Cougar Coach Carlisle Reflects on 2008-09 Season
April 16, 2009 by Jordan Finley
The Columbus State men’s basketball team once again finished another outstanding campaign for the 2008-2009 season.
Columbus State posesses one of the better junior college basketball teams in the United States. Lead by coach Pat Carlisle, the Cougars have accomplished quite a lot within the past two seasons.
For the past two years, the team has won their respective region in Division II basketball for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and has advanced as a finalist for the national championship, which is played every season in Danville, Ill. This past season, the team advanced to the round of eight, where they were defeated by D-II powerhouse Kirkwood Community College of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The team finished the year with an excellent record of 27-3.
Carlisle, who has coached organized basketball at both the high school and collegiate level in Ohio, was very clear that he is proud of his team’s performance this past season.
“We have absolutely nothing to be ashamed about," Carlisle said. "We played well all season long and were defeated by a very good team. “
Unlike the widely publicized NCAA tournament, the NJCAA tournament isn’t seeded and each regional champion plays another to advance. If the tournament were seeded, the Columbus State Cougars almost certainly would be a number one seed.
“I would change nothing about the way we played," Carlisle said. "We executed the strategy we wanted to perform and came up short. The eight best teams were definitely playing that round and we lost to very good competition.”
So what makes the Columbus State men’s basketball team a consistent force to deal with throughout Ohio and the nation? Carlisle was very blunt when it comes to an "academics first" approach for his players. The team has yet to lose a player to academic ineligibility under Carlisle’s watch and he stated that he will continue to make that his team’s number one concern before the sport itself.
“We have always applied very good practiced habits and film study to our game as well," Carlisle said. "I think that those two traits are ones that have taken our team a long way.”
What has also taken the team a long way are the actual players themselves. Overall, the Cougars were statistically loaded this year, finishing in the top 20 in all major team statistical categories. This past year’s team was very talented, with each player contributing in a variety of ways to the eventual success.
According to Carlisle, many players improved their game throughout the year. Jerrell Sanders’ overall defensive game was a great influence on a team which allowed only 58 points per game. Sanders will be taking his game to the next level at Gannon University, which is located in Erie, Penn. The school is widely known for its NCAA Division II strength in men’s basketball.
Also, small forward Brandon Beasley tremendously improved one aspect of his game. “Brandon Beasley’s ability to rebound the ball for his position on the floor was just tremendous," Carlisle said. "His production from a small forward standpoint was very good."
Beasley had a team-high average of eight boards a game and also led the team in steals with just over two per game.
Carlisle was clear on the fact that both Greg Rice and Greg LeSage improved their game. Rice, who progressed in his three point shot, led the team with an outstanding 48 percent. Meanwhile, forward LeSage’s ability to finish around the basket also developed well throughout the season.
So what happens next for the Cougars now that the season is over? The coaching staff’s schedule consists of weekend visits and individual workouts for future players. They offer the opportunity for some future players to walk on. In fact, Carlisle and his staff have found success with walk-ons. The past three years, the team has had a walk on that has produced and helped the team to its success.
Carlisle praised his team’s overall success and improvement. “You put all of those previous things together, and you get a little thing I call growth,” he said.