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2001 2001 AASU Men's Basketball Guide Armstrong State University
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This media guide is brought to you for free and open access by the Armstrong Men's Basketball Archives at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Armstrong Men's Basketball Team Archives by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Best of a Decade : Head Coach Griff Mills
1991-92 1992-93 1993-94
1994-95 1995-96 1996-97
1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-2001 Armstrong Atlantic State Men’s Basketball 2000-2001 Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates Men’s Basketball Roster
No. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School 3 Justin Wood 6-0 165 Fr. G Midland, Mich. / Midland HS 5 Mick Jordan 5-9 165 Jr. G Sarasota, Fla. / Cardinal Mooney 10 Paul Reeves 6-1 185 Fr. G Savannah, Ga. / Windsor Forest HS 11 Robert Campbell 6-2 180 Sr. G Hinesville, Ga. / Bradwell Institute 13 Joel Lecoeuvre 5-11 175 Soph. G Suwanee, Ga. / North Gwinnett HS 23 Donta Humphries 5-10 190 Jr. G Statesboro, Ga. / Georgia Southern 24 Tavares Brown 6-3 210 Sr. F Savannah, Ga. / South Carolina State 25 Gabriel Bata 6-4 210 Soph. F Paris, France / Lycee Mas de Tesse Montpellier 30 Brian Hobbs 6-1 185 Soph. G Loganville, Ga. / Loganville HS 33 David Koncul 6-5 215 Jr. F Savannah, Ga. / Fork Union Academy 42 Bart Westgeest 6-9 235 Jr. F Wassenaar, The Netherlands / Wichita State 44 Greg Favors 6-5 240 Sr. F Pearson, Ga. / Otero JC 51 Cyrille Mainnemarre 6-10 220 Sr. C Aix-en-Provence, France / Univ. of Marseille 52 Conrad Hill 6-5 310 Soph. F Roswell, Ga. / Roswell HS
Head Coach: Griff Mills (Depauw, ‘88) Assistant Coaches: John Marhefka (Hiram, ‘93), Steve Ray (AASU, ‘00) Table of Contents
Contents 2000-2001 Roster/Team Photo ...... IFC 2000-2001 Outlook ...... 2-3 Head Coach Griff Mills ...... 4-6 Assistant Coaches ...... 7-8 2000-2001 Player Profiles ...... 9-20 Administrative & Support Staff ...... 20 Armstrong Atlantic State University ...... 21 AASU Administration ...... 22 Athletic Department Staff...... 23 Alumni Arena ...... 24 AASU Athletic Training ...... 25 2000-2001 Opponents ...... 26-28 Disney’s Division II TipOff Classic ...... 29 AASU Basketball Media Services...... 30 1999-2000 Results/Statistics ...... 32 1999-2000 Game-By-Game Statistics ...... 33 Peach Belt Athletic Conference ...... 34-37 AASU Records ...... 38-40 Honors ...... 41 The Ashley Dearing Cup ...... 42 All-Time Record/Results ...... 43-49 AASU Athletic Department This Is Savannah...... 52 Media Spot Chart ...... IBC Phone Directory Quick Facts Location ...... Savannah, Ga. 31419 Main Numbers Founded ...... 1935 Athletic Department 912-927-5336 Athletics FAX 912-921-5571 Enrollment ...... 5,600 912-921-5852 Nickname ...... Pirates Colors ...... Maroon and Gold Administration Affiliation ...... NCAA Division II Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher, A.D. 912-921-5854 Conference ...... Peach Belt Dr. Donald Anderson, Asst. A.D. 912-921-5863 Home Gym ...... Alumni Arena George Bedwell, Facilities 912-921-5685 Capacity ...... 5,000 Chad Jackson, Sports Communications 912-961-3255 William Buckley, A.T.C. 912-927-5200 President ...... Dr. Thomas Z. Jones Dianne Lane, Athletic Secretary 912-921-5849 Athletic Director ...... Dr. Eddie Aenchbacher Men’s Basketball Head Coach...... Griff Mills Coaching Staff Record at AASU ...... 136-111 (9) Joe Roberts, Baseball 912-921-5686 Overall Coaching Record (Years)...... 136-111 (9) Calvain Culberson, Asst. Baseball 912-921-5687 1999-2000 Overall Record ...... 16-13 Griff Mills, Basketball (Men’s) 912-921-5683 1999-2000 PBC Record (Finish) ...... 