This brash young coach was just what the DJ put on his playlist in Mobile! Arrow had led the Ravens to national recognition and even won a few titles in Pasadena. He gave all of that up when the Jaguars offered him the gig.  The first thing Arrow did was use his connections and schedule a game against the Big Daddy’s in Bama, the Crimson Tide for this year. Alabama has taken a chapter out of the Ohio State playbook and avoided playing the up start programs in their stats so as to not give them any cred.  Arrow was having none of that and baited Wimp Sanderson into playing the Jaguars this year. Arrow is a straight shooter and all he had to do was respond to a simple question on the potential matchup with the answer of ‘Chickens don’t go to War!’  Well, it’s on like Donkey Kong and somehow it is going to be played in the Mitchell Center in Mobile.  Arrow knows he must get his ‘chickens in a row’ if he is going to compete with the talent that Bama will bring to town. Not surprisingly, this coach with more connections then a railroad station decided to recruit two year students from the Juco world. If any coach can find the best talent there is in the JC world it is Arrow so there will be some talent suiting up for the Jaguars this year.  The key will be how quick Arrow can turn this group of individual players from around the country into a team.  He has done that pretty well at the JC level but this is an entirely different level of play at D-1. 

Arrow might be bringing in a bunch of new faces to this traveling city but he does have some solid young core talent to build around left over from his predecessor, the great Cliff Ellis who has moved onto the ACC.  He has a pair of second year duos in both the front court and back court from which to build around.  Ed Rains and Rory White form the bookend forward combo.  This is not exactly a Batman and Robin but more of a Batman and Batman thing as these two are similar in style and skill sets.  Neither is huge physically but both can score and rebound.  They get matched up against much bigger foes on a regular basis but make up for it with smarts and toughness.  White has changed his game to fit more of a post player (out of need) and became a reliable inside-outside performer.  At six eight he has the size to defend fours though at 210 he is a bit overmatched with monsters like Karl Malone or Ralph Crosthwaite.  White is a true airman (he is from Tuskegee) and he can finish on the break. This guy gets his job done with desire and a terrific basketball IQ.  He is the ultimate team player and will make Arrow’s transition much smoother.  Last year the recruiting of White and Rains was a huge game changer for the Jags.  Rains came west after a terrific high school run in Ocala Florida and was somehow missed by the bigger schools in the Sunshine state.  Their loss because this kid (and White for that matter) could play on any team in the south though I doubt they would start for Alabama or Auburn.  It isn’t often that two kids come in and play right away and that is probably why these two chose the Jaguars. They had their freshman season to play together and have developed quite a bond.  They understand each other and most importantly cover for each other’s mistakes.  There might not be the best two forwards in the country but they were as good as any freshmen last year and they for sure played more minutes.  Rains, at a svelte 6’7 190, is more of a true three and matches up well with the gifted forwards of the Sun Belt.  He can score inside and out though he is not really a three-point guy.  He is also a terrific passer who really understands how to play this game.  He can run the court on the break, play through half court sets and guards athletic wings.  Rains is also the best defensive player on the team who lead the Jags in steals and is perfect for the pressure defense Arrow likes to throw at opponents with his solid combination of long arms and quickness.  He is truly a complete player.  

Two juniors will get some minutes up front but are nowhere near big enough to hang at this level for extended minutes.  Andy Denny and Roger Webb both go under six five and really don’t run or jump that well but both can put the ball in the hoop. Still, the chances of earning back some minutes (they were the stars of this team when it first entered D-1 two years ago) are slim to none especially with the slew of JC big men coming to Mobile.  The Jags are not deep up front and lack size but they have some talent and they have chemistry.  And man do they need a true center.  The one big man they have on their roster is sophomore Kelly Blaine.  This 6’11 215 pounder from Lake Charles Louisiana is green as they come. He played sparingly on varsity as he does not have much offense but Arrow needs his size inside if he is going to press.  Fellow sophomore John May played much more often than Blaine did and is a tough game.  At 6’8 210 he does not score much either but he loves the dirty work down in the paint. 

