Everywhere Buck Joyner has been, he has turned around basketball programs. He says he loves to have that reputation. He loves to have those challenges.
Well, he has his work cut out for him at Livingstone College.
The Blue Bears are coming off a 5-21 season, Charles McCullough’s last on the bench. There is a roster of player’s names but no one knows for sure how many will play right now and how many won’t due to academic woes.
It could drive the ordinary coach insane. Not Joyner.
He has one player, Rodney Gidney, who is swimming at the top of the CIAA talent pool. Joyner may be forced to call Baywatch because many of the other Blue Bears need to be rescued from drowning in a pool of inexperience.
“We’re extremely raw,” admits Joyner, who accepted the job only a couple of months ago.
Joyner comes from St. Paul’s University, another CIAA school, so he could be closer to his mother, who lives in Winston-Salem. After suffering a stroke, she is under 24-hour care.
When he’s not caring for her, he’s nurturing a group of Blue Bears that he says has talent but not much court time. He is also battling to clear everyone’s eligibility. His roster is tentative at best.
But there is Gidney, a 6-foot-8 forward, who had to do practically everything last season. Joyner says he is the meat on the sandwich but the coach has to find the fixins to go with him.
“I think Gidney is a candidate for player of the year,” said Joyner. “It’s always a pleasure to have a player of his caliber. But what we have wrapped around him is inexperience.”
Gidney averaged 17.4 points and eight rebounds last season, playing mainly underneath. This season, Joyner is moving him to small forward because pro scouts are interested and if he plays at the next level, it will be at the 3 spot.
“Right now, he’s showing major improvement on recognizing shots and finding where his highest percentages will come from. And he’s handling the ball well.”
But who will help Gidney?
Two other returning starters are point guard Willie Rouse, a 5-9 senior from Washington, D.C., and 6-4 junior Pete Anders.
“Rouse is smart and experienced and the fact that he has three years of experience is his best attribute,” said Joyner. “He penetrates extremely well.
“Anders is a tremendous leaper.”
Rouse averaged nine points and three rebounds, while Anders will be looking to improve on his 3.6 average.
Sheldon Payne, a 6-5 senior, is back with a good outside touch. He can also slash to the basket.
“He’s another outstanding player who could play point guard,” Joyner said. “He can cause tremendous matchup problems.”
Other guards are 6-3 Moise Nash, 6-4 Marcus Fluker, 6-2 Charles White and Johnny Moses, 6-1 Matthew Pharr and 6-0 Nick Scarborough. All are underclassmen except Fluker.
Joyner likes Moses’ outside shot but he hasn’t played in two years. Fluker is another who can bomb from the outside.
Shaun Wiseman, a 6-7 senior, should be eligible by the second semester. He averaged seven points last season.
Joyner is impressed with 6-5 Mike Wright, who can post up but has an outside game. He’s coming off a knee injury.
Mike Street, a 6-4, 240-pound sophomore from Charlotte, can play forward or center.
“He’s our enforcer,” Joyner smiled. “He rebounds well. He’ll set screens and give us that physical presence.”
Joyner used to coach in the Virgin Islands and has a true freshman in Patrick Hilliman, a 6-10 shot blocker.
“I recruited him at St. Paul’s,” Joyner said. “He’s very coachable and has a long wing span. But he’s raw.”
Brad Wells, a 6-8 center from St. Stephens, can also help.
Joyner won’t name names but has five other players coming into the program, two from junior college and three transfers. They should be eligible by second semester.
With many question marks revolving around eligibility, Joyner said, “It’s difficult to gell. We hope everything pulls together by late January.
“Basically, our strength is offense. We’ve definitely got proven scorers. But because of a lack of height, we’ll use a lot of gimmicks — alley oops and backdoors.”
Whatever he uses, he wants a product that will thrill the fans.
“I like an up-tempo game,” he said. “Ihave to sell tickets as well as win basketball games. If the guys are a little flashy, that’s OK. I want a full gym.”
Now, if he can just get a full roster.
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