Five observations from Howard’s 83-77 loss to Coppin State on Wednesday night.
Musical Chairs. Howard (4-12, 1-2 MEAC) has been hindered by a lack of stability in the backcourt. Junior Calvin Thompson (separated shoulder) has been in and out of the lineup, leaving freshman Simuel Frazier as the lone point guard. Integrating transfers Glenn Andrews (Tulsa) and Tre Lee (Coastal Carolina), who both became eligible in mid-December, has further complicated progress. Howard has a 3-1 record in games in which Thompson has played 30 or more minutes, but is 1-11 in the rest. “The biggest thing for us is continuity — getting adjusted to Glenn, getting adjusted to Lee, getting adjusted to playing without Thompson,” Howard coach Kevin Nickelberry said. “That’s a tough thing for a young team. Where are you gonna get your shots and who is going to take them?”
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Top Gun. After averaging 7.5 points per game in two seasons for teams at Tulsa that won 50 games, Glenn Andrews suffered a torn ACL in his junior year, then another injury to the same knee last season before transferring. The 6-foot-2 guard, a former standout at T.C. Williams, is a streak shooter. Andrews hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 28 points in an 88-83 win over Delaware. On Wednesday night, Andrews had his best all-around game (25 points, seven rebounds, six assists). But coach Kevin Nickelberry said that Andrews (four of 17 from beyond the arc) took too many shots. In six games, he is hitting 32 percent from the floor and 31 percent from the arc. “We don’t want that many shots,” Nickelberry said. “But my problem with it is, nobody else is stepping up. A lot of his shots are coming at the end of the shot clock. I like that he’s willing to take those shots. But I need some more willing partners in this fight.”
Turnovers. With 18.4 turnovers per game, the Bison are tied for sixth among Division I teams. Howard had 20 turnovers Wednesday night and yielded 29 points off those mistakes to Coppin (6-8, 1-0). Freshmen Frazier (11 points, five assists, five turnovers) and Prince Okoroh (three points, zero assists, four turnovers) were rattled by the pressure. Both players have great promise and have earned MEAC rookie of the week awards this year. “We don’t have enough playmakers right now,” Nickelberry said. “It’s almost a Catch 22. Frazier’s so good at attacking, but he’s a freshman. So you have to live with his mistakes.”
Road Warriors. Howard has played lots of games in front of big crowds – at Old Dominion (7,358), at Georgetown (8,120), at Indiana (11,111), at Kansas (16,300), and at Kansas State (13,000). Now as Howard dives into its MEAC schedule, seven of its next eight games will be on the road.
Spartan Effort. It appears everyone in the MEAC will be chasing Norfolk State (10-5, 2-0), the only team in the conference with a winning record. The Spartans are led by 6-10 Kyle O’Quinn (14.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg), the preseason MEAC player of the year. Norfolk was 12-20 last year, but adding strong outside shooters has prevented teams from collapsing on O’Quinn. Norfolk promises to get better as it integrates transfers A.J. Rogers (St. Joseph’s), Rob Johnson (Marist), and Quasim Pugh (JUCO). The Spartans have quality wins over TCU, Drexel, Eastern Kentucky, Toledo, and Long Island and fell two points shy in a bid for a monumental upset of Marquette.
