GETTING INSIDE

Tom Parrotta thinks it’s time.

“When you start to rebuild a program, the blueprint is three years,” the Canisius coach says as he starts his fourth year on the job. “With this group now, we have guys who have played together for the last two seasons.”

The Golden Griffs won 11 games last year. There were signs things were getting better. Just not enough of them.

For this team to get better, it has to get better in the fundamentals department.

For instance, Canisius turned the ball over 509 times last year, 16.4 per game. And the Griffs shot .616 from the foul line, and .287 from 3-point range.

Their best player, Frank Turner, one of the better players in the conference, had 124 assists and 126 turnovers, shot just 18-for-64 from behind the arc and .646 from the line.

That is how you score just 62.6 points per game.

NOTES, QUOTES

• The Canisius team prepared for practice with a three-day ROTC minicamp.

“It was more than just a mini-boot camp, it was a team-building experience,” said junior captain Robert Goldsberry. “Each day, we had to fight and pull together as a team to get through the morning’s challenges. I could tell that my teammates and I were starting to communicate a lot more and helped us to push each other through the tasks that were in front of us.”

• The Griffs had a late signing, adding 6-foot-3 local guard Reggie Groves over the summer. He was projected as a part of the main rotation.

• The team was healthy entering fall practice.

• Desmond Oliver joined the coaching staff and Rob Norris was elevated to associate head coach.

• Canisius will be part of this year’s BracketBuster series.

Last Year:   11-20 overall, 4-14 in the MAAC; lost in the NEC quarterfinals.

Head Coach:   Tom Parrotta (career 29-64); fourth year at Canisius (2-64).

Quote To Note:   “There’s been a good flow to practice early on. In the past we had to stop a lot and teach because we had so many new guys. Now this year, we have only a few new guys and things flow much better. Hopefully the steps we take this year will pay off for all the hard work we’ve put in over the past few seasons.”—Canisius coach Tom Parrotta on his team.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   The Griffs have a pair of freshman guards, one who signed late, and both Reggie Groves and Rob Gagliardi should be key players off the bench.

Key Early-season Games:   With two Loyola (Md.) games built into the schedule, the Griffs open the season at another Loyola, just north of downtown Chicago, on Nov. 17. Canisius is in the Southern Mississippi Christmas Tournament Dec. 21-23, playing North Florida, the host team and New Orleans.

Program Direction:   Still stalled, but Tom Parrotta is hoping for better things in Year 3, after going from six to 11 wins in his first two seasons.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG Frank Turner, SG Julius Coles, G Robert Goldsberry, F Greg Logins, F Tomas Vasquez Simmons.

Roster Report:  

• G Frank Turner averaged 15.6 points a game last year and remains the player other teams have to try to stop in this Canisius lineup. He was named third team All-MAAC after last season.

• G Bob Bevilacqua is doing a season-long blog on the program’s website. “Since I have been here, this has been the best first week of practice by far,” he says. “Guys are competing and playing hard and our practices have run smoothly. Still, we know that we have a long way to go if we are to reach our goal.”

• G Gaby Belardo, a transfer from South Florida, is sitting out this season.