The strength of the Jaguars is a vastly underrated backcourt.  Two members of the unbelievable sophomore class the Ellis brought in became a great pair of teammates.  Jeff Hodge and Junie Lewis or Peanut Butter and Jelly as they are known to USA fans have become synonymous with great guard play in just one season together. The funny thing is that this marriage made in heaven almost didn’t happen.  You see Lewis was a street wise kid from Philly who was a huge talent and heavily recruited out of Abington High School.  He chose to go to Pittsburgh but did not like the fact he was barely playing Ellis convinced to come play in Mobile.  He only had to sit out a few games after transferring (thank you portal Gods) and quickly developed an incredible rapport with Hodge.  His new sidekick in crime on the other hand came from Birmingham where he won Alabama player of the year honors at Woodlawn High. Ellis also convinced him to come play in Mobile (after the Crimson Tide passed on him) and he instantly became the starting two guard and led the team in scoring his freshman year.  Both of these Jags are six three and although they seem interchangeable have definitive roles.  Lewis is a true point guard who runs the team though he can definitely fill it up with great moves and a desire to get to the hoop.  Hodge is a true shooting guard with the emphasis on shooting.  He easily led the team in three point shooting but also has a high percentage (42%) meaning he does not just fire away from behind the arc.  After all you don’t get a nickname like PB & J if you don’t fit together and these two most definitely fit together.  But they do have some similar skills as well.  Both can score and both can set up teammates.  They both play in your face defense and are the key to the Jag press with their length and quickness on the ball and in passing lanes.  They both are clutch and took turns hitting big shots at the end of games. This duo hit more big baskets than carter has liver pills but none will ever be bigger for Hodge or for USA then the one he hit at the end of last year to upset UAB.  That shot put this program on the map and most importantly gave the Jags something to hang their hat on for their future which definitely includes this tremendous duo for the next three years.  They might not be as talented as some backcourts (they are no Maravich and Jackson) but they make up for it with the kind camaraderie (unlike the aforementioned Tigers) you do not find much at any level. They seem to know where the other is going to be and hit each other for open looks almost naturally.  Arrow is lucky to have this pair and they will continue to move this team forward.  After all where would Peanut Butter be without Jelly and vice versa.  And btw which one is Peanut Butter and which one is Jelly? 

Now for some of those vaunted new recruits.  Sophomore to be big man Terry Catledge is for sure the biggest get for Arrow.  He may be as important to his new team as any player in the conference.  This kid was looked over coming from small town Houston Mississippi and got screwed out of his freshman year when he left school early for a JC but returned before the season started.  The mighty powers that be ruled he had lost his first year so comes in with a chip on his shoulder. He actually came to town last spring as he got to enroll early and got to play with his new teammates in the off season program. He is an inside force and will be playing center though he only goes a svelte six eight and 220. On this small team he will end up guarding the other team’s center and though this kid is athletic and muscular it is no small task guarding much bigger guys like Big Jim McDaniels or Artis Gilmore.  And the Mailman is not exactly chopped liver though he is only six nine (but of course he is a chiseled 265).  I am sure these two sophomore studs will be facing each other many more times and we are not just talking about the next three years (or less as the pros are chomping at the bit to get these two under contract).  He will also become the go to guy on offense and Catledge is not immune to finish a fast break with a flurry.  Catledge has the skills and athleticism to post up inside or guard small forwards on the perimeter.  He also has good range for a big man.  With all of his talent the best attribute of Cat is his incredible drive.  He backs down from no one and seems to play at a speed that most wings do even though he is getting up and down the entire 94 feet on every possession, both offensively and defensively. Arrow has some other bigger guys who he hopes can move Catledge to a more natural power forward position (and move either White or Rains to the bench) but for now the new coach has made it clear the Cat Man will be his center this year.  Arrow just recently signed two more two year guys who will battle for minutes up front.  Rick Sinclair and Dave Davis go 6’9 and 6’10 respectively so yes there is some size coming to Mobile. 

Lewis and Hodge have a great bench behind them that played well in their roles.  Juniors Eugene Oliver and Kent (the Scout) Carson were the carryover incumbents last year but did not last long.  Carson actually started a couple of games before PB & J got their squish on and moved this duo down to the end of the bench.  Sophomore Michael Garren is another JC recruit coming to town.  He is a three-point specialist and instant offense off the bench.  He has great size for a guard at six foot six but also has point guard skills. Garren is not a one trick pony and he helps on the boards and is a good passer but he knows where his bread is buttered and with PB & J around knows his role will be as a shooter (and not a catcher).  Arrow grabbed a bunch of one year juco dudes including Herb Andrew.  Andrews is a true point who gives Arrow a nice rotation off the bench. Andrew is not much of a scorer but is a terrific defender and Coach Arrow trusts him implicitly with the keys to this ‘fast car’ when Tracy Chapman er Junie Lewis needs a break.  Sophomore Dexter Shouse will also be in the mix at point guard as there is a long line behind the dynamic Eugene Lewis or Junie to his friends. Shouse is a defensive specialist who will shut down somebody and specializes in pick pocketing.  All four are solid off the bench and give Arrow solid depth on the perimeter.  Scott Williams is another option on the wing who goes 6’6 but can really pass.  Not the most athletic this kid play the point last year on JV but a long list of studs in front if he wants to get off the pine this year. 

The South Alabama Jaguars may not have the most talent in the Sun Belt conference but they are learning how to play together and more importantly win together.  Coach Cliff Arrow is instilling toughness and the kids are learning to play his specific brand of fast break and pressure defense.  This program is not old and the players are similar but energetic and much more talented than one might expect.  These kids are getting used to this level of competition and are adjusting fast and best part the core group is doing it all together with on the job training.  Arrow has brought a bunch of gamers from the JC ranks to the party as he just came from winning titles at that level in Texas.  With a strong nucleus of four starters (all sophomores by the way) who play every game and are really building something strong together for the future.  The biggest weakness on this team in the lack of size up front and Arrow has made that a priority in his recruitment especially the JC kids.  If enrollment is any barometer than South Alabama is definitely moving in the right direction as this young college has 15,000 students already.  You can hear the chants of USA, USA, USA every time you enter the Mithcell Center.  The future is bright in Mobile!