Coach Bobby Collins should have an idea how far his Winston-Salem State basketball team has come by the end of the weekend.
WSSU will open its season in the BTI Tip-Off Tournament at Oregon, playing Oregon today (10 p.m. EST), Colorado State on Saturday (7:15 EST) and California Davis on Sunday (4 p.m. EST). Collins said that facing quality opponents will be beneficial.
"I know we have a ways to go because we've got eight new kids, and they are all trying to learn," Collins said. "I do know we are ready to get the season going."
To cut costs on flights, the Rams made stops in Washington, D.C., and Denver before arriving in Eugene, Ore., yesterday afternoon to end a 12-hour trip. The team will leave Oregon early Monday morning and fly to San Francisco, then Chicago before arriving back in Greensboro about 10 p.m. Monday.
Collins said he was interested in is seeing how McIntoche Alcius -- a forward whose improvement he raved about through the preseason -- does this weekend. "He just knows our system right now and is playing great," Collins said. "I would definitely say he's our most improved among the returning players."
The only 2008-09 starter who will start tonight is senior guard Brian Fisher, last season's leading scorer (13.9 ppg). He'll be joined by Alcius and 6-10 center Corey Morris, who have made spot starts, and transfers Andrew Jackson (junior college) and Shelton Carter (Charleston Southern). Carter, a 6-5 small forward who sat out last season, is from Greensboro and is the younger brother of Norman Carter, a former WSSU player.
Collins said that center Paul Davis, the team's best shot blocker and a two-year starter, also should play this weekend. Davis had offseason hip surgery and missed the first two weeks of practice but has practiced this week.
A key for the Rams will be how good Jackson, a point guard, and his backup, freshman Marcus Wells, can be. Jackson isn't afraid to take charge, and Collins said he was glad to see that.
"Drew just has that leadership you need," Collins said. "And he's adjusted very well to what we want to do."
The Rams had two controlled scrimmages, playing Appalachian State and Augusta State in games that were closed to media and fans.
"We are definitely ready to play against somebody else and in a real game," Collins said. "What our goal is for this weekend is to get a win and get some confidence under our belt."
jdell@wsjournal.com.
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