By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

Forward Simi Socks scored 19 points Monday night as the Incarnate Word Cardinals raced past Trinity, 93-57.

With strong play from the reserves, UIW broke the game open with a 26-8 burst in the final 8:33 of the first half in front of announced crowd of 1,234 at the UIW Convocation Center.

Redshirt freshman Christian Peevy came off the bench and contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals, who improved to 2-0 on the season.

Senior Sam Burmeister added 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Augustine Ene added 11. Ene, a freshman from Carrolton, hit 5 of 6 shots from the field.

Danny Rivara scored 12 and Stephen Molina 11 for the Tigers. The game counted as an exhibition for Trinity, which competes in NCAA Division III.

By Jerry Briggs
For theJBreplay.com

I always knew I had to return to write about the UTSA basketball program. After being sidelined last year in my first year outside the world of daily newspapers, it was tough to attend games and not have an insight into what was going on in the locker room.

It just felt weird.

So when the opportunity arose to get back into the flow with the development of this website, I figured it would be fun to start talking to the young ball players again. To sit down and pick their brains on any number of subjects.

That’s the beauty of writing about the game at this level.

Athletes are appreciative of the attention. They’re much less guarded than the guys playing in the Power 5 programs, or at the next level, in the NBA. You can carry on a conversation and get to know them.

I had my first such encounter recently with Nick Allen, UTSA’s starting power forward. I knew Nick a little a bit two seasons ago, my last year on the beat for the San Antonio Express-News. But I never knew about his appreciation for classic rock music.

A few days after the Roadrunners returned home from Huntsville, where they played their first exhibition last weekend against Sam Houston State, I ran into Nick in the hallway outside the dressing room. I approached him and asked a leading question: “You guys hit 15 threes against Sam?”

Allen smiled. Compared to last year, when the Roadrunners would play for weeks and not make 10 shots from long distance, it was a change. It was different. Almost, other worldly. “Kind of like the dark side of the moon,” Allen said, with a straight face.

The statement stuck with me.

It came to mind again Sunday when UTSA played its season opener at the Convocation Center and pumped in 11 threes. On the strength of 47 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent from long distance, the Roadrunners hammered the East Central (Oklahoma) Tigers, 92-59.

Two freshmen, Keaton Wallace and Jhivvan Jackson, combined to nail nine of them. Wallace, if you remember, hit six from long distance in Huntsville. He hit another six against the Tigers, a Division II team from Ada, Oklahoma.

I do know that Wallace and Jackson probably won’t shoot like that every night. For instance, as soon as the Roadrunners get off the bus Wednesday in San Marcos, I’m fairly certain the Texas State Bobcats will be in their faces.

UTSA’s I-35 rivals from the Division I Sun Belt Conference likely are already scheming to stop them. It will be the first true test for the Roadrunners this season.

One thing is for sure, however. After the first game of the season, I’m happy I got to know Nick Allen a little better. The 6-foot-8 native of Surprise, Ariz., is surprisingly well-versed in old-school rock. Being sort of an old dude myself, I like that.

But how did Allen acquire enough of a taste for a band like Pink Floyd, who started making psychedelic music in England in the 1960s, to be able to quote from a lyric to an inquiring sports writer?

“Just growing up, my oldest brother, he liked classical rock,” Allen said Sunday. “Between me and him, there’s 16 years. He’s a lot older than I was. I don’t know. Just riding in the car and stuff, it was all Pink Floyd, all types of old classical rock. It was what we always listened to.”

So, there you have it. From Nick Allen. UTSA’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ tour, coming to a college basketball arena near you.

Freshman guard Keaton Wallace led all scorers with 22 points Sunday as UTSA opened its season with a 92-59 victory over East Central, Oklahoma.

The Roadrunners shot 47.1 percent from the field and held the Tigers to 32 percent.

East Central is coming off a 25-8 season and an NCAA Division II Central Regional semifinal appearance. Division I UTSA is trying to improve on a 14-19 record from last year.

The availability of freshman center Adrian Rodriguez for a game Wednesday night at Texas State is in question after he injured his left knee in the second half.

