The Mavericks have the talent and depth to make a deep playoff run behind their guard play and their newest addition Ethan Richardson…some smaller things just need to change.
Colorado Mesa University’s men’s basketball team is 12–7 on the season with nine games left in the regular season and they are fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) standings with a 8–5 conference record.
Guards Tommy Nuno, Michael Skinner and Georgie Dancer are three of the top four scorers for CMU, and they are the primary ball handlers for their on-ball pick and roll style of offense. Nuno is the leading scorer for the Mavericks as he averages 15.5 points per game (ppg) and he can score off the pick and roll, creating his own jump shot or by spotting up for a three. Skinner started the season off on a good note, and in the last five games, he has been aggressive with his touches and has rebounded at a very high level, as he had 20 points and 16 rebounds against Adams State University (ASU).
“We’ve had a good team, and we had a few weaknesses, and it was hurting us against certain game plans, so the addition of Ethan Richardson obviously helps because not only is he a really good player, he fills that need we have as a team. I do think it’s a confident group either way, obviously having this additional piece [Richardson] makes a big difference for the group,” CMU Head Coach Mike DeGeorge said. “The biggest issue right now is how quickly can we come together because there are going to be game plans, there are going to be adjustments, it affects our playing rotations, it affects [Richardson] learning not only our offensive system but our defensive system, and so how quickly can we iron all those things out, and that will be the challenge for this group.
Richardson has been a Maverick since only the start of January and has played in five games, but he adds a whole other dimension to the offense and defense. The big man is 6’10” with a versatile offensive skill set he draws all the attention in the paint which opens lanes for the rest of the team to drive and cut for layups. The West Virginia transfer also has a unique ability to pass out of the post with his back to the basket or facing his defender up.
The addition of Richardson also places Clay Verk back into the four spot for the Mavericks where he doesn’t have to be the primary pick and roll big man. With Verk sliding over, the freshman big man Ethan Menzies got pushed into the starting lineup and has come into his own as he scored his season and career-high 18 points against ASU.
“What we need out of our fives in this offense, is they need to be a roll threat out of the pick-and-roll, and so we were asking Clay Verk to play out of position and we were having a hard time finding him, and teams game plans were to just not help off the shooters and try to isolate that,” Coach DeGeorge said. “So, our offense at times did look like a struggle because it was all about attacking individual match ups because we were having a hard time gaining an advantage. Tommy, Georgie, Michael and Jared are very capable of creating advantages in the one-on-one match ups, but it wasn’t quite enough.”
The “what if” for this team is their perimeter shooting, the Mavericks against Fort Lewis College showed just how good they can be from outside as they shot 18-23 with Dancer and Jared Small shooting a perfect 6-6. CMU’s primary shooter is Kolton Peterson because he can score from deep off the dribble, coming off a screen or spotting up for an open shot.
Small has been the first or second man off the bench this year, and he has filled that role perfectly as he can do whatever is needed at the time. With his 6’7” 195 lb frame, Small has the versatility to play the two, three or four, and his offensive capabilities allow him to pull up off the dribble, spot up for a shot or get into the lane off the dribble.
“Our depth allows us to play big, it allows us to play big, it allows us to play small, it allows us to have a pick and roll threat, it allows us to play through the post, it allows us to attack matchups with our guards,” Coach DeGeorge said. “We now have really a game plan for whatever we are going to face, it again goes back to do we have enough time to gain the experience to really be able to understand and know how to attack everything that we are going to face, but the skill is there, the depth is there which also helps us on these back-to-back nights.”
The Mavericks have the talent to make a deep postseason push with their guards leading the charge. Nuno, Dancer or Skinner can be the leading scorer any given night, and the addition of Richardson opens more scoring opportunities for the entire team by getting to the rim or a drive and kick shot. CMU’s depth can carry them in close games, or their depth can make sure the game is never close.
