Pirates looking to chop down Loggers in NWC
Dynasties inevitably fall, but it’s tough to blame the Whitworth men’s basketball team for its impatience and desire to take part in the process.
Pirates coach Jim Hayfield has assembled a versatile, experienced club he believes is capable of dethroning Puget Sound, the defending three-time champion in the Northwest Conference. Now comes the small matter of ripping the scepter from the Loggers’ firm grasp.
“When we take the court, we have realistic expectations of a victory every night,” said Hayford. “Because we have veteran players, we understand how hard winning games is in the Northwest Conference. We expect (to win) every night, but certainly we don’t feel like we’re at a place where we can take games for granted either.”
Over the course of a long regular season, successful teams are those that remain steady and avoid crippling lulls in execution on either end of the floor. With two four-year starters, considerable senior leadership and the added depth of several junior college transfers, the Pirates expect to play well consistently.
Whitworth’s senior backcourt of point guard Bryan Williams and off-guard Jon Young may rank among the best in NCAA Division III. Both have started since their freshman seasons.
“I feel that we have the premier point guard in the country” in Williams, Hayford said. “He’s started every game of his career and averaged over 35 minutes a game for four years. He’s never missed a start and has great endurance. He’s everything that anybody would want in a point guard.”
So much so, in fact, Hayford has structured his transition offense to capitalize on Williams’ skills.
“He can beat people off the dribble,” Hayford said. “When he’s able to penetrate the interior of the defense, they have to adjust, and he’s able to kick it out to some shooters.”
Young often defends the opponent’s best player, Hayford said, and is a dangerous perimeter threat.
Another pair of seniors, 6-foot-4 guard James Jones and 6-7 post Ryan Hasenfus, should contribute mightily in their second seasons within Hayford’s program. They both transferred to Whitworth before their junior years.
Seven players on the Pirates roster began their college careers elsewhere before transferring to Whitworth. Hasenfus transferred from Delta Junior College (Stockton, Calif.), and Hayford added two more from Delta this past off-season with forward Ryan Symes and guard Jerry Beverly.
“We’ve had six different players from two junior colleges in Northern California, and they’re two of the top juco programs on the West Coast,” Hayford said, referring to Delta and Diablo Valley (Pleasant Hill, Calif). “Both of their coaches are longtime friends of mine and philosophically approach education and basketball the same. We’re able to get players from two schools producing good guys and good basketball players.”
A 6-5 swingman, Symes may be the jewel of Hayford’s latest acquisitions.
“Ryan’s the most athletic player in the Northwest Conference,” Hayford said. “He can play above the rim, he can post up, he can take you off the dribble and when left open can make the 3-point shot.”
Whitworth finished second behind Puget Sound in the conference preseason poll, attracting three first-place votes compared to the Loggers’ six. The Pirates finished last season 20-7, the Loggers 23-5.
Both teams have adjustments to make. Whitworth is rebounding from the loss of NWC player of the year Lance Pecht, and Puget Sound is replacing 2005-06 conference coach of the year Eric Bridgeland and first-team all-conference selections Chase Curtiss and Zack McVey.
“It should make for great basketball games to watch,” Hayford said. “I don’t think anybody is 10 points better than us, and I don’t think we’re 10 points better than anyone else.”
“Kevin Hasenfus scored a career-high 29, hitting 13 of 16 shots from the floor, to lead Whitworth (5-0) to an 81-72 victory over Whittier (1-1) at the Caltech Thanksgiving Classic on Saturday in Pasadena, Calif.
Jon Young added 18 points and Brian Williams handed out 11 assists for the Pirates.