11-5 (2nd South) John Marhefka, Asst. Men’s Basketball 912-921-5684 Steve Ray, Asst. Men’s Basketball 912-921-7311 Assistant Coaches ...... John Marhefka, Steve Ray Roger Hodge, Basketball (Women’s) 912-921-5861 On The Cover Flori Willie, Asst. Women’s Basketball 912-921-7310 Head coach Griff Mills enters his 10th season at the helm of the Julie Long, Cross Country/Track 912-921-5841 AASU men’s basketball program. With all five starters returning Michael Butler, Men’s Golf 912-921-5841 Simon Earnshaw, Tennis 912-921-5842 from last season’s 16-13 squad that advanced to the Peach Belt Marty McDaniel, Softball 912-921-2391 Conference championship game, the 2000-2001 team has the Alan Segal, Volleyball 912-921-3785 opportunity to be the best of the decade for coach Mills. Janelle Torres, Asst. Volleyball 912-921-3786 Credits Other Numbers The 2000-2001 Armstrong Atlantic State University media guide Press Table (Basketball) 912-921-5473 was published by the AASU Office of Sports Communications, 912-921-5572 Chad Jackson, director. The AASU men’s basketball coaching staff AASU Training Room 912-921-5860 (Griff Mills, John Marhefka and Steve Ray) also contributed to this Sports Center Weight Room 912-921-5858 publication.
1 2000-2001 Outlook Pirates Looking For “Best Of As head coach Griff Mills embarks on his 10th season The other fourth-year senior on the squad for the at the helm of the Pirate men’s basketball program, the Pirates this year is Tavares Brown (6-3, Savannah, Ga.). pieces are in place to make the this season the “Best of the The Pirates’ starting small forward heading into last season, Decade” for Armstrong Atlantic State University. Brown took over the two-guard position and manned it Last season, the Pirates entered an early January home capably, earning All-Peach Belt Tournament honors while game against defending Peach Belt champion Lander averaging 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. This University with a 4-9 record and riding a five-game losing season Brown should be another staple in the starting streak. After an emotional 76-65 win over the Senators, the lineup, at guard and small forward, and the Jenkins High Pirates went on to win 12 of their last 16 games of the School product also has a chance to break into the AASU season and advance to the Peach Belt Conference Tourna- record books in games played and rebounds with another ment championship game. fine season. For coach Mills and the Pirates, all five starters from The Pirates led the confer- last season’s squad - and 10 players total - return for the ence in three-point percent- 2000-2001 campaign with an eye on unfinished business. age and ranked 31st in the AASU aims to take the momentum built late last season NCAA in shooting from and ride into the NCAA Championships. beyond the arc, mostly The ride begins with the 1999-2000 Peach Belt Confer- through the efforts of David ence Player of the Year, Robert Campbell (6-2, Sr., Koncul (6-5, Jr., Savannah, Hinesville, Ga.). Campbell became the Pirates’ first confer- Ga.) and Mick Jordan (5-9, ence player of the year by leading the team in scoring (15.0 Jr., Sarasota, Fla.). Koncul ppg) and leading the team and became the starting small conference in assists (167) and forward for the Pirates last steals (92). The Bradwell season, averaging 12.3 Institute product also earned points per game, and All-Region honors from responded with one of the Daktronics and the NABC and finest three-point shooting was tabbed as a fourth-team seasons ever for a Pirate, All-America by the DII knocking down 71 of 156 Bulletin, the first All-America Junior David Koncul has connected treys (45.6 percent) to rank on 43.3 percent of his career three- honors for an Armstrong point attempts, fourth best in school third in the conference and Atlantic State basketball history. 