Navy coach Billy Lange said his program has not turned the corner in its rebuilding process, but it?s getting close.
In a season where UMBC, Morgan State and Loyola have all generated local excitement for being in first place in their respective leagues, Navy is quietly close to doing the same. The Midshipmen (13-12, 6-4 Patriot League) enter tonight?s home game against defending champion Holy Cross (14-10, 5-6) in second place in the eight-team league, 1 1/2 games behind American (16-10, 8-3).
“We?re improving every day and I don?t think we?re playing our best basketball yet,” Lange said. “We?re finding a way to win and playing with a purpose. If we?re able to keep a game close going into the final five or six minutes, we?ll always have a chance the way we?re shooting the ball.”
Navy has won its last three games, is above .500 for the first time since Nov. 9 and are two games above .500 in the Patriot League for the first time since January 2002. The Midshipmen?s latest win came on Saturday when junior guard Clif Colbert connected on an 8-foot jumper with four-tenths of a second remaining to give his team an 82-80 victory at Lafayette.
Lange said for Navy to have a chance of winning its first Patriot League tournament title since 1998, his team needs players like Colbert ? who had 18 points Saturday ? to make plays and take some of the pressure off the scoring trio of guards Greg Sprink, Kaleo Kina and Chris Harris. Those players combine to average nearly 50 points a game.
“As important as stars are on any team, the successful programs have guys who step up in other roles,” Lange said. “We?re getting better and will only continue to do so as long as everyone understands what?s expected of them.”
One such player for Navy is freshman guard Romeo Garcia. Although he isn?t always flashy, Lange is impressed with how the Cypress, Texas native assists in every aspect of the game. This includes his Feb. 13 performance at Lehigh when he had eight points and five rebounds in an 80-75 Navy win.
“This season has been a journey that has only brought us closer together,” Garcia said. “It?s been everything I could have hoped for and more.”
Against Holy Cross, Navy is going for a series sweep after losing 17 straight to the Crusaders going into this season. The Midshipmen won the first meeting between the two schools, 85-74, on Jan. 20.
However, the Crusaders enter Alumni Hall in Annapolis having won three straight and five of their last seven, including a 65-53 victory at Bucknell on Saturday. Holy Cross? resurgence comes as the preseason favorites to repeat as champions are getting healthy. Five players missed significant time with injuries.
One player not to miss any action for Holy Cross is senior center Tim Clifford. The 6-foot-11 preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, is averaging 16.6 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.
“Holy Cross is still the champs until someone beats them,” Lange said. “They?re getting healthy now and are still as tough as any team in the league.”
