EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a three-part series dissecting the 2019-20 UTC men's basketball team. Today we'll break down the playmakers, Wednesday the shooters and Thursday the big guys.
Lamont Paris wants his point guards to be smart, savvy, tough basketball players. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga coach would not, in fact, recruit a point guard who didn't possess all three attributes.
What Paris also prefers is an experienced point guard, something that was sorely lacking at this time a year ago. That won't be an issue as the 2019-20 season gets started next week. The Mocs often will have two on the court at the same time.
Junior David Jean-Baptiste played most of the minutes at the point in 2018-19 and averaged 9.7 points and 2.5 rebounds and was second on the team with 64 assists and 20 steals. He also shot 41% from 3-point range, a weapon he can't use as often as Paris would like if he's busy running the team.
Enter sophomore Maurice Commander, the Chicago native who was one of the highlights of Paris' first recruiting class. Commander is a true point guard who was close to securing the starting position early last season before missing eight games with a lower back injury.
Jean-Baptiste and Donovann Toatley, who later transferred, played most of the minutes the rest of the season, though Commander had several strong moments late. With Toatley gone and Paris wanting to play with a quicker tempo, Commander was given the opportunity to win the job in the preseason, and he hasn't disappointed.
"It would be real good for the team to play faster, which we should do with Dave and me," Commander said. "Get up the court as fast as you can, not only to try and get a layup, but to get in our sets quicker and to put pressure on the defense.
"We've got more shooters and athleticism than last year, so we can drive and finish, drive and dish or drive and kick out because of the great shooters we have. The quicker pace is really going to help this team, so I think we'll be on the court a lot at the same time."
There were times a year ago when, Commander admitted, he would think too much on the court instead of just playing his game. Having a full offseason and extended training camp has proven to Paris that it's time to see what he's got over an extended period.
"We feel good about Maurice as a guy who has some experience and is back and has some things to prove," he said. "He has to prove he can run the offense consistently and that he can defend that position consistently.
"With Maurice, he's never been in a situation where he's been under a ton of pressure yet, but having said that, we feel comfortable with he and Dave. They will allow us to do a lot of things."
Freshman Ashton Smith and sophomore Maryland transfer Alex Tostado will provide point guard depth. The wild card of the playmaking group is 6-foot-3 West Virginia transfer Trey Doomes, a versatile guard whose athletic ability will allow him to be used in a variety of ways.
"He makes some plays just athletically - he's just a high-level athlete - and when he gets going downhill and takes off at the rim it usually turns out in his favor," Paris said. "Some of the plays he can make will be some stuff people will get excited over. Just broken plays, unscripted plays that just happen, transition plays where he's one-on-one with somebody - those things are where he can make a big difference with this team."
It's defensively, though, where Doomes might make the most immediate impact. The Mocs' help defense a year ago, as Paris admits, was subpar. With quick defender Commander and the athletic Doomes on the court, opposing guards, Paris hopes, won't find the lane so easy to get into.
"He has the potential to be a phenomenal defender, especially on the ball," Paris said of Doomes. "He closes so well, and he will just make us better on that end. Defensively, when we're really locked in, how we play off each other has surprised me in a positive way."
Added Commander: "Last year we were kind of laid back off the ball, so people were able to do what they wanted to do. This year we have the type of talent that we can pressure the ball, and when someone gets beat we can help."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.