By Paul Gotham
BUFFALO, N.Y. — On the surface, the task at hand appears straightforward: develop a program which can maintain success over an extended period of time.
It sounds simple. Right? Take a team and move forward making steady progress along the way.
The execution of such a plan can get tricky.
Jim Baron, the 23rd head coach in the history of Canisius men’s basketball program, inherits a team who won just five games last year and has not had a winning record in more than a decade. There is plenty of opportunity to make steady progress.
Baron’s first team, though, consists of five players who logged significant minutes a year ago along with three transfers – two of whom will play their first and last games in a Golden Griffin uniform during Baron’s first year as coach. Before these Golden Griffins can move forward, Baron will need to mold his own group.
“That’s going to be the challenge bringing them all together developing a nucleus and building a chemistry of guys to come off the bench and are ready to play,” Baron said during the Big 4 media day at the Pearl Street Grill in downtown Buffalo, New York. “It’s going to take time. It’s a process of development building chemistry and getting guys to gain some confidence as they move forward.”
Baron has plenty of experience rebuilding programs. He took over a St. Francis Pa. team which hadn’t known a winning record in six seasons. The Red Flash climbed to the top of the Northeast Conference in 1991, Baron’s third year, and earned the school’s only trip to the NCAA Tournament.
In 1992, he returned to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure and took over a Bona program with a combined 22 wins in three seasons. Baron delivered the Bonnies to the 1995 NIT with an 18-13 record. Eventually, SBU reached the 2000 NCAA Tournament for the first time in 22 years.
The Brooklyn, New York native moved on to Rhode Island where he guided the Rams through sanctions imposed by the NCAA. Rhode Island eventually strung together four consecutive 20-win season. URI’s 2011 graduating class recorded the most wins by any class in school history.
In each case Baron needed time to establish a foundation, and success followed. With Canisius, Baron has four guys who will finish their collegiate playing careers this season. A sense of urgency exists.
“It’s going to be a challenge. We got to play to win right now,” Baron explained. “With only having guys for one year I want to help them win.”
Alshwan Hymes will finish his four-year career at Canisius this season. Harold Washington, who transferred from Cecil College, also ends his time in Blue and Gold after two seasons. The pair combined to average more than 30 points per game this year.
Freddy Asprilla (Kansas State) and Isaac Sosa (Central Florida) sat out last year per NCAA transfer requirements. The duo has one year to play for the Golden Griffins.
“A lot of these guys are coming from good programs and good schools, and they’re going to be jumping right into the fire quickly,” Baron continued. “The big thing for me is I want to improve each and every game, and I want to learn from each and every game as we prepare for the league.”
Chris Manhertz, Josiah Heath and Kevin Bleeker also return for the Griffs.
“I like numbers, and I like guys to be ready,” Baron added. “When you have this many pieces, you got to build trust quickly. I got to get them out the funk of losing. We got to have a new culture.”
Jim Baron will have help building faith among his team. His youngest son, Billy, followed his dad to Canisius.
When the elder Baron was relieved of his duties in Rhode Island, Billy appealed to the NCAA and was granted a waiver. The 6-2 guard brings with him an impressive blend of athleticism, strength and finesse. The younger Baron can run the point, get to the basket and hit the open shot.
“He’s worked very hard to prepare himself,” the elder Baron said. “He’s very unselfish and makes guys better.”
The younger Baron led Bishop Hendricken to three Rhode Island state titles. He accepted a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Virginia out of prep school but after one semester reconsidered and returned home. He played three semesters for the Rams before his dad lost his job. In the brief time Jim Baron was without a coaching gig, the younger Baron received offers from several schools including Purdue. He opted to attend Canisius.
His presence will create an immediate impact for Washington. At his best, the 6-1 guard slipped through defenses last year like he was made of bamboo and spring-loaded twisting and bounding to the rim. At his worst, Washington disappeared when opposing defenses focused on him. With the responsibility as the Griffs’ primary ball handler, Washington struggled to score consistently.
“That’s really taken a lot off Harold’s shoulders, and now he can play his game. They’re going to play off each other because they both can handle the ball at different times.”
“Harold can be an outstanding defensive player. He’s a terrific athletic guard. I’ve talked to him about the challenges of trying be one of the best defensive players not only in the league but in the country. We’ll have that ability to put him on different players against good teams with good guards.”
Baron also has an inside track with Asprilla and Sosa. His coaching experience includes a stint with the Panamanian national team in which Baron guided the Central American nation to the 1982 World Cup, 1983 Latin American championships, the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1992 Pre-Olympics.
“I’ve coached the Panama Olympic team for 10 years. I know Latin players,” Baron said. “I’ve coached down in South America. I’ve coached in Puerto Rico. I know these guys. They know some of the players that I had with Panama Olympic team.”
Baron will have plenty of choices with his lineup. He can go with three guards using a combination of the younger Baron, Sosa, Washington and Hymes who set a Canisius single-season record with 84 three-pointers last year.
“We’re going to push that ball. Those are guys who can get up and down the floor,” Baron said of Hymes, Sosa, Washington and the younger Baron. “They can also score the ball from the perimeter. We’re going to take advantage of what we have and get up and down the court.”
At the same time, the Griffs can go big with Manhertz (6-6), Asprilla (6-10), Heath (6-9) and Jordan Heath (6-10).
“We’re definitely going to try to be as athletic as we can, but by the same token we are going to try to use our size.”
Canisius host exhibitions against Ryerson (Nov. 2) and Eckerd (Nov. 8) before tipping it off for real against Boston University on November 12. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center.
“I’m putting a lot of emphasis on the defense and rebounding because that is a team stat, Baron said. “Blocking shots, taking charges, getting to the free throw line – those are team stats that you got build, and if you really want to win that’s what you got to build with consistency doing.”
Canisius will get a chance to gauge their chemistry and the challenge of achieving consistency in two short weeks.
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