MID-SEASON: Coomes stresses forward-thinking

(as published in Whoosh! magazine Jan. 22, 2007)

Whoosh! Photo Although the Flames' huddle is smaller, the core group is still doing everything it can to make the season successful.

With all the bedlam surrounding the UIC program over the past few weeks, one would believe it would easy to get distracted.

After all, with head coach Jimmy Collins on personal leave and recovering from surgery, three veteran players leaving the team and assistant coach Lynn Mitchem also taking a leave of absence, there’s plenty of stuff floating around the team’s heads.

On top of that, the Flames had a rough road trip before Christmas that saw them blow leads at Mississippi and Penn within three days. Things reached a head when the University announced that Collins was taking a personal leave of absence on Dec. 23.

However, with associate head coach Mark Coomes running the team, the aura surrounding the squad has been nothing but positive, and it’s starting to translate into victories for the Flames.

UIC was 4-2 in Horizon League play and a half-game out of first place after a 76-65 loss at Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Jan. 17. Overall, the Flames stood at 9-10.

Coomes’ philosophy? Don’t dwell on the past, take things one day at a time and approach each game with an even-keel.

“For me, it’s the next 24 hours,” Coomes said. “Then the 24 hours after that. We are building right now. My focus is looking forward and these guys’ focus is looking forward. They’re committed to it.”

Since Collins’ leave began, UIC has a 3-3 record under Coomes, including victories over nationally-ranked Butler and preseason favorite Loyola.

The first two losses came against Illinois State – the day that the school announced Collins’ leave – and at Wright State – the same day Collins had surgery to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Yet, somehow, the Flames’ players are focus on the task at hand.

“Emotionally, it’s been a little tough for us, not having Coach [Collins] around,” said sophomore Josh Mayo. “We’re praying for him. On the court, we’re just trying to move forward and play well.”

The Flames have lost three scholarship players in the last month - junior forward Kevin Bond and senior guard D.J. Smedley quit the team and junior guard Karl White was declared academically ineligible in early January.

Now Coomes seems to have found a formula and a rotation that works. He is starting senior Jovan Stefanov, sophomore Scott VanderMeer and junior Othyus Jeffers in the frontcourt and junior T.J. Gray and Mayo in the backcourt, although Coomes won’t dismiss going with different lineups depending on matchups.

“I’m going to rotate guys,” Coomes said. “I expect guys to come off the bench and perform. I might have different starting lineups for different teams. I need guys to be comfortable as starters and guys need to be comfortable coming off the bench.”

Coomes is a strong believer in the backcourt of Gray and Mayo, with their shooting ability, and the pass-first mentality of freshman Spencer Stewart coming off the bench.

“I like that combination [of Gray and Mayo],” Coomes said. “With Spencer coming off the bench, we’ve got three guys playing for two spots, getting 25-30 minutes per game.”

Photo: Steve Woltmann/UIC Athletics Junior Othyus Jeffers has stood tough throughout the season for the Flames.

Jeffers has been his usual stellar self this season. The junior from Hubbard High School is averaging 15.8 points and 9.0 rebounds and is shooting 50 percent from the field. He has racked up seven point-rebound double-doubles, including a 27-point, 14-rebound effort at Penn on Dec. 21.

“O is a warrior,” Coomes said. “He’s improved on his outside shooting. He’s always been a rebounder. He’s a good 1-on-1 player. He needs to improve on his defense and lock in on the guys he’s guarding. He’s a leader and leads by example. He’s a winner.”

Junior guard Robert Bush has also been key, especially as of late. He can hit a big shot when needed and plays solid ball throughout.

UIC’s post has had some shaky moments, particularly when they were outplayed at Wright State on Jan. 4, but Coomes believes.

“They have to continue to be aggressive,” Coomes said. “They have to get easier shots in the post and draw some fouls. They need to do a lot better job rebounding. I was very disappointed with our rebounding at Wright State. We have to be quicker to the ball, and Jermaine [Dailey] is helping us there. He’s going to get more playing time.”

Dailey, a junior college transfer from Three Rivers (Mo.) Community College, has gotten more comfortable with the scheme in recent weeks. He’s averaged 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game since Christmas.

Senior forward Danijel Zoric is also in the rotation, backing up VanderMeer and Stefanov.

With Collins sidelined for the foreseeable future, Coomes has the full trust of Collins and his players.

“Coach Coomes has done a good job in stepping up and taking over the main job,” Stewart said. “We’re just trying to win ballgames.”