“I don’t hate South Florida, you know

[ChiTownBull]

http://www.newbernsj.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=31504&Section=Sports

Jenkins, Pirates ready to stop losing skid

December 09,2006

MANDY SCHULZ

SUN JOURNAL STAFF

GREENVILLE  Being spurned from a Big East basketball program adds extra incentive for Darrell Jenkins.

The junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho was considering playing for basketball at South Florida, East Carolina’s opponent for tonight’s 7 o’clock contest at Minges Coliseum, but wasn’t given the chance.

“South Florida is one of those schools where I took an unofficial visit and didn’t get the scholarship,†Jenkins said.

Now playing for the Pirates, who are in the midst of a two-game losing streak, falling to Liberty and UNC-Wilmington on the road, the Marietta, Ga., native said he has plenty of motivation to help get ECU on the winning side of the scoreboard. Jenkins, who leads the team with 13.1 points per game, was held to just five points in the Pirates’ 59-44 loss to the Seahaws on Tuesday.

“I can’t wait until tip-off,†Jenkins said. “I don’t hate South Florida, you know, they’re a good team, but, then again, I want to show them that I can play in any conference in America.â€Â

Statistically, ECU had its worst game of the season on Tuesday. The Pirates scored a team-low 44 points against UNCW, and also set new low marks for the season in field goals made (17), field goal percentage (.340) and free throws scored (seven).

After the Pirates’ 64-56 loss to Liberty on Dec. 2, Jenkins said he received an inspirational nugget from assistant coach Larry Dixon.

“One thing that I’ll take from coach Dixon, that I’ll never forget, is (when) he said, ‘Go look at yourself in the mirror. Do you work hard every day?’†Jenkins said.

That inspired Jenkins to lace up his shoes after practice and return to the gym, where he meets up with other players who want to fine-tune their game.

“I started coming in here at night ... and just shooting,†Jenkins said. “Granted, you know, I didn’t have the greatest game against Wilmington, but, it’ll come with more shots and more confidence in myself. It’ll come.â€Â

The Pirates (4-3) face a Bulls (5-1) team that comes off a 63-43 thrashing of Winston-Salem State. There, senior forward McHugh Mattis (6-6) posted the school’s second-ever triple double, scoring 22 points, while adding 10 rebounds and 10 blocks. He was also 8-for-8 from the floor with three steals.

Freshman guard Solomon Bozeman (6-0) has also become a regular contributor, adding 17 points and six rebounds in the win. The Bulls’ only loss was a 56-46 decision against Richmond on Tuesday. The Pirates also fell to the Spiders, falling 71-67 in overtime on Nov. 14.

ECU should be putting up more points, Jenkins said. The players are taking the right shots, but they simply aren’t going through the net.

Freshman John Fields was ECU’s only player to post double digits against UNCW  with 12  while the Pirates’ second-leading scorer, Courtney Captain, was held to six points.

“Once those shots start falling, we’re going to start beating teams by 20 points,†he said.

The Pirates watched game film on Friday, but Jenkins compared tonight’s contest to a blind date, noting that the ECU players aren’t entirely sure of what to expect.

The players are, however, sure of something else.

“We’re really excited to get back home and prove to everybody that we can win games,†Jenkins said.

Mandy Schulz can be reached at (252) 635-5651 or at aschulz@freedomenc.com.

[aly20xx]

go bulls win

[Bull Matrix]

I will tell you what. Teams that play against USF that are in these so-called lower conferences are going to give us their best shot. After reading quotes from Richmond, I sense that they were so **** happy to beat a BIG EAST team on the road. Even though USF is not really a true caliber BIG EAST team yet, some teams are so **** happy to beat USF. It is time for USF to start acting like a true USF team right now. They should just show them that they are way above them, and they better never look back.