Pirates Continue Preparations For Upcoming Season

ECU has been practicing for more than two weeks now as it continues to prepare for the 2018-19 season under new head coach Joe Dooley. The Pirates will open the year in less than three weeks as they host Delaware State on Nov. 6 to tip-off the new campaign.

Coach Dooley has devoted a large portion of the practice to defense this season and creating a culture of pride and toughness.

"[Playing defense] is a mindset, but it allows you to play faster offensively," Dooley said. "If you rebound the ball it's a lot easier to run on fast breaks off misses than it is made baskets. We've talked about getting tougher and playing with an edge.

"We need to create pride in our program."

With a young team that features six freshmen on the roster, Dooley and his staff have spent a lot of time teaching and instructing and creating a competitive environment.

"We've got to hang our hat on being hard working and being tough," Dooley stated. "We want to compete in everything we do. There is a difference between playing in an American conference game and competing in a [league] game and playing to win. Winners get rewarded and we've talked about that and emphasized that; everyday, everything is competitive."

The Pirates' top returning players are its backcourt combination of senior Isaac Fleming and sophomore Shawn Williams. Fleming is ECU's leading returning scorer, averaging 12.5 points per game (ppg) a year ago while adding 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. Williams was voted The American Rookie-of-the-Year after leading all conference freshmen with 12.4 ppg.

"Most of the changes Isaac has made are from a strength and conditioning aspect," Dooley explained. "He's completely redone his body and he's improved his shot. Shawn has become more of a point guard. He has the ability to play on the ball a little more than he did last year."

ECU has just five returning players that averaged more than 10 minutes per game last season. In addition to Fleming and Williams, who were second and third on the team in minutes played in 2017-18, sophomore Dimitrijie Spasojevic averaged 23.9 minutes, 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a rookie, while classmates and Justin Whatley and K.J. Davis averaged 13.5 and 10.7 minutes per game, respectively, with neither scoring more than 3.1 ppg.

The young roster will have the advantage of playing 18 home games this season, including nine of its first 12 inside the friendly confines of Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.

"Minges Coliseum is a hard place to play when we have people in there," Dooley said. "We have to put a product in there that our fans want to come see play. A lot of that comes with developing the younger guys… This is a league you need to get old and stay old and we're not old."

Season tickets for the 2018-19 campaign are currently on-sale through the ECU Online Ticket Center and can also be purchased by calling the ECU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-DIAL-ECU (342-5328).

Players Mentioned

K.J. Davis

Isaac Fleming

Justin Whatley

Shawn Williams

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