College basketball: UTPB women shoot for improvement under new coach

November 12, 2008 10:56 PM

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BY JOEL A. ERICKSON

Adam Collins thought he needed a spot on the national stage.

Most coaches do.

"I wanted to make the move to Division I," Collins said. "I think that's everybody's goal when you start coaching."

For two years, Collins had his spot.

He gave it up. Collins is taking over the reins of the UTPB women's basketball program after spending two years at the Division I level as the director of basketball operations at UNC-Wilmington.

To some, the choice might seem a little crazy.

He still had his spot.

UNC-Wilmington sits right next to the cradle of college basketball, a 2½-hour drive from the hotbeds coached by Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams.

And the Seahawks aren't bad. UNC-Wilmington has four NCAA tournament appearances since 2000.

But the more time Collins spent at UNC-Wilmington, the more he wanted to get back into coaching.

"Being a head coach at a good school was what I really wanted," Collins said. "Not necessarily worrying about what level I was at."

UTPB was waiting with arms open.

Fresh off of a 2-25 season, UTPB needed somebody to change the program's direction.

Not only did Collins fill the Lady Falcons' open coaching position, his administrative skills have allowed him to fill the school's slot as assistant athletic director.

First and foremost, though, Collins is a coach.

A coach focused on defense.

"Everything we do is defense-orientated," Collins said. "If we win every game 60-59, I'm fine with that."

Collins, who has always coached on the men's side in college, has the credentials to turn UTPB into a stopper. In his previous stint as a head coach at Mercyhurst Northeast Junior College (Pa.), Collins coached the Saints to a 44-14 record and a top-10 national defensive ranking.

Collins wants UTPB to play tough man-to-man. Deny the wing. Put pressure on the ball.

And that has required a climate change in practice.

"It took a lot at the beginning," senior center Taneesha Leak said. "It was more like a free-for-all last year, but I think everybody's getting used to it."

Like most defensive coaches, Collins can be a hard-driver in practice, a perfectionist who wants to make sure his team makes the right play every time.

Tough man-to-man defense requires discipline.

And that plays right into Leak's hands. Leak may be the Lady Falcons' leading returning scorer at 7 points per game, but at heart she's a stopper in the middle.

"I love defense," Leak said. "That's weird, because a lot of people wouldn't say that, but I love getting steals and blocking shots."

UTPB will have to score some points to win, though, and the Lady Falcons have a new catalyst on offense.

Freshman point guard Tammy Acosta - a 5-foot-4 speedster who played at El Paso Americas High School - has been charged with sparking the Lady Falcons' offense.

Acosta's quickness is an asset on offense, but it might be even more important on defense.

"He really pushes us," Acosta said. "That's what we need to do. If we play defense, we'll do well."

Coaching UTPB may seem like a far cry from a successful Division I program.

Collins isn't worried.

"A lot of people may question this now," Collins said. "But three years from now I think a lot of people will look at me and say, ‘Boy, I wish had his job.'"

>> 2008-09 UTPB WOMEN'S BASKETBALLSCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT TIME

Nov. 15 COLLEGE OF THE SOUTHWEST 1 p.m.

Nov. 17 TEXAS A&M KINGSVILLE 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 20 Tarleton State 6 p.m.

Nov. 21 Eastern New Mexico TBA

Nov. 24 ABILENE CHRISTIAN 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 29 TARLETON STATE 2 p.m.

Dec. 3 Ft. Lewis College 6 p.m.

Dec. 5-6 CSU-Pueblo Tournament x-2 p.m.

Dec. 13 College of the Southwest TBA

Dec. 15 WAYLAND BAPTIST 5:30 p.m.