 "Photo: Alecia Locke")
Losing has become an all too familiar habit for the University of New Hampshire basketball program over the last few years.
The team hasn't had a winning record in 12 years. And as this season winds down, we can all be well assured to tack on another year to that infamous calling.
But I hope people don't start calling for Bill Herrion's head after this season because I still feel this guy deserves a fighting chance.
I mean look at the talent he's been given and the situation he's been placed in. Sure maybe it's not a Doc Rivers scenario, but it's close.
Not only has he taken on a program that has become accustomed to losing but was built on the foundation of poor recruiting over the last few years.
And I'm not saying that's all former head coach Phil Rowe's fault. I mean how much can you expect from a guy who makes the jump from coaching Division III Keene State to a Division I program such as UNH? The talent level is totally different.
Rowe had never coached at the Division I level prior to his tenure at UNH and because of that the program suffered immensely. I mean the guy had a 45-125 record in his six years as the head coach.
And the recruiting he's done isn't much to speak of either. The two best players he had acquired were Jermaine Anderson and Blagoi Janev, and he got lucky with both of them.
Anderson came to UNH after breaking his left foot twice, once his senior year of high school, and then another time soon thereafter. Now Anderson was very promising prospect coming up and was highly touted by many schools but because of his injury problems scouts didn't want to take a chance on him.
However, Rowe did and offered him a walk-on tryout in hopes that Anderson would live out his potential.
And boy did he luck out because today Anderson has turned into a fabulous player, but one has to wonder if he would even be at UNH today if it wasn't for his early injury troubles.
But that's just one example.
Now in terms of Janev, Rowe was only able to land him through a close friend of his that worked with the Australian Olympic team who convinced the 6-foot-8-inch forward to come to UNH.
Score number two for Rowe.
But aside from those two, Rowe left Herrion with about as much talent as the Los Angeles Clippers had in the '90s.
A list that includes Mike Christiansen, Brandon Odom, Branimir Zeko, Tyrece Gibbs and Damion Marshall (who's not even with the team anymore after being dismissed).
Now don't get me wrong, Christiansen and Gibbs have been fairly solid for the Wildcats. Christiansen was the team's third leading scoring for the team this season before he went down with a broken foot and Gibbs looks like he could be a real force offensively in the future.
But the verdict is out for rest of the group.
And you can't blame the players. It's not their fault; it stems from the head coach who recruited them.
Because there is a fine line between a Division I basketball player and a Division II or III player. That much is clear. And many of UNH's players are flirting with it.
Now looking at Herrion's first recruiting class this season one would have to be impressed.
A list that includes Radar Onguetou, Sam Herrick, Dan McGeary, Seth Price and junior college transfer Jude Roybal.
Onguetou has been a true force for the Wildcats under the boards and in the paint as he made his way into the starting lineup averaging 6.8 points per game and over eight rebounds per game in his last seven games.
He's a guy who looks to become one of the more dominate rebounding forces in the America East in years to come. His is a name you won't forget.
As for McGeary, Herrion wooed him from schools such as Stanford and Brown and so far it has paid off as he has been a formidable player off the bench averaging 5.2 points per game.
His deadly range from beyond the arc will give the Wildcats that scoring punch off the bench they lost this past off-season in Chris Vatrano.
Herrick is making strides every game but still looks to be a project in the making with some big time potential, especially with his 6'11", 255 pound body frame.
However, he's been vastly inconsistent in terms of his production. Still he's worth the risk because the reward could be that much sweeter if this kid plays to the ability of his size.
In terms of Price, it's tough to make a clear observation on him because he has been hampered with a back injury for most of the season and has been playing sparingly since.
And then there is Roybal who seems to be suffering from the effects of a new system as the team's backup point guard. His playing time has dipped tremendously over the last few weeks and at times he appears to be very uncomfortable out there.
But I still give him a chance. Because maybe this time next year we could be talking about him as being one of the team's most improved players as he will most likely take over the role of the starting point guard next season.
But don't just look at this year's recruiting class to determine the impact Herrion can have on a basketball program. Look no further than the eight years he spent coaching the Drexel University Dragons to a 167-71 record.
In that time Herrion's squads finished first or second in conference play seven out of the eight seasons he was head coach. Under Herrion they won three league championships and shared the regular season title twice. He also led the Dragons to three consecutive postseason NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance. Not to mention he was named conference coach of the year four times.
So before everybody jumps ship, let's give him a chance.
And not put all the blame on him because this team hasn't exactly turned the corner in the last two years.
Because remember, we gave Phil Rowe six years before we decided he wasn't the right fit.
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