Lions Assistant Coaches Are Still Valuable

This is an exciting time for Columbia's men's basketball program, but it is also a dangerous one. Coming off two consecutive highly disappointing seasons, there is no doubt that a change is needed in Levien, and that is what the Lions will get when Athletic Director John Reeves appoints a new head basketball coach, probably within the next week. There is also, however, a need for continuity.
There's a significant amount of criticism coming from fans throughout the nation who are keyed into Ivy League basketball through websites such as the one run by Spectator and ivybasketball.com, and much of it asserts that Columbia needs to sweep away three decades of mediocrity and usher in a drastically new era of Lions basketball wholesale. But there are reminders of how good the Light Blue could be only three seasons in the rear-view mirror.

In 2000-2001, Columbia was picked to finish near the bottom of the Ivies but followed Craig Austin to a 7-7 record and a third-place finish in the league. Austin was named the Ivy Player of the Year, and after beating Penn and Princeton in the final homestand of the season, the stage was set for the rise of Columbia. Over the next two seasons, however, there was a hiccup--a mammoth one.

In an interview several weeks ago, Reeves referred to the sweep of the Killer P's and the birth of the Levien Loonies as "being at the altar." Columbia had, if only for two nights, overcome the massive recruiting advantages and league favoritism toward Penn and Princeton in basketball, and made a name for itself. I remember being outside the locker room after beating Penn, hearing players scream with joy and dance to blaring hip-hop. I remember seeing Armond Hill shed tears of joy, and I remember the pride felt throughout the gym that night.

With the exception of Maurice Murphy, then a first-year who got little playing time, nobody on next year's team will have been on campus for that season; no player will know the promise that those two wins held.

While it is still unknown who the new head coach will be, two men have been working day and night across the country for the past three weeks, hoping to give the new coach the best hand possible to play with next season--and they've been doing this recruiting under the most difficult of circumstances. Walter Townes and Bill Johnson have stepped into an indescribably tumultuous situation and made the best of it. Both have expressed a love for the university and a belief in the promise of Columbia basketball. Perhaps that is because they were there two seasons ago, dancing with the players, shouting with joy, and embracing the moment of proud optimism that preceded the past two woeful seasons.

Though under no obligation to do so, the next head coach at Columbia should consider both men for places on his staff. Despite being a part of last season's 2-25, 0-14 Ivy season, Townes and Johnson both bring to the table attributes that qualify them to bridge the gap between the Armond Hill era and that of the new coach. Johnson was the architect of Columbia's defensive sets for the past several years, which won Columbia recognition as the nation's best defense in 2002, as judged by points allowed. And with past stops at Rutgers and St. John's, Townes could be a real asset if Columbia is to re-commit itself to recruiting in the New York metropolitan area, something that did not occur under Hill's direction.

Perhaps most important to consider is the looming possibility of player discontent under a new regime. It appears very unlikely that the new coach will employ the Princeton Offense; the only candidate with roots in "the system," Northwestern's Paul Lee, says that it can't work in the Ivy League anymore because teams are too familiar with it.

As such, a new coach will bring a new offensive philosophy to a team full of players who, at least on paper, were recruited by Hill to play in his system. While some players may flourish in a more athletic and up-tempo system, some will surely see decreased playing time and discontent.

In a league where there are no scholarships tying players to teams, and on a campus with a poor record in regard to athlete attrition, it is necessary to have individuals in the program that can remind players of the reasons they chose Columbia and reassure them over the next six months until basketball practice begins anew.

Even in a time when change is needed, continuity matters. The new coach will likely want to bring in people with whom he is comfortable in assembling his coach staff, but he should also consider the two men who will hand the program over to him.

In Your Fayce appears alternate Wednesdays. Send any comments to sports@columbiaspectator.com