Fall
2000
All-TAAC First Teamer Marc Salyers
returns for his senior year. |
Tillette: Men's Team One
Big Question Mark
Samford coach Jimmy Tillette has a succinct way of sizing
up his men's basketball team for 200001: "We are a
gigantic question mark."
Tillette's team has won two straight Trans America Athletic Conference
Tournaments and has been to two consecutive NCAA Tournaments.
But three-fifths of last year's starting squad finished eligibility,
including inspirational Reed Rawlings and coach-on-the-floor
Mario Lopez.
Marc Salyers, an All-TAAC First Teamer, returns at center. The
6-9, 220-pounder led last year's 21-11 team in scoring (16.8)
and rebounding (7.2). He won the Most Valuable Player Award at
the past two TAAC Tournaments.
Guard Derrick Jones (8.8 points a game) is the other returning
starter.
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"We have some talented people coming back," said Tillette,
"but we also have a lot of new faces. How well this team
does will be determined by how quickly it arrives at a chemistry."
Replacing Lopez, the point guard, will be critical. The likely
candidate is Akron transfer Cornell Felton, redshirted last year.
Letterman Chris Weaver, more natural as a shooting guard, could
also play the point.
Two-year lettermen Corey Green, redshirted last year, and Gabe
Skypala are other returnees. Joining them will be two other redshirts
and five freshmen.
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