Sophomore guard Reggie Arceneaux’s favorite activity — or at least the first one that comes to mind — is the ladder. Players sprint up and down the court three times, then five times, then seven times, etc. By the end, guys are sprawled on the court or throwing up, or both.
“It shows up in the game,” said Arceneaux, the team’s top returning scorer with the transfer of Julius Mays to Kentucky. “It shows up as you keep doing it, as you get used to it, as your body adjusts to it.”
The extra time will help the Raiders. By the time they play their first game in November, they should be ready to play the style Donlon wants to play.
“You can’t really argue with what we’ve done defensively for the last six years,” Donlon said Wednesday. “But we’ve got to find ways to score. One of the ways to do that is to play quick so the defense isn’t set. There’s risk/reward to that. We’re going to play faster and still be an intelligent team. That doesn’t mean we’re going to press and go crazy, but we’re going to push.”
Donlon feels he has the personnel to do that this season. Last year, Arceneaux was the team’s only true point guard. With the addition of incoming freshman point guards Antonio Drummond and Joe Bramanti, they now have depth and speed at that position.
The competition for playing time has begun, but it’s far too early for Donlon to say anything definitive about what his rotation will look like. This summer, the Raiders are working individual skills, and Donlon is teaching his basic core rules at both ends of the court.
“Obviously, we’re younger, so minutes will be up for grabs,” Donlon said. “Last year, Reggie was a very talented player, but we didn’t have a backup point guard. Now he’s got guys nibbling as his feet every single day. I hope that helps.”
Drummond, a 5-foot-11 guard from La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind., has been on campus only a week and a half. He knows how to get to class and to the Mills Morgan Center, where the team practices. That’s about all he needs to know for now.
Adapting to the college game will take time.
“Right now it’s really intense,” Drummond said. “I’m just trying to catch up to the collegiate speed.”
Another newcomer, Miles Dixon, a 6-1 junior transfer from Blinn Community College in Texas, looks forward to a fast tempo.
“That’s how I’ve been playing my whole life,” Dixon said.
While he knows there will be an opportunity to play a big role this season, that’s still a concern for the future. He’s learning the system, concentrating on classes and getting to know his teammates.
“The leaders on the team are the returning guys,” Dixon said. “They’re here early in the gym 30 minutes before practice. They’re setting a good example.”
Griffin, a 6-4 guard, was one of the newcomers a year ago. He also got a head start because the Raiders practiced last summer in advance of their trip to Italy.
“Seeing all the new guys, it’s fun from my perspective,” Griffin said. “Where they are now, that’s where I was last year. They’re getting all the attention. The coaches are pretty hard on them. I can sit back almost like a veteran and say, ‘That used to be me.’”
About the Author