26th in NCAA Division II. player since Tommy In just two seasons with the Blackshear earned All- Pirates, Koncul already ranks fifth all-time in three-point America honors from the shots made. Jordan, the primary backup to Campbell at NABC in 1983-84. Campbell, point guard, also saw time at shooting guard and hit 53 of forced to move from the two- 127 three-pointers, good for fifth in the conference. guard position to point guard The frontcourt for the Pirates boasts two returning in the middle of last season starters in power forward Greg Favors (6-5, Sr., Pearson, because of injuries, will be Senior Robert Campbell has Ga.) and center Cyrille Mainnemarre (6-10, Sr., Aix-en- been named preseason All- counted on to provide leader- Provence, France). Favors led the Pirates in rebounding America by DII Bulletin, ship at both guard positions in with 8.7 per game after joining the squad as a junior college Preview Sports Magazine and his senior season. One of only Street & Smith’s. transfer from Otero Junior College and ranked in the top 10 11 players to score over 1,000 in the conference in rebounding and field goal percentage. points for the Pirates, Campbell is on pace to break school Mainnemarre, also a transfer, struggled during the first half records for games played and steals and with another of the season but hit his stride in conference season, season like last, become the third leading scorer all-time at averaging 13.8 points during league games and finishing AASU. the season leading the Peach Belt in field goal percentage, hitting 62 percent of his shots. 2 2000-2001 Outlook The Decade” For Coach Mills Depth in the frontcourt will be in the capable hands of Complex. The tournament features eight of the elite men’s forwards Bart Westgeest (6-9, Jr., Wassenaar, The Nether- basketball programs in the nation and the Pirates will face lands) Gabriel Bata (6-4, Soph., Paris, France) and Bentley College in their opener on Fri., Nov. 10 at 1:00 Conrad Hill (6-5, Soph., Roswell, Ga.). Westgeest aver- p.m. aged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds a game after transferring Following the Tipoff Classic, AASU has home-and- to AASU from Wichita State while Hill played in 18 games home series with rivals Valdosta State and Savannah State as a freshman. Bata joined the team in January and saw scheduled for this season, as well as games against region- action in 12 contests. All three will provide quality minutes ally-ranked teams from the SAC as both Wingate and in relief of Favors and Mainnemarre. Presbyterian come calling at Alumni Arena. Non-confer- The backcourt welcomes back three more returnees in ence games with Clark Atlanta and Lenoir-Rhyne also dot point guard Joel Lecoeuvre (5-11, Soph., Suwanee, Ga.), the schedule and the Pirates shooting guard Brian Hobbs (6-1,Soph., Loganville, Ga.) will open their home schedule and redshirt Paul Reeves (6-1, Fr., Savannah, Ga.). on Sat., Nov. 18 at 4:00 p.m. Lecoeuvre was handed the starting point guard job in the against Claflin. fifth game of the season at Savannah State, but sustained a For the first time in school season-ending knee injury. Lecoeuvre is back to provide history, the Pirates have been depth at the point guard position. Hobbs gives the Pirates picked by the Peach Belt another long-range shooting threat off of the bench and coaches to capture the confer- Reeves, who played at nearby Windsor Forest HS, can play ence title. AASU garnered 10 both guard spots. of 12 first-place votes and 120 Three newcomers join points in the annual preseason the Pirates for the 2000- poll of the league’s head men. 2001 season, led by guard With his 13th win this Donta Humphries (5-10, season, head coach Griff Mills Jr., Statesboro, Ga.), a two- will pass Bill Alexander and year starter for Georgia become the Pirates’ all-time Southern University who winningest men’s basketball transfers to the Pirates after coach. The pieces are in place ranking third in the Southern for coach Mills to get those Senior Tavares Brown has played in 86 games in three Conference in assists and wins and many more as the seasons for the Pirates and is seventh in steals. The Pirates seek to return to the averaging 9.1 points for his Statesboro High School NCAA Championships. career at AASU. standout was the Eagles’ starting point guard for both 2000-2001 of his years at GSU and will Peach Belt immediately compete for a Junior Donta Humphries averaged starting spot in the Pirates’ 6.