East Carolina Enthusiastically Opens Basketball Practice
October 13, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 13, 2006
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- East Carolina opened its 75th season of intercollegiate basketball and its second under head coach Ricky Stokes with its first practice of the new season by working out for three hours inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum Friday night.
The Pirates return four letterwinners in senior Courtney Captain (8.9 ppg), juniors Taylor Gagnon (1.5 ppg) and Jeremy Ingram (10.3 ppg) and sophomore Sam Hinnant (10.2 ppg). Ten newcomers, including seven freshmen, went through their first collegiate practices.
"It's really exciting to have finally gotten started," stated Stokes. "With so many young faces we have to make sure that we continue to take things slow. With that said I really liked the energy, enthusiasm and eagerness they displayed tonight."
East Carolina will practice each of the next four days before taking its mandatory day off on Wednesday.
"It was a very rigorous and challenging preseason," Stokes explained. "We did a little more team stuff than we did individual, so we're a little ahead of the game in regards to putting things in offensively. We just want to concentrate on getting better. That's the most important thing that we're going to focus on."
Fans will have their first chance to get a preview of this year's team at the annual Purple-Gold game prior to ECU's homecoming football game against SMU on Saturday, Oct. 21. The game is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start. The Pirates open the regular season at home against Morgan State on November 11.
ECU will play to host three teams that received bids to the NCAA Tournament last season, including Elite Eight qualifier Memphis and Big South champion Winthrop.
