Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009

You must be this tall: Height issues not a problem for Edwardsville Tigers

EDWARDSVILLE -- While other Southwestern Conference teams face height issues, that won't be a problem for the Edwardsville Tigers.

Edwardsville, which opens its season Dec. 4 against visiting Collinsville, returns the best player in the league in 6-foot-6 senior Will Triggs.

Triggs, who has signed with Division I Austin Peay in Tennessee, averaged 15.9 points and 10.7 rebounds last season when the Tigers finished 22-6 overall and shared the conference championship with Belleville East.

"Triggs has really improved," said Edwardsville coach Mike Waldo, who enters his 23rd-year at the helm. "He's quicker, faster and stronger. He's shooting it well, dribbling it well and passing it well. He's got good skills and he tries hard, and that's a good combination.

"I know Will is going to do a good job and we're glad to have him."

The Tigers have three other big bodies in 6-9 senior Nick Anderson, 6-7 junior Zach Sedlacek (pronounced SED-lack) and 6-5 junior Rodney Coe. Anderson, however, will miss at least the first four weeks of the season with a broken right hand suffered in practice.

"That will hurt us early in the year because he was doing a good job," said Waldo, expressing optimism that Anderson can use the down time to develop his nonshooting left hand.

"He's a big guy," Waldo said. "He blocks shots well and he's a very good defensive player. He's developing offensively. We have to keep him in shape."

Sedlacek will replace Anderson in the starting lineup to open the year. He'll be joined by Triggs, 6-0 senior point guard Tommie Anderson, 6-1 sophomore shooting guard Quincy Morgan and 6-3 junior forward Brandon Wheeler.

"Wheeler had a good JV year for us last year and he played well this summer," Waldo said. "I think he'll do a little bit of everything for us. He can shoot and pass, he plays scrappy and is good on defense."

Tommie Anderson averaged 3.2 points last season.

"Tommie knows how we want to play offensively and defensively," Waldo said. "He handles the ball well, he passes it well and he can make 3-point baskets. With our inside people, I think Tommie will get a lot of shots from the outside --and I think he'll make them."

Morgan earned more playing time late last season and averaged three points.

"He's improved his size and physical strength a lot, and his shooting has improved a lot," Waldo said. "He's got a year of varsity basketball from last year and has improved in all aspects. He's a good playmaker. He can do a lot of good things around the basket."

Senior guard Kuna Lahoi-tumagoi provides depth behind Tommie Anderson and Morgan, but will serve a seven-game suspension to open the season. Another perimeter player, Matt Haberer, did not return to the team.

Coe is coming off a strong football season in which he helped the Tigers reach the Class 7A playoffs by rushing for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns.

"He's been practicing pretty well," Waldo said. "He gives us another big guy inside."

As usual, Waldo is emphasizing improvement.

"We've just been practicing the first couple of weeks like we always do," he said. "It takes a long time to get good at basketball, so we're trying to get better every day. We've got a little different personnel this year so we're going to play a little differently than in the past. That's taking some time also."

Waldo envisions tough battles every game in the SWC.

"The conference is real good," Waldo said. "I think we'll be a competitive team. There's a lot of good teams in the conference. I don't know whether we're the favorite. It's going to be competitive and we'll try to win as many as we can.

"All the teams are going to be improved. O'Fallon, East Side and the Bellevilles will all be good and Collinsville will be improved."