College basketball: UTPB men want to turn it up on offense

Last season Quintan Lipkins and Robert Harris felt a little bit like racehorses being held to a trot.

Lipkins and Harris wanted to gallop.

But with the UTPB men's basketball team full of new faces, the Falcons didn't have the chemistry to run the fast break with consistency.

UTPB struggled to a 10-16 finish.

"We know each other this year," Lipkins said. "We were all new guys last year, so now that everybody knows each other we can get out and run."

Lipkins will make sure the Falcons get out and run.

After spending most of last season at off guard - he averaged 15 points per game - the 5-foot-9 Lipkins has been moved back to his natural position, point guard.

From that spot UTPB head coach Randy Lee expects his diminutive senior to be a dual threat opposing defenses have to contain.

"We're going to make him a scoring point," Lee said. "Obviously, we want him to make plays for others, but at the same time, we're not going to make him a pass-first point."

For his part, Lipkins is excited about switching positions.

He may have had a role as a scorer last season, but he has always seen himself as the type of player best suited to setting up buckets for everybody else.

"Prior to last year, I've always been a point guard," Lipkins said. "I look to get assists before I score. But if I feel the need to take over the game, that's the type of point guard I'm going to be."

Lipkins has at least one proven weapon to unleash on opposing defenses.

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Harris has the size to play center, a spot he had to fill for the Falcons last season.

He had stretches of dominant play in that spot, too. Harris averaged 15.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Falcons last year.

But playing in the post limited Harris' ability to use his quickness.

"Rob has an ability to shoot the three and put the ball on the floor," Lee said. "He's a tough matchup for someone his size, because he's not a true post and not a true guard."

Andy Spears, a 6-foot-9 sophomore who played at Abilene Cooper, will start at center for the Falcons this season, which will allow Harris to move to the power forward spot.

Harris won't be a bludgeoning, back-to-the-basket forward.

He plans to be a force on the fast break.

"I'm going to be a matchup problem," Harris said. "If I have a big man on me, I'm going to attack. If there's a smaller guy on me, I'm going to go into the post."

Junior guards Charles Harper and Justin Bailey also are expected to play large roles for the Falcons, but trying to pin down UTPB's supporting cast isn't easy.

As many as 23 players have dressed for practice this season, a number Lee expects to whittle down to 15 for games.

But he still expects to have a deep bench, one that goes 12-deep.

Most coaches only use eight or nine players in their regular rotation.

"We'll use our depth to wear down our opponents," Lee said. "We want to get up and down a little bit more, and to play that way you have to have numbers."

Heartland Conference opponents better be prepared for a track meet at the Falcon Dome this season.

Lipkins, Harris and the rest of the Falcons have full reign to run.

>> 2008-09 UTPB MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DATE   OPPONENT               TIME

Nov. 15 COLLEGE OF THE SOUTHWEST  3:30 p.m.

Nov. 18 WESTERN NEW MEXICO            7:30 p.m.

Nov. 21-22           Tarleton Classic       x-7:30 p.m.

Nov. 24                ABILENE CHRISTIAN 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 29 Angelo State          7 p.m.

Dec. 1   MIDWESTERN STATE 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 4  College of the Southwest       8:30 p.m.

Dec. 15 Abilene Christian     8 p.m.

Dec. 18 ANGELO STATE         7:30 p.m.

Dec. 30                Midwestern State    7 p.m.

Jan. 8  y-Texas A&M International      8 p.m.

Jan. 10 y-Incarnate Word    4 p.m.

Jan. 17 y-NEWMAN               4 p.m.

Jan. 19 y-LINCOLN               8 p.m.

Jan. 22 y-Oklahoma Panhandle State                8 p.m.

Jan. 26 y-Dallas Baptist     7 p.m.

Jan. 29 y-ST. MARY'S          8 p.m.

Jan. 31 y-ST. EDWARD'S      4 p.m.

Feb. 5  y-OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE             8 p.m.

Feb. 7  y-DALLAS BAPTIST    7 p.m.

Feb. 12 y-St. Edward's         8 p.m.

Feb. 14 y-St. Mary's             4 p.m.

Feb. 19 y-Lincoln 8 p.m.

Feb. 21 y-Newman               4 p.m.

Feb. 26                y-INCARNATE WORD                8 p.m.

Feb. 28                y-TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL  4 p.m.

(HOME MATCHES in CAPS; varsity start times approximate)

y-Heartland Conference matches

>> 2008-09 UTPB MEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER

NAME   CLASS     POSITION HEIGHT    HOMETOWN

Mark Avalos         Fr.            G              5-10         El Paso

Justin Bailey       Jr.            G              6-2           Ft. Smith, Ark.

Chris Bateman     Jr.            F              6-8           Wales, England

Jabari Caldwell   Fr.            G              6-3           Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Demitrius Davis   Sr.            G              5-9           Killeen

Emlyn Dodd         Fr.            G              6-4           Glenbrook, Australia

Keenan Gay         So.           F              6-4           New Orleans, La.

Alen Hardy          Fr.            G              6-1           Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Charles Harper    Jr.            G              6-3           San Antonio

Rob Harris           Sr.            F              6-4           Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Josh Hinojos       Fr.            G              6-1           El Paso

Elijah Jordan       Fr.            G              5-11          Los Angeles

Gaylon Lemings  So.           F              6-5           Brentwood, Calif.

Quintan Lipkins   Sr.            G              5-9           Houston

Joe Pacheco        Fr.            G              5-10         El Paso

Robert Rodriguez                So.           F              6-4           San Antonio

Yann Sani            Fr.            F              6-7           Douala, Cameroon

Alexander Scotland-Williamson          Fr.            F              6-8           London

Andy Spears        So.           F              6-9           Abilene

Luther Thomas    So.           G              5-8           Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Kola Togunde      So.           G              5-11          Garland

Mihai Urichianu   Fr.            F              6-7           Bucharest, Romania

Austin Williams    Jr.            G              6-2           Lubbock

Head coach: Randy Lee (fourth season).