GREENSBORO — Walter Brady and Adam Powell will be counted on to lead Greensboro College to more consistency and a better record this season.
Brady, one of two seniors on the team, and Powell, a junior, will be expected to provide offense for a Pride team that averaged just 66 points per game last season and which lost two of the top three scorers from that squad.
"We're going to try to uptempo from a defensive standpoint and create turnovers," Pride coach Bryan Galuski said of his team's philosophy. "Our key is to get easy buckets.
Powell, the top returning scorer from a year ago, averaged 11.1 points per game in a season marred by injury. Brady averaged eight points per game.
"Adam Powell has another year of experience under his belt and is going to score in the teens this year," Galuski said. "Walter Brady's production has to increase to score in the teens, and then (we need to) get some spot points from some newcomers. But consistency is going to be where it's at. If we can be consistent, we'll be OK."
Powell, a 6-foot-5 guard, had knee surgery in the middle of last season, but he is completely recovered.
"Our offense is going to drive off our defense," Powell said. "I'm saying our offense should be very good this year because our defense will be that good. I see us scoring in the 70s, but our mindset is always about defense, so scoring 70s and keeping them in the 50s or 60s."
Brady, a 6-foot forward, led the team in rebounding last season (8.2 per game). He is especially proud of his work against bigger opponents.
"(I try to) be persistent and use a lot of techniques — swim moves, spins," Brady said. "I use a lot of leverage against them to get rebounds. I'm a pretty good athlete, so jumping ability helps a lot, too, and my strength."
Brady knows he will need to contribute more offensively.
"I feel point production will definitely be better this year," Brady said. "It was a feel for me last year, finding what the coach wanted from me. I feel like I'll be Mr. Double-Double this year."
The other senior for the Pride this season is combination guard R.J. Smith, who can fill many different roles depending on the team's needs.
He said "very up-tempo and in-your-face defense" is one of the Pride's strong points.
"We are a very quick team, so people should expect us to pressure the ball from one side of the court to the other," Smith said.
But Greensboro still needs players to score, and Galuski is hoping freshmen John Auslander, Chakiris Moss and Page alumnus Luqman Tijani can give the team an offensive boost. Galuski is also excited about the skills of Pernell Davis, a junior college transfer.
"Pernell Davis is really good," Smith said. "He's like 5-9 or 5-10, but he can jump out of the gym. He's very explosive to the rim."
On the inside, Galuski will turn to 6-8 Lewis Owenby to provide scoring. Owenby made six starts a season ago and takes over for Mike Mitchell as the Pride's starting center. He scored 14 on Sunday in Greensboro's season-opening 67-55 loss at Washington and Lee.
The Pride will get a good idea of how far it has come when it takes on Guilford College tonight at the Greensboro Coliseum. Last season, the Quakers won by 21 points on their way to the NCAA Division III Final Four.
"We're further along offensively this year than we were last year and I think that's going to help us," Galuski said. "I'm really excited about our defense right now as it stands, and I'm excited about our offensive continuity. That's going to help us coming into a game against a very, very good Guilford team."
Who: Greensboro College vs. Guilford College
When: Tonight — women’s game at 6, men’s game at 8
Where: Greensboro Coliseum
Tickets: $10 general admission
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