Season Review: SU sets a NCAA record, senior guards lead team
SALISBURY, Md. - The 2006-07 Salisbury men’s basketball team got off to its best start in seven years under coach Steve Holmes this season when they jumped out of the gates with eight wins in 10 games. The Sea Gulls hit some bumpy roads the rest of the season and ended with a 12-13 record. SU remained competitive in a highly talented and deep Capital Athletic Conference as they compiled a 7-9 mark.

Salisbury had a near flawless start to the season when they went 8-2 and averaged almost 80 points a game and gave up only 69 a game. They eclipsed the 90-point mark three times. During the great start Salisbury proved it was a team to be reckoned with as they played a close one with the No. 1 team in the nation, Virginia Wesleyan, and led by five with 14 minutes to go but lost, 73-64.

“We had an excellent start. We did a great job of incorporating our young guys and new players with our veterans and players fell into to their roles perfectly,” said Holmes.

After the hot start the Gulls lost seven of their next eight games and finished the year on a four game losing skid. Salisbury lost its starting forward and center at the start of the second half of the season due to violations of team rules which contributed to the team’s 4-11 record in the final 15 games. The loss caused SU to give up 15.6 points and 17 rebounds per game and resulted in six different starting line-ups.

“It is hard to win games when you lose your starting frontcourt. No matter how good your guard play is. You need scoring, rebounding and defense in the paint,” said Holmes.

The team got used to adversity throughout the year as they rallied around the consistent play of senior combo guards Ray Williams and senior Segun Odumeru.  Williams was named first team All-CAC and led the conference in scoring with 22.3 points per game. He also joined Odumeru (14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals) in the 1,000 point club this season.

Even though the Sea Gulls lost nine conference games down the stretch six of those losses were decided by six points or less.

“We were never outclassed for an entire game. We competed with every team we faced,” said Holmes. “We had Catholic and Hood beat at home but could not put them away down the stretch with all of our youth and inexperience.”

Of the close losses none was tougher than when Salisbury met CAC rival Marymount (Va.) for the second time this season at home on Valentine’s Day. The game tied a NCAA Division III record with five overtimes. The final score saw the Saints come out on top 126-122.

“It must have been a great game to watch but it was not that enjoyable to coach. We were disappointed because we had a chance to finish the game three times offensively with a final shot and one time defensively but could not get it done,” said Holmes.

“A win would have been key for us down the stretch and given us that push we needed to finish strong. Everyone played like a champion and it really tested our coaching staff as we balanced match-ups, fouls and fatigue. I wish we would have been on the positive side of the history we made,” said Holmes.

Sophomore Devin Jones played a game-high 62 minutes for SU and scored 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in the heartbreaker. Seniors Williams and Odumeru each played over 54 minutes. Williams had a career-high 41 points in the game to go along with eight assists and five boards.

Below are highlights for the SU men’s basketball team with comments from Coach Holmes.

Game of the Year
Salisbury 93, York (Pa.) 81
“The win against York (Pa.) at home by 12 points was our high point of the season. It was our first CAC game and we knew York was a tough team. In the second half of that game we scored 55 points and that half was the best 20 minutes of basketball I have coached since I have been here. We forced the Spartans to play zone and knew that they were a strictly man-to-man team.”

Team MVP
Ray Williams
“Ray was our most consistent player all year. He is a great player and a great young man. He has grown up in our program and for me winning is great but watching these young men grow and evolve into student-athletes is the most rewarding part of my job. Ray has battled for us his whole career and became a 1,000 point scorer.”

Williams was named first-team All-CAC to go along with his second-team nomination a season ago. The senior started every game for SU and led the CAC with 22.3 points a game and made 69-three pointers which was good for third in the conference.

Rookie of the Year
Devin Jones
“Devin was a great surprise for us this year. He is an extremely hard worker who brought energy to the team every game and was the glue that bonded the new and old guys.” 

Jones started all 26 games this year and averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and shot a team-high 40 percent form three-point range in his first year in the program.

Most Improved
Gary Ward
“Gary got better and better with each game. He started the year as just a role player off the bench but emerged into an impact player by the end of the season.”

Ward played in every game this season for Salisbury and is expected to be a go-to-guy next season.

Unsung Hero
Jonas Vaitkus
“Jonas really stepped up for us when our big men went out. He didn’t score a ton of points but managed to come up with some huge rebounds or defensive stops and went out there and did his job every night.”

What to look for next year
“We are excited about our young core guys [Jones, Ward] who improved greatly with their abilities as well as their leadership roles. Jones will be our leader for the next few years. The team is continuing to bond and work hard in the offseason. If we can find the right mix of recruits and new players it will be a year to surprise a lot of teams. We are also looking forward to the new league next year as Goucher and Catholic will leave while Villa Julie and Wesley will be added. It is an exciting time for Salisbury and the CAC.”