These Weeks in Wrenball

New year, new leaf for your friendly neighborhood mid-major correspondent. Same leaves, actually, if you judge by the big piles of brown and gray debris in my back yard. Kids these days, friends, are even lazier than their elders.

Except for the ones in Williamsburg, that is. W&M's got a frisky freshman class, led by point guard Brandon Britt, who's averaging 7.6 ppg and less than a turnover a game. The 6'1, 175-pounder has tallied nearly 13 points per game over his last 4 after starting the season on the shelf with a wrist injury. Britt made his first career start in the Tribe's groan-inducing loss to Longwood - G:TB's unbiased observers hope he's earned the job for good. His athleticism and body control are far beyond anything seen in a Green and Gold uniform in some time. Fellow frosh Julian Boatner, Tim Rusthoeven, and Fred Heldring also see 10 or more minutes per game. The 6'9" Rusthoeven is third on the team with 4.0 boards a game, while Boatner's an enthusiastic if not necessary accurate shooter, fourth on the Wrens with 36 three point attempts (though only 22.2% have fallen). As no less a sage than MGL notes, the Tribe's 4-8 overall record is a function of extreme offensive inefficiency. Says MGL, "William & Mary is near or at the bottom of the conference in most offensive categories, death to a team whose success is predicated on offensive efficiency. The good news? There’s no real coaching magic to “making shots.” Eventually the percentages work in your favor."

In addition to the quartet of freshmen, sophomores Kyle Gaillard (who went for an acrobatic 25 in a loss to UNC) and Matt Rum are substantial contributors for Tony Shaver's Wrens. Junior Quinn McDowell leads W&M with 15.2 ppg (shooting 52.9% from three) and 5.5 rpg, while classmate JohnMark Ludwick might be the nation's most unique player. The 6'8" Ludwick doesn't run or jump well, but he can chuck the rock. His 45 field goal attempts this season include 40 from three-point range, and his 40.0% success rate is third on the team. With only a single senior on the roster (primary inside presence Marcus Kitts), the future looks bright for the Tribe.

The present, though, for a team with that gives as many minutes to underclassmen as W&M is predictably bumpy. While the Wrens played undefeated Syracuse close, falling by three on the road, they were shredded by UVA, Richmond, and UNC - not to mention Western Carolina - before falling to a Longwood team they should have hammered. In a strong CAA dominated by experienced teams, the Tribe's kids had better have a short learning curve. And a few more shots need to start falling.

Starting tonight at home against UNCW, the Wrens have five games in the next 12 days. W&M heads to Delaware Wednesday before hosting three straight against talented JMU, VCU, and Drexel teams. G:TB would realistically be thrilled with a 2-3 mark against that schedule. Patience is the secret password to gain entry into the Wrenball clubhouse in 2011. Good thing that's a strength of mine.