The Western Carolina Catamounts competed with vigor and toughness in the Southern Conference in their second complete season.  Led by a great group of guards and an offense that never stopped coming Western Carolina matched up better than expected in this historical league.  If it were not for a couple of big losing streaks in conference, Western Carolina may have been playing ball later in the year.  Coach Jim Gudger has a solid combination of leadership with some solid upperclassmen and some young go getters from his most recent recruits. This worked! He also had a scheme that featured four guards for most of the year and it still worked.  Well to a point!  But Gudger knows that he has to do something to surround these great perimeter players with some size as no matter how well you can run and shoot you still got to defend the rim and especially grab some rebounds. 

Senior Henry Logan is one of the best players in the country you may have not heard about.  Logan is a sensational point guard.  He has all of the skills including being a terrific ball handler and a passer but what sets him apart is his competitive nature.  Logan led the team in points, minutes and assists but also led them is determination and toughness.  Logan has been the man on the Cullowhee North Carolina campus from the day he first stepped on it three years ago and that is saying something especially once you hear his back story. Logan went to High School just up the road at Stephens-Lee in Asheville (an all-black-school) and one day Gudger decided to bring Logan and his buddy Herbert Moore over to Cullowhee to scrimmage. As Moore tells it they did not even know what Western Carolina was even though they grew up only 50 miles away and they for sure didn’t know they would be allowed to play basketball there. Gudger saw the talent in Logan with his amazing leaping ability and incredible first step that left defenders standing flat-footed as he drove to the hoop for another score.  He took a chance on the kid knowing what he would have to endure but knowing he was more than worth the risk due to his incredible talent. But would he (and Moore who came along in the package deal) be able to handle the taunts and slurs that were sure to come?  After all Logan would become the first black basketball player to get a scholarship at a predominantly white school in the still segregated south!  Yes, folks that was only three years ago.  The taunts and slurs and of course threats all came whenever Western Carolina traveled away from Cullowhee County where Logan never had any issues.  How bad was it on the road?  Well, there was that brawl in Boone against the hated Mountaineers when one of their players kept getting overly physical including some flagrant fouls (which of course were not called) with Logan until his teammates jumped in and fisticuffs ensued.  Then there was the trip to Louisiana to play against the great Pistol Pete (himself a North Carolina prep player) in a much anticipated game as they were both leading their respective Divisions in scoring. That game never happened as the courts would not allow the black athletes to play and Logan (and Moore who btw has left the school now) had to sit and watch in street clothes as the Tigers destroyed the Cats as Maravich went for 44 points.  Things have become much better the last couple of years (look at the TPA game last year for example and his now legendary throw down with freshman Michael Jordan of the Tar Heels who he actually dunked over in a game he ended up scoring 34 last season) and the high scoring guard has shown that he not only belongs on the court playing with whoever else can play but he also can handle the competition of Division One.  He might not be scoring the 25 plus points a game he was down there but that is as much as anything to his role of being the primary playmaker and the fact Western Carolina has surrounded him with much talent, especially in the back court, of guys who can also score.  But Logan is still the guy that makes it all work on this high-powered offense as he showed many times in some premium matchups like his showdown with David Thompson of NC State.  As crazy as his numbers are (over 20 points a game scoring, almost 7 assists and over 4 boards a game as a point guard) Logan is always about winning first.  Maybe this team did not win much but anyone who ever played with or against this ‘Wolverine’ of a man knows that Henry Logan is one of the most fiery and competitive players to put on sneakers and is always all about the ‘W.”  

Logan has a plethora of solid wing players around him.  Senior Mel “The Road Warrior” Gibson is all hustle with that Pete Rose kind of drive.  He does what it takes to get the job done.  He also has matinee idol looks and the fans love him.  By the way he can play.  Known for his great speed and tenacity on the court the ‘Speed Racer’ might have more nicknames than anyone in the game.  The ‘Cordova Comet’ is one of these as he was born in Cordova and is a legend here as he was as essential to the Cats great run to the finals of the NAIA three years ago as anyone on the team including Logan.  Gibson is the Riggs to Logan’s Murtaugh but as the two seem to have a connection that you just can’t describe unless you see it in person.  Gibson always seems to be in the right spot when Logan is going to the hoop for one of his patented drop passes to his sidekick who truly understands how to finish the play.  When Logan gets in trouble Gibson is always there to bail him out.  Always!  These two are as opposite as dare I say it night and day off the court but on the court they are indeed the best back court in the Tar Heel State not named Jordan and Ford and to be honest that could be debatable.  Gibson hails from Rockingham of Speedway (get it Speed Racer?) fame and is every bit the Redneck one might suppose he would be and yes he is definitely a bit of a bigot as his name might suggest but that all goes away on the basketball court.  But boy I would loved to be there the day Logan walked into the gym and tried to take the court from Gibson and his boys.  You would have to have a Braveheart to stand up to this kid but the Wolverine ie Logan is all of that.  Now of course they are the best teammates ever and Gibson would do whatever it takes to keep Logan free!  A great scorer and defender, Gibson gave up time, not willingly of course, to a pair of underclassmen but he still started every game except for one (late night Mel?) next to Logan because even Gudger isn’t that Brave! 

