Post by catscratchfever4 on Apr 26, 2018 23:25:55 GMT -6
FLORENCE — Tony Pujol has been a busy man since he was named the new men’s basketball coach at North Alabama on April 2.
The former Wyoming assistant wasted no time evaluating UNA’s roster and recruiting new players. The roster for UNA’s first season in Division I will be almost entirely made up of newcomers with Kendall Stafford and DD Smith expected to be the only players returning.
Some players made the decision to leave the program as soon as Pujol arrived, while others he decided not to bring back.
Pujol said many factors which went into evaluating the roster.
“The first thing that happened was we made it clear there was going to be an evaluation process,” he said. “The message was clear that I had to evaluate where we were going, our style of play and how they fit into that style. Then I had to evaluate APR (Academic Progress Rate), their GPA and if they were on track to graduate. We had some issues academically with guys not on track to graduate and their GPA was very low. “Then we had to determine if they fit our style of play. We were fortunate to be able to watch them work out, play pickup and I even did things with them during the period in which we can train them. I wanted to see how they retained information and adapted to adversity, so we evaluated all of that.
“I also talked to a lot of people. I spoke to strength and conditioning coaches about their punctuality, their character and their mindset when they come in the weight room. I talked to coaches, and not just our coaches, to get a feel for what they thought of them as people.”
Former coach Bobby Champagne signed three players during the early signing period in November. Those three players — 6-foot-8 forward Andrew Morrissey of Winnebago, Illinois, 6-2 guard Sean Elmore of Mountain Brook and 6-foot-9 forward Cameron Diggs, of East Central (Mississippi) Community College — will all join the team during the summer.
The Lions have signed three players so far in the spring signing period, including 6-foot guard Jamari Blackmon of Hoover, who committed before it was announced that Champagne’s contract would not be renewed. Blackmon was a first-team Class 7A all-state selection and was named Alabama’s MVP in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
UNA has also signed 6-foot-8 forward Emanuel Littles of Lanett and 6-2 guard Christian Agnew from Taylor Made Academy in Detroit. Michigan Elite 25 -
6'2" 2017 guard Christian Agnew (Westland John Glenn, MI./Michigan Mustangs-Watts 17u) Energy, athleticism, good shooter off the bounce or catch from the mid-range and perimeter, strong above and at the rim finisher, length, solid handles, a natural two who can play the point, poised, and a good defender on or off the balance.
www.timesdaily.com/sports/top_sports_rotator/una-basketball-pujol-restocking-lions-roster/article_f966a544-7da4-5ece-9a68-dd81e0400724.html
The former Wyoming assistant wasted no time evaluating UNA’s roster and recruiting new players. The roster for UNA’s first season in Division I will be almost entirely made up of newcomers with Kendall Stafford and DD Smith expected to be the only players returning.
Some players made the decision to leave the program as soon as Pujol arrived, while others he decided not to bring back.
Pujol said many factors which went into evaluating the roster.
“The first thing that happened was we made it clear there was going to be an evaluation process,” he said. “The message was clear that I had to evaluate where we were going, our style of play and how they fit into that style. Then I had to evaluate APR (Academic Progress Rate), their GPA and if they were on track to graduate. We had some issues academically with guys not on track to graduate and their GPA was very low. “Then we had to determine if they fit our style of play. We were fortunate to be able to watch them work out, play pickup and I even did things with them during the period in which we can train them. I wanted to see how they retained information and adapted to adversity, so we evaluated all of that.
“I also talked to a lot of people. I spoke to strength and conditioning coaches about their punctuality, their character and their mindset when they come in the weight room. I talked to coaches, and not just our coaches, to get a feel for what they thought of them as people.”
Former coach Bobby Champagne signed three players during the early signing period in November. Those three players — 6-foot-8 forward Andrew Morrissey of Winnebago, Illinois, 6-2 guard Sean Elmore of Mountain Brook and 6-foot-9 forward Cameron Diggs, of East Central (Mississippi) Community College — will all join the team during the summer.
The Lions have signed three players so far in the spring signing period, including 6-foot guard Jamari Blackmon of Hoover, who committed before it was announced that Champagne’s contract would not be renewed. Blackmon was a first-team Class 7A all-state selection and was named Alabama’s MVP in the annual Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game.
UNA has also signed 6-foot-8 forward Emanuel Littles of Lanett and 6-2 guard Christian Agnew from Taylor Made Academy in Detroit. Michigan Elite 25 -
6'2" 2017 guard Christian Agnew (Westland John Glenn, MI./Michigan Mustangs-Watts 17u) Energy, athleticism, good shooter off the bounce or catch from the mid-range and perimeter, strong above and at the rim finisher, length, solid handles, a natural two who can play the point, poised, and a good defender on or off the balance.
www.timesdaily.com/sports/top_sports_rotator/una-basketball-pujol-restocking-lions-roster/article_f966a544-7da4-5ece-9a68-dd81e0400724.html
