Ohio Valley Conference report

SportsLine Report
March 12, 2000

In the Paint

Coach Kyle Macy had big plans for his third season at Morehead State, but those plans didn't include the departure of Scott Charity in mid-January. Charity, a 6-7 forward, was one of the Eagles' most athletic players, and he left the team with an open invitation to return. When he didn't, the Eagles became almost a one-dimensional team that relied on its perimeter shooting (although 6-7 forward Kyle Umberger was an adequate scorer in the post). After starting the OVC season 3-3, the Eagles faded down the stretch, losing their last five, 11 of their last 12 and missing out on the tournament.

A Glance at 2001

Morehead State will need to add some athletic players and replace hot-shooting Brad Cleaver before next season if it's going to get any better. Recruiting players to the rural setting in Morehead, Ky., isn't the easiest job in the world, and keeping players there is equally tough. Morehead has some good players returning, but no All-OVC quality players. They need a star or two (remember Erik Brown from two years ago?) to make some noise in the OVC.

The Coach

After guiding the Eagles to a tie for third place two seasons back, Kyle Macy's program took a step backward this season, finishing 9-18. In three years, Macy is 25-56 at Morehead. Macy, a former All-American at Kentucky and point guard for its 1978 national championship team, has a highly successful basketball camp and an instructional video, but coaching at the Division I level hasn't come quite as easy. He needs to land a good crop of talent to make a move into the upper-division finish in the OVC.

Who'll Be Back

Freshman Marquis Sykes and junior Greg Hendricks return at the point guard spot after alternating playing time. Also back is 6-5 guard Justin Cornell, who earned a starting job as a freshman, and 6-7 forward Kyle Umberger, also a starter. Travis Williams, a 6-4 forward, played a backup role. These guys give Macy a decent nucleus of players to build around.

Who's Gone

Starting shooting guard Brad Cleaver and starting forward Jeremy Webb exit the program after finishing a disappointing season at Morehead State. Cleaver was one of the better perimeter shooters in the league, averaging 16.7 points and 2.93 3-pointers, which ranked second in the OVC. Cleaver was fourth in 3-point percentage (.439). Brett Bohanan, a 6-4 swing player, also departs after playing a key role off the bench.