 Western Carolina are filled with shooters though and if not for some injuries early we may not have heard of this dynamic duo.  Sophomore Ronnie Carr and Junior Bubba Wilson may have even more range than Batman and Robin eh King and Martin.  Carr was an inspiration off the bench and Wilson may have next level talent.  And speaking of historic, Carr last year made the first three pointer in college history!    

Senior Ronald Rogers is definitely a man with a mission.  Rogers started the season in the back court with Logan and Gibson in their three-guard set in what was expected to be a high octane offense. It was but an injury opened the door early on for the others to compete. And they did as Carr, Wilson and fellow wings Greg Dennis got more minutes than expected!  Junior Albert Toomer got the most minutes as he more of a true small forward and this team needed more size even on the wing.  Gudger has even more wings coming into to compete so Rogers better be ready to compete but this kid a gamer.  With the new recruits coming in, Rogers, once a huge stud in this program might have to take a demotion in what is best for the program as one of the big three have to sit and they really do need more athleticism on the wing.  Many of his teammates that were once studs such as Danny Tharpe and Harris Pryor are in the same boat and will be lucky on the court in their final year wearing purple and gold.  But these two are also studs on the baseball diamond so they got that going for them. 

Up front Western Carolina may not have been as talented but competed.  Senior Greg Wittman handled one of the post positions with aplomb.  Wittman is not big (six eight and about 210) but gets the job done with good moves and knowing how to use his body.  He was a good offensive option and phenomenal on the boards.  Wittman probably could have scored more but the Cats fell in love with the three with their wings and never really developed an inside game.  Still, Whitman averaged double digits in points and 9 boards a game and as interchangeable as the wings were might have been the most important Cat outside of Logan.  Whitman is a quiet, smart kid that did not ache for the spot light but goes about his business and works his tail end off every night.  Whitman also hails from Rockingham but does not have any of Gibson’s cool nicknames or an entire fan base made up of coeds but he does not seem to mind the lack of attention as this lunch pail guy just likes coming to the court and doing his work.  And playing the five on his frame even in this conference is one mighty task.  In the ACC Whitman would have had a hard time guarding the fours but in the SoCon he was the five and matched up well with the vertically challenged league.  The wings are king in this league and shooting the three is paramount but somebody has to wipe the glass and Whitman is as good at that as there is in this league.  He will get a shot as a pro probably as a backup four but don’t bet against this kid because basketball IQ is just as big of a skill as size unless your name is Shawn Kemp of course!  Senior Tommy Lavelle fell prey to the same disease but did not seem to mind.  Lavelle is ab old horse who loves to work in the trenches and can plow all day long.  LaVelle got more rebounds than points and really did not have the size needed to compete with some of the more athletic big men in this conference but man did he try.  These two will return as the starters unless some of the recruits knock them out of the key.  The front court depth is basically two guy as of now as seniors Darrell Murray and Dave ‘Daydream Believer’ got almost as many minutes as the starters.  Well, at least Murray did.  Murray is not quite as big but just as tough and will also play many minutes.  Jones has some size and will help with boards but does not score much.  There are some kids coming in with size including a 6’9 242 pound stud from Pomona Florida so there will be some competition but Gudger loves those three seniors.  Juniors Paul Litz and sophomore Kenny Trimier played mostly on the JV last year and will get a shot at some minutes but don’t be surprised if the three seniors eat up all of the minutes again.  Speaking of the JV, guards Lee Gibbs and Quinton Lytle spent all of the year down there and though they are way down the line will battle for minutes but probably next year, not this one. 

 Western Carolina have a good solid team.  They have a terrific backcourt that was one of the best in a conference filled with great perimeter players but their frontline was undersized and not athletic enough. Still, they played well together and this team showed a lot of toughness.  Plenty of players got minutes and even though they lost 19 games last year there is hope for next year.  Will Western Carolina be able to bring this program back to their glory days of the NAIA and make the Lair the feared home court that old Reid Gym was when they won 45 games in a row!  Those kind of numbers may be long gone for Coach Gudger but he does have enough talent to compete at the D-1 level if he can find some steady big men to hang with his gifted wings. He has the point guard in the legend that is Henry Logan!