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 5.1 apg as a Preseason Men’s sophomore, helping Georgia backcourt. Southern to a 16-12 overall record. Basketball Poll Guard Justin Wood Rk School Votes (6-0, Fr., Midland, Mich.), a walk-on from Midland HS, 1. Armstrong Atlantic State 120 (10) and Sam Bruni (6-0, Soph., Woodstock, Ga.), a transfer 2. Lander 97 from Green Mountain College in Vermont, round out the 3. Columbus State 95 (1) 4. Augusta State 85 (1) Pirate newcomers. First-place votes in 5. Georgia College & State 83 AASU will have an early opportunity to measure itself parenthesis. 6. USC Spartanburg 73 As voted on by the 7. Clayton College & State 52 with the best competition in the land in 2000-2001 as the PBC Men’s Coaches; 8. North Florida 51 Pirates travel to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for the Coaches could not 9. USC Aiken 48 vote for own team. Disney Division II Men’s Basketball Tipoff Classic on 10. UNC Pembroke 32 11. Kennesaw State 31 Nov. 10-12 at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports 12. Francis Marion 25 3 Head Coach Griff Mills Griff Mills Head Men’s Basketball Coach
Head coach Griff Mills enters his 10th season at the helm of the Armstrong Atlantic State men’s basketball program, on the verge of becoming the school’s winningest coach and longest-tenured tactician in 2000-2001. A lot has changed, both with the Pirate program and at the school since Mills, a fresh-faced assis- tant straight out of graduate school, was named the interim head coach in the middle of a tumultuous 1991-92 season, but the “Griff Mills” style and coach- ing philosophy has not - work hard, play hard and you will be successful, both on the court and off. Mills and the Pirates have continued to make inroads not only in the Peach Belt Conference but in the Savannah community. The AASU men’s basketball team is synonymous in the low country with dedication, to the school, the community and to the team. Whether it be volunteer efforts with the Special Olympics and the “Reading Pirates” program or opportunities for youngsters to learn about the game of basketball through the Junior Pirate Basketball League or the Griff Mills Summer Basketball Camps, people know the positives that AASU basketball and coach Mills have brought to the Savannah area. This year, the Pirates have the opportunity to have a very successful year as Mills returns all five starters from last season’s squad, including preseason All-America and 1999-2000 Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year Robert Campbell, that went 16-13 and advanced to the Peach Belt Conference tournament championship game - the second such trip for the Pirates in the last three seasons. When Mills was named the Pirates’ head coach during the 1991-92 season, he was the youngest head coach in the NCAA regardless of division. Coming to AASU from East Carolina University, where he served as an assistant under his former college coach, Mike Steele, Mills has since posted a 136-111 mark (.551) in nine seasons, the second-best coach- ing numbers in Pirate history. With 13 wins this season, he will pass Bill Alexander as the all-time winningest coach in Pirate history and his 10th season will match Alexander for the most seasons coached at AASU. A native of Terre Haute, Ind., Mills played collegiately at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., leading the Tigers to three NCAA Division III National Championship appearances and an 87-23 record in four seasons. Mills earned his Bachelor’s degree in economics from Depauw in 1988 and his Master’s degree in physical education from East Carolina in 1990. Coach Mills is active in Immanuel Baptist Church with his wife, the former Tybe Moore, and three daughters, Maddie (age 7), Gracie (age 5) and Olivia (age 2).
Griff Mills’ AASU Record • 1994-95 Peach Belt Year Overall PBC (Place) Conference Coach of 1991-92 10-11 5-9 (T-6th) the Year 1992-93 15-12 8-8 (T-5th) • 1994-95 Atlanta 1993-94 12-16 6-10 (8th) Tipoff Club Whack 1994-95 20-11 14-4 (1st) 1995-96 12-14 5-13 (8th) Hyder DII Coach of 1996-97 16-12 10-8 (5th) the Year 1997-98 18-11 11-5 (2nd South) • Second winningest 1998-99 17-11 9-7 (T-2nd South) coach in AASU 1999-2000 16-13 11-5 (2nd South) Total 136-111 (.551) 79-69 (.534) history