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An in-depth look at Division III Posted Jan. 19, 2000 |
Notebooks Great Lakes Midwest Northeast Check out D3football.com |
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By Mark Simon Linfield men's basketball coach Larry Doty got a phone call the other day from an old friend -- former major league relief pitcher Mitch Williams. "My dad sent me a story about your team, and it talks about how you're calm, cool and collected." Williams told Doty, his former American Legion baseball coach, "I just wanted to let you know, I'm calling bulls____ on that." Williams may not believe it, but it's true. For the last season-and-a-half, Doty, has been able to relax as much as he had in the previous 11 seasons combined. That's because of a new system he put into place, one that puts his players in charge of most of the substitution patterns and playing time allotment.
"It's all 12 people, sometimes 13 working in a total team effort," said Ebright, who is averaging 15.5 ppg. "It gives us the opportunity to work as hard as we can."
During timeouts, the players do the talking. They take notes on clipboards as the game progresses, writing coded reminders like "SOFA" to help each other out. The JV team, coached by a former Linfield player, utilizes the same method. Some of the guys have volunteered to play JV, hoping to improve enough to crack the varsity rotation. Doty sits back and observes, taking control when necessary. It's a testament to the players that he doesn't have to offer in-game help too often. "It's nice that we're winning games," said Doty, whose team will have to fight for a Pool B bid to the NCAA Tournament, since the Northwest Conference has a postseason tournament, but no automatic bid, "but I really don't think we've hit our stride yet. We're still improving." Ebright plays in the frontcourt with Matt Kaiser (13.2 ppg.) and 7-foot-1 senior center Derek Grace (9.1 ppg.), a former football player who sprouted up from 6-foot-7 his freshman year. Jason Mix (6.9 ppg.) and Rob Emerson (8.7 ppg. 54% from three-point range) man the backcourt. Since no one plays more than 25 minutes per game, everyone on the bench qualifies as a sixth man. One reserve, Scott Turner (9.5 ppg.) played so well last season that he was named a Northwest Conference All-Star. Because everyone is kept fresh, Doty is able to utilize a running offense and a heavy-pressure defense the entire game. "I don't think anyone on the team could last (the full 40 minutes)," said Ebright, whom Doty called the squad's best all-around player. "because of the defensive intensity. It doesn't give you any reason to hold back. We kind of rest when we're on offense." Getting to the NCAA Tournament will be a challenge. The team is in a conference that just gained NCAA acceptance and plays in the toughest region in the nation. An attempt to toughen the schedule has worked, though Linfield lost its only game to a ranked opponent -- McMurry -- in an ugly contest that featured a combined 69 turnovers. That didn't get anyone upset though. The new way to play has eliminated a lot of tension. No one wants to give it up. "Dick asked me last year 'If you start it, can you stick with it,' " Doty said. "I said 'Yes' because I was frustrated by the last two seasons (when the team went 16-32). The most startling part (about this is how I've changed my demeanor. I used to walk the sidelines, ranting and raving." Not everyone was a believer right away. It took a little convincing from Doty and a few wins from the team to change some attitudes. "I really didn't want to do it as a sophomore," said Ebright. "I didn't think it would work. I didn't think it gave an incentive to the top players." It did work, though. And it brought with it a ton of fan support, from a group known as the "Cat Pack," the Division III equivalent of the "Cameron Crazies" at Duke. "The fans like the success," said Ebright. "That's the bottom line." |
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Grant Ebright is the defending Northwest Conference Player of the Year.
The system got coach Larry Doty Coach of the Year honors last season, but no postseason bid.