Over the past three years, Campbell University has seen its basketball program move into a state-of-the-art facility – the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center / Gilbert Craig Gore Arena. During that span, Campbell has won a conference regular season title, collected wins over a BCS conference opponent (Auburn) and regional rivals (Appalachian State, East Carolina and UNC Wilmington) and move "back home" to the Big South Conference, of which is was a charter member from 1984-94.
Entering his ninth year as head coach of the Fighting Camels, Robbie Laing has a team that he believes is ready to compete for championships. At the outset of pre-season practice he shared his view on the coming season.
Question: How has your job changed over the course of nearly a decade in Buies Creek?
Laing: The biggest difference in the job is the change in mentality. It's now important to contend for championships at this University. It's been shown in basketball that we have a great, new facility, a progressive new athletics director in Bob Roller, and a student body that has started to identify this University as a competitor with other universities in the region. We now have a total athletic department that is a viable competitor in the region. Our soccer team beats NC State, the baseball team beats UNC; we beat Auburn, Appalachian State and East Carolina. We're now a viable player in the college market in this corner of the country.
The job really started turning three years ago. Last year was a slight aberration to the progress we've made when you have one of those bizarre years when the injury bug affects the majority of your team (12-19 overall record, 6-14 in the Atlantic Sun). That's unfortunate, but it's a part of our game.
Question: In your first five years, your teams played (and practiced) in old Carter Gym (capacity 947). Those teams compiled a 39-104 won-lost record. In the three years since you moved into the Pope Convocation Center / Gore Arena, your teams stand 45-46 overall, 29-14 at home, and have won a league regular season title. In what ways has your new facility made the greatest impact on your program?
Laing: I think there are several areas we have seen the greatest change. We still have to work awfully hard at recruiting. The Pope Center/Gore Arena is a great venue to watch a basketball game. Recruits love it. More than that, our facility is a statement about who we are and what we're trying to do as a university. It speaks loudly to the students that Campbell University is important. It speaks to the competitors that walk into the area that "this bunch has got its act together." And it speaks to our donors. We'll take care of what's needed to be competitive here at Campbell with your help. It's important that at this point in time, everybody's on the same page about what it takes to win championships at Campbell University. It's been an evolution over the last nine years. But we have what we need facility-wise, budget-wise and talent-wise to compete for championships at Campbell University.
Question: As a charter member of the Big South Conference, Campbell made four championship game appearances and won the 1992 title in an eight-year span from 1987-94. What is the reaction in your program regarding the move "back home" to the Big South this season?
Laing: I've been in this business for 30 years and personally I'm more excited about this basketball season than any I've been a part of at any time at any place. It just makes so much sense for us to be a member of the Big South. It's the right conference in so many ways. It's a class organization with natural rivalries and provides the ability for our fans to get on the road to see us play. I felt like in the A-Sun we were almost on a foreign tour at times. I think we're going to have a lot of fun in this league, our fans are going to have fun, and the students are going to have fun. I just applaud our University for its commitment to make this special situation happen.
Question: Only two players remain in your program from the 2010 Atlantic Sun Championship team. From where do you see leadership coming this year?
Laing: I think we will see leadership by committee, even from some of the new guys. Not only has our situation here allowed us to recruit pure basketball talent in recent years, it's allowed us to attract character, backbone and fortitude to the program. I don't worry so much about team leadership from a senior perspective; it comes from character rather than seniority.
The rest of the team has already started to rally around a freshman, Trey Freeman. It's just magnified that he's your point guard, the quarterback, and extension of the staff. I'm tickled about that. It's like you got more than you asked for at Christmas.
Lorne Merthie has made more of a concentrated effort to be ready to play more than at any point in his career. I'm really pleased to see where he is at this point.
Question: Over the past two conference seasons, your team became more of a half-court-oriented offense. What has allowed you to return to a more attack-minded style on both ends of the court this year? Do you envision this team once again ranking among the nation's leaders in steals, turnover margin 3-pointers made and scoring?
Laing: I think we'll be a national leader in a lot of offensive categories. Differently than in the past, we're going to be among national leaders in defensive categories as well. We have such good perimeter shooting at this point in time and such athleticism that we're going be able to get down the floor, space the floor, shoot the three – 20-plus 3s per game, 30 on some night. We're going to get to the free throw line because the floor will be spaced and we'll be throwing it inside to some very good post players.
Our defensive intensity will be improved and that will give us opportunities to score off defense. Shooting can compensate for deficiencies every where and we have that now. This is the most athletic and best-conditioned team I've seen in the nine years I've been at Campbell.
Question: With 7 newcomers, what are the challenges and benefits of having virtually a brand-new team this year?
Laing: There's obviously a learning curve when you have that many new guys, but one thing we'll do to lessen that curve is to simplify what we do. We'll be less of a half-court basketball team, but when we do, we'll break into some simple concepts of motion-style offense. This will allow our players to be more intense because they won't have to worry about what they have to do. I'm more interested in teaching them how to play at this point rather learning a lot of different plays.
Question: What individuals do you see making impact performances this season?
Laing: I think Trey Freeman is going to be a really special player at Campbell University as a freshman. We won't have to wait to see him mature. He's going to have the ball in his hands. He'll be counted on heavily from the start. He's a tremendous student of the game and a natural leader.
Andrew Ryan had a very good fall as red-shirt freshman. Eric Griffin had a really good fall, and Marvelle Harris has come further than any of the returning players in his preparation. He worked very hard in the off-season to get ready for his sophomore year.
As a transfer, Darren White has shown some tremendous athleticism and electrifying play-making ability in the pre-season.
Lorne Merthie is shooting the ball better than I've ever seen him shoot it and that's pretty dog-gone good. He's just in better physical condition, more actively involved in the process.
Question: The 2011-12 non-conference schedule includes trips to three BCS conference opponents – Iowa, Virginia Tech and NC State – plus Creighton on the road, as well as dates against regional rivals East Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Appalachian State and NC A&T. Share with us your scheduling philosophy.
Laing: I think our schedule is what this University and this program deserves. If we're truly going to keep up with the level of commitment and intensity this institution is supplying for our program, we need to show we not only measure up but exceed some of the more traditional programs in the region in ability to win at this level.
I just like the fact that each time we walk on the floor, there's a tremendous challenge. I think that makes your team sharper come January and February. There are very few buffers on the schedule. Night-in and night-out, we should be prepared to give our best effort. We want to make people understand that we are a player in this region.
Question: How do you see the Big South race stacking up this season?
Laing: I see us at the end, being right in the mix and contending. If we were in the A-Sun or SoCon, I think we'd be contending, but the fact of the matter, we're in the Big South and I think we'll be right there at the end. I don't know a lot about the rest of the league, but I do know that this is one of the best teams we've had at Campbell, so I feel awfully good about what we'll be able to do.
