the middle of the chorus — jerky and irritating. Samford turned the ball over 23 times against Austin Peay in Saturday’s 67-49 loss, continuing a season-long trend.
At 13.7 turnovers per contest, the Bulldogs give away the ball nearly five times more than last year’s team, plunging their assist-to-turnover ratio from an OVC-dominating first (1.44) to a more pedestrian fourth (1.04).
One major difficulty: Samford’s ballhandlers are in street clothes. Sophomore Gaby Bermudez joined senior Curtis West on the “wait ‘til next year” list after dislocating his shoulder in practice Jan. 30, and freshman Josh Bedwell is still nursing the high-ankle sprain he suffered Jan. 31 at Tennessee State.
Head Coach Jimmy Tillette said Bedwell will practice Wednesday at the earliest, calling it “unlikely” that he will contribute Thursday when Samford hosts Morehead State. When Bedwell does return, possibly Saturday against Eastern Kentucky, his ankle may still affect his play.
Senior forward Joe Ross Merritt, who Tillette said is “not a guard,” has been helping freshman Trey Montgomery.
Merritt turned the ball over eight times against Austin Peay.
“Joe’s really one of our toughest guys and one of our more versatile guys,” Tillette said, lauding Merritt’s defense and leadership. “What he’s not is a point guard.”
Merritt agreed, but said he wasn’t flustered by “what you’ve got to do on the fly.”
How is Samford to limit turnovers Thursday after being forced to improvise?
“Pray. Pray,” Tillette said in his usual self-depreciating humor. “These are the guys we have. They’re trying to the best of their ability. Hopefully, we’re able to make better decisions.
“We desperately need (Bedwell) back out here, but we want to make sure he’s reasonably healthy. He’s got a guard mind, a guard body and guard skills.
“Anybody with guard skills is at a premium at this point in our program,” Tillette said.
Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky are known for playing tough zone defenses, but Samford won’t have to contend with the same type of pressure that Austin Peay applies. They do, however, face a small but growing urgency to win ballgames or be left out of the OVC Tournament.
Eight teams make the postseason field. Samford (11-13, 8-8 OVC) is currently seventh in the conference standings, a half-game out of fifth place and one game up on Southeast Missouri and Tennessee State.
Time is becoming an adversary as the shorthanded Bulldogs try to synchronize their steps, but Samford is still hoping to perfect its waltz in time to make a run at the Big Dance.
Montgomery, the starting point guard, attributes solid communication and focus as potential catalysts for a crisper offense over the final four OVC contests.
“When you communicate and when you focus, you cannot turn the ball over as much because you’re more into the game; you’re more aware of your surroundings,” Montgomery said. “When your teammates are communicating double-teams or guys trying to steal a pass, it helps you out a lot.
“Down the stretch, we just need the team to be more active and communicate more. It’s not just me taking care of the ball or Joe Ross taking care of the ball. It’s a team thing.”