Greenleaf Learning to Share
2/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2002
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Jim Montgomery appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
There is a column in a basketball box score that's often overlooked by casual readers. Serious fans notice. So do players. So, perhaps more than all others, do coaches.
It's the column listing assists, which are awarded when someone makes a pass directly leading to a goal.
Wendell Greenleaf, Baylor's junior guard out of Houston North Shore and the team's conscience, has long been a master of the assist. He had 31 assists through the first six games, second-highest among the Bears.
"Wendell is probably our most veteran player," coach Dave Bliss said. "He's the one player who's been here all three years that we (coaches) have been here. Every year Wendell has added something to what he does for the team. This year it's his passing and his leadership, on the floor and in the locker room. His passing and his defense are the best he's ever contributed."
Greenleaf sees his duties as whatever he's asked to do.
"I'M JUST FITTING IN," he said. "We're a young team. We're still trying to learn each other. I just try to pick up the slack. I feel like I'm going to have to be a leader and do whatever it takes to win. That's something I have no problem doing. That's my role, a leader and team captain, let them know we have to play hard every day and that it doesn't matter who scores or who does what, it matters that we get something accomplished."
The Bears have some seniors, but the oddities of transferring find Chad Elsey and Greg Davis well behind Greenleaf in minutes played for the Green and Gold.
"We have quite a few new players," Bliss pointed out. "Wendell's maturity has allowed him to be more important to this team."
The preseason script called for Greenleaf to replace departed DeMarcus Minor as point guard, which would have been a switch. Greenleaf handled some point work a year ago, but most of his time came as the "two," or shooting guard. Freshman John Lucas has claimed the point this year.
"Sometimes I want to play the point," Greenleaf allowed. "Sometimes I want to play the 'two." It depends on how the game's going and what we're doing on the court. Right now I'm happy playing the 'two' because that gives some other players the opportunity to do other things.
"I'LL PLAY SOME POINT here and there. I know the offense and the guys will listen to me. But John's doing a great job on the point."
Bliss concurred. "John Lucas' prominence," he said, "has come about because Wendell is willing to share the ball, and John has been the recipient of a lot of Wendell's assists."
That column drew Bliss' attention following the Dec. 8 victory over North Texas. "Wendell was kind of an unsung hero," the coach noted. "He only scored one goal, but he had 11 assists and 8 rebounds."
That was another area Greenleaf invaded. He averaged fewer than three rebounds per game a year ago, about normal for a backcourt man, and he had a mere handful prior to the North Texas game.
"It was something the coach asked me to do," Greenleaf shrugged. "He said we needed me to get more assists and to rebound a little more. Everybody knows I do what my coach asks me to do. It's not who scores that makes a superstar, it's what makes the team win."
Greenleaf is not overly pleased with the Bears' work so far.
"We're young," he repeated. "But we see what we need to work on. We're trying to get better on defense. We're excited about where we are but we know we have some things we need to fix. Our defense is not where it needs to be. The intensity isn't always there."
Rebounding could be another area in need of improvement, and the inside game right now is mostly Lawrence Roberts, another freshman and the team's top scorer. A stronger contribution inside would be welcome, but as Bliss has observed, the Bears aren't trying to play every opponent one-on-one. They are a finesse team.
"Ours is a passing-oriented offense," Bliss said, "and Wendell's really good at it. John might bring the ball up the floor, but a lot of times he gets it to Wendell or Chad Elsey and they might make the next pass. This is the best of the teams we've had here as far as passing the ball."
Bliss hopes to continue playing four or five men at the two guard positions.
"A lot of times, when a guard's only out there for 20 minutes or so he'll have trouble getting into any rhythm. But 30 minutes or more are a lot to play, at the pace we try to play, so we'll need four or five guards ready, and I'm including (wing forward) Chad as a guard along with Wendell and John and the others. Some will play more than others, but we need them all ready to go."
Editor's Note: Articles such as this one by Jim Montgomery appear in each edition of the Baylor Bear Insider Report, available upon membership in the Baylor Bear Foundation. For information on joining the Bear Foundation, click here.
