Coach Pat Kennedy, like Detroit Pistons star Allen Iverson, is talking about practice.
“We have very little time in the gym because of our schedule,” he said. “It’s great we have four practice days in place before Virginia Commonwealth [tonight]. In conference, when you go game, day to prepare, game, it can be tough. Maybe not so on a veteran team, but it can be for a young one like ours.”
» When: Tonight, 7
» Where: Towson Center
» Radio: 1090 AM
But unlike Iverson, who is well known for his aversion to practice, Towson’s players have embraced playing as much as they can after getting hammered by George Mason and Northeastern in Colonial Athletic Association games last week.
“We just have to keep working on getting better,” said forward Junior Hairston, who averages a team-high 12.9 points per game.
But it doesn’t get any easier for the Tigers (7-10, 2-3), who host second-place Virginia Commonwealth (11-5, 4-1) tonight at 7 at Towson Center. Towson is just 1-14 all-time against the Rams, with a 59-57 win in 2006 their lone victory. The Rams also ended the Tiger’s season last year with a 57-46 win in the CAA Tournament.
“We have not been able to coin consistency,” Kennedy said. “We have to come out of this game feeling good and then move ahead.”
One of the biggest reasons for the team’s inconsistency is the backcourt featuring sophomore Brian Morris and freshman Troy Franklin. Morris is averaging 6.1 points per game, but had four turnovers in a 68-53 loss at Northeastern and is shooting just 31 percent from beyond the arc. Franklin is averaging 9.4 points and 4.8 assists per game, but he has fouled out three times and has committed 62 turnovers.
“This is one of the best teams I have been a part of,” Hairston said. “The record just doesn’t show it.”