Forward Byron Frohnen has emerged as a key player in the rebuilding effort of Coach Steve Henson at UTSA. The 6-6 sophomore from Las Vegas averaged 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds last year. He was one of only two freshmen in Conference USA to start every game. As UTSA prepares to open a new season this afternoon against East Central, Oklahoma, theJBreplay.com shines a spotlight on Frohnen with an interview conducted two months ago at the start of fall training:

What’s it been like to play for coach Henson?

He’s been amazing from the start. Details are huge with him. It’s really fun to play the style of play he likes. I’m excited.

Just like today, some things broke down at the end of practice and he let you know about it. He’s got his game face on already.

He does. He’s always serious. No matter what time of year it is. We need that. Season starts right now for us. We got to start getting ready and being better.

Let me ask, what are your goals this year … your team goals?

Team goals? Definitely, we’re trying to win the conference tournament. That’s the goal every year. We’re trying to get to the Big Dance, and I definitely think this group’s going to be able to accomplish that. If we can come together as one and get that team chemistry together, I think we’re going to be really good.

You won a game at the tournament last spring and then played Middle Tennessee tough. What will it take to win it?

At the tournament, it’s a whole another level. Everyone steps up their game to another level. I think toughness is going to be the biggest thing. We hung with Middle Tennessee for a while, but at the end of the day, they were just tougher than us. So, I think conditioning is going to be a major part of that and getting in the weight room is too.

What about the transition from high school? How did you feel this time last year, compared to right now?

This time last year, it was crazy. Like, the level of competition went up immensely. The physicality is at another level, too. This time we know what to expect. We’re ready for a big year.

What about winning 14 games last year … the fans seemed to be OK with it, given how down the team was the year before. Were you OK with it?

No, not at all. The fans might have been happy compared to the years before. But we let a lot of close games go last year. On the road. At home against Charlotte. Those are games we could have won. I think we could have easily reached 20 wins last year. So, looking to improve this year.

What do you think you’ve done to improve your game?

My game? For one, I’m trying to lose a little weight. Trying to get quicker, more athletic. Coach wants me to play more (power forward) this year so I can get some mismatches at the top of the key. To blow by people or knock it down in their face.

You played mostly three last year?

Yes.

What about your range on the jump shot?

I’ve been working on it. I’ve been in the gym most every day working on it. It’s getting there. Definitely improving.

By Jerry Briggs
For the thejbreplay.com

A few pressing questions loom for fans of the Incarnate Word Cardinals in the wake of Friday night’s 87-71, season-opening victory over the Southwestern Pirates.

First of all, when will the 3-pointers start to fall for a program that is traditionally one of the best long-distance shooting teams in the Southland Conference?

Next, and maybe most intriguing, how can the media accurately describe the dancing style of junior power forward Charles Brown III?

“You’ll have to ask him,” UIW guard Sam Burmeister said. “Go interview him and tell him that Sam said to do a dance move for you.”

By the time Burmeister released that news bulletin, Brown had left the building.

So, it will be a question for another day.

But Burmeister confirmed that the newcomer from New Orleans, who battered the Pirates with 24 points and 13 rebounds, likes to keep things loose in the locker room.

“Off the court, he’s one of the nicest guys,” Burmeister said. “He’s also a huge jokester. He dances. He loves to dance. He’ll dance for the whole team, and he’s always smiling.

“But when he gets in the game, he plays hard. He practices tough. He’s a bully inside. That’s what we need him to be.”
While UIW hit only 1 of 13 from long distance against the NCAA Division III Pirates, the inside scoring proved to be more than adequate.

Brown muscled his way to 10 of 16 from the field, and Simi Socks made 6 of 11 en route to 18 points.

As a result, the Division I Cardinals were never seriously threatened, even though the Pirates scrapped and battled and stayed within four points at halftime.

In the second half, UIW played much better, running up leads as large as 22 points late in the game.

“The most important thing is, we got the (victory),” Brown said. “We started out a little shaky in the first half but we picked it up in the second.

“As you see, we expanded the lead, we rebounded well, we passed the ball well. We shared. We played off each other. We played as a team.”

UIW continues a season-opening three-game homestand on Monday against Trinity.

