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Scott Cherry inherited a 9-21 team, so the one-time North Carolina walk-on knows he won't turn around High Point University basketball simply by encouraging the zealous pursuit of opportunity. But you've got to start somewhere, and why not with an upbeat, forward-thinking approach?

"Our program stands for something -- picking guys up, diving for loose balls, trying to take charges, flying into the stands for loose balls," said the Panthers' new coach. "Putting your hands on your knees? I won't like that. We don't show weakness. We don't ever show fatigue."

Cherry's college coach, a fellow named Dean Smith, was famous for recruiting a lot of talent. Many tend to forget Smith's attention to detail, which established a tone of general diligence that often made a positive difference.

So now Cherry must go about things in a different order: instill the core and see how well it expands.

The emphasis on the little things has to be there because, well, the Panthers are little themselves. Cruz Daniels, a 6-foot-11 center, is the only guy on the roster taller than 6-6. Cherry is likely to start a lineup with Daniels; three guards of 6-3 or shorter; and nominal power forward Corey Law, a 6-6 freshman from Chesapeake, Va.

True to his word, Cherry sort of dove over the baseline to find his first signee within weeks of taking over the job. Point guard Tehran Cox is a native of Nassau (the Bahamas, not Cherry's native New York) who played high school ball in Fayetteville (Arkansas, not North Carolina) and spent two years at Division II Arkansas-Fort Smith.

Cox will be counted on as the trend-setter in disruption. The Panthers were competitive in Big South play -- seven of their 14 league losses last season were by five or fewer points -- but the difference came in turnover margin. The Panthers committed 41 more turnovers than they forced in conference action, and that's a significant discrepancy.

"Our defense starts with our point guard," said Cherry, who spent last season as an assistant coach at South Carolina. "If we get good pressure at the point and make (the opponent's) life a little more difficult and if our wings then deny and force others to step out on the perimeter, that will make their offense not go as smoothly."

More than anybody, Law will need to embody the basics for which the program vows to stand.

"He's high-energy," Cherry said. "I need him to defend and rebound. He's got to go up against guys who are much taller than him, so he's got to use his strength and athleticism. I do know he's going to bring it every single night."

Of course, it's also nice if you can develop a big-time perimeter scorer who can bail out stagnating possessions as the shot clock is expiring. Nick Barbour, a 6-1 guard who led his team by averaging 14.2 points a game as a freshman last season, is off to a nice start in 2009-10. Saturday, he went 10-for-11 from 3-point range in lighting up UNC-Pembroke for 38 points in HPU's 104-72 win. Sure, the Braves are in Division II, but nearing perfection from downtown is pretty intriguing under any circumstances.

Last season, no Division I player had that hot a night. Andre Smith of George Mason went 10-for-10 against James Madison on Jan. 18, 2008. Between then and Saturday, nobody shot 90 percent or better from 3-point range with 10 or more attempts.

It's still an undeniably young Panthers team. That suggests inconsistencies, but it's also something Cherry can work with and perhaps mold into what he wants over time.

"We'll see how it is when we're playing better opposition," Cherry said. "I'm proud of my players. I think they play hard and do the things I ask. We've just got to get better."