John Shulman can encourage his basketball players during practice to rebound. He can demonstrate how to box out opponents.
During meetings he can show them clips of their successful and failed attempts to get the ball off the glass.
But he can’t get the ball for them.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s coach has emphasized several important aspects of the game – including rebounding – during the first 11 practices of the season.
The emphasis is greater this preseason because the Mocs didn’t rebound well enough last year, when they went 15-18 overall and 6-12 within the Southern Conference.
“I think we lost a lot of games last year to not winning on the glass,” senior center DeAntre Jefferson said. “We didn’t have one guy who’d get it, and as a group we didn’t do good enough.”
Ridge McKeither led UTC with an average of 6.1 rebounds per game. He transferred after one season in which he had a hide-a-key to Shulman’s doghouse.
No other player averaged even close to five rebounds per game. Jefferson had 151 rebounds in 33 games – just 4.6 per game. That average could double during his second season with instruction from new assistant coach Jay Bowen. who analyzed all of UTC’s 2009-10 games before grabbing a whistle.
“Big D [Jefferson] has transitioned into our most physical post player, and what we’re pleased with is how he’s chasing the rebound,” Bowen said. “Last year we did a great job of blocking out, but they didn’t chase the ball. So far, he’s chasing the ball and that’s rubbed off on everybody else.”
In addition to Jefferson, rebounding responsibilities fall upon 7-foot-1 senior Jeremy Saffore and power forwards Sam Watson and Chris Early, who is in the best physical condition of his life. Small forwards Jahmal Burroughs and Troy Cage also will be expected to clean the glass.
“In all but two of the practices so far, Big D has been phenomenal,” Shulman said. “I think Jahmal will be able to rebound with his energy. You’ve got to want to go rebound the ball.”
The Mocs had two such players in Shulman’s championship seasons – Mindaugus Katelynas in 2004-05 and Kevin Goffney in 2008-09. None of the returning players consistently demonstrated similar skills last year, and the newcomers haven’t had the chance quite yet.
They’ll all get their first chance on Nov. 4 during an exhibition game against Tennessee Wesleyan.
“We’re going to be pretty tough to play against because we can score the ball,” Shulman said, “but I still have my concerns about can we guard and can we get a rebound. I know we will eventually be able to guard, but who can go get a rebound?”