By then, Cardinals coach Ken Burmeister undoubtedly will have explained how the Cardinals must start to do a better job in getting loose balls.

“We only scrimmaged UTSA (in the preseason),” the coach said. “We tried to get another game, but we couldn’t pick one up. I think if we had had a few more scrimmages, I think we’d have been smoother. We weren’t real smooth.

“Now we’ve seen some things we can work on. Let’s move on.”

Southwestern played with great effort, at one point holding a 39-30 edge on the boards against a bigger team with 11:35 left in the game.

Eventually, the Cardinals picked it up but the Pirates still won the battle on the glass, 48-42. Individually, Luke Hicks and Brandon Alexander scored 13 points apiece for Southwestern.

“Pretty scrappy,” Sam Burmeister said, acknowledging the effort by the Pirates. “They hit some tough shots. But we still finished out with the win.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better start,” he added. “Some of the players had some jitters, you know, first game of the season. But (in the) second half we settled in and played our basketball. Finished out with a win.”

Burmeister hit the only 3-pointer of the night for the Cardinals, who led the Southland with a 38.8 percentage from beyond the arc last season.

“We shoot it a lot better in practice,” he said. “The next few games, I expect our shooting percentage will go up tremendously. I know I missed a couple of shots I should have made. All the players. We make those shots every day in practice.

“It just wasn’t our night, shooting wise. But we fed it inside and our bigs carried us.”

Incarnate Word’s Simi Socks (3) drives to the basket as the Incarnate Word men’s basketball team opened the season with an 87-71 victory over Southwestern on Friday night. (Joe Alexander / theJBreplay.com)

By Jerry Briggs
For thejbreplay.com

The long wait is finally over for Coach Ken Burmeister and the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

After a four-year transition, the Cardinals will open a season fully eligible for the Southland Conference and NCAA Division I postseason tournaments.

UIW tips off at home Friday night with a non-conference game against the Southwestern University Pirates.

“We’re real excited to get a game,” Burmeister said. “It’s been a long summer, a long fall, and now we’re ready to go. The guys are very anxious to play a game, to get an opportunity to play somebody else. You get to experience where you are with your offenses, defenses and so on and so forth.”

Previously an NCAA Division II program, UIW accepted an invitation in 2012 to make the move to the SLC and Division I.

As a result, in each of the past four years, the Cardinals were ineligible even to play in the conference tournament once the regular season ended.

It was particularly frustrating time for the Cardinals, because they posted winning records during the first three seasons and defeated a few quality programs along the way.

Last year, adversity set in, and UIW fell to 12-17.

But as the new season dawns, the Cardinals are noticeably more athletic.

Hopes are running high with the return of veteran standouts Jalin Hart, Shawn Johnson and Simi Socks.

In addition, the veteran core has been bolstered with the addition of highly-touted freshman guard Keaton Hervey and forward Charles Brown III.

Senior guard Sam Burmeister, the coach’s son, said his father is excited about getting past the transition period.

“He’s very amped up,” the UIW guard said. “This is something we’ve been looking forward to for four years now. It feels good that we’re finally able to play in the postseason. I feel a lot more excitement in the preseason than I have in the past years.

“With our talent this year I think we have a chance to play deep in March.”

Eight teams will qualify for the SLC tournament in Katy. UIW’s coach said it will be a challenge just to get there.

“You got to play well,” Ken Burmeister said. “You can’t turn the switch on and off … It’s one of the top conferences in the country. The last place team thinks they can win it.”

Notes: The Cardinals’ season-opening homestand continues against Trinity next Monday and against McMurry next Friday.

The first three games count on the record for UIW but are exhibitions for the opponents.

Starters are expected to be Hart, Hervey and Johnson in the backcourt, with Brown and either Socks or Christian Peevy at forward.

First players off the bench are expected to be Sam Burmeister, Jorden Kite and newcomer Augustine Ene.

Burmeister said he’s waiting on NCAA clearance for transfer Konstantin Kulikov, a 7-foot center from Russia out of San Jacinto College.

Forward Devin Wyatt recently returned to practice after suffering a hamstring injury.