Mefford ruled eligible, Hammonds to debut tomorrow

Will Shouse just e-mailed me informing me that Zach Mefford, who has been ineligible all year due to transfer issues, was ruled eligible by the NAIA today. The school has to submit eligibility applications again for this semester, though, so he won’t be able to play until next Tuesday’s game against Alice Lloyd.

Also, Jordan Hammonds has fulfilled his two-game suspension after sitting out last night’s game against Boyce College, so he will be ready to go tomorrow night against Spalding University. Shouse said Hammonds will play in tonight’s junior varsity game against the University of the Cumberlands to get a little bit of clock under his belt, but Shouse is wasting no time getting him back with the varsity.

“To answer the question that I know you will ask; Yes, I am starting him right away,” Shouse said in the e-mail.

So there you go, the Eagles will be at full strength heading into conference play.

Adding those two in the lineup does a couple of things for Asbury. Most notably, it puts a legitimate post player — Hammonds — into the starting lineup. Brian Johnson has been doing a nice job filling in, but he’s really more of a power forward because of his size. That will make the defense better right away and takes a TON of pressure off of guards Michael Spann and Phillip Morrison, who have been the focus of most of the defenses. Here’s what Shouse said about Morrison, specifically, after the Ohio Christian game:

“I need Phil to be a little more aggressive. I think he’s getting used to, in practice, me putting Jordan Hammonds in with that group — he’s used to deferring. He was a point guard in high school, and he’s used to deferring more to his teammates, maybe he isn’t as aggressive. I’d like to have a little bit more. But when Hammonds gets back, you’ll probably see the real Phillip Morrison.”

Read that last sentence one more time. Morrison is averaging 17.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 2.4 apg, and he’s shooting 49 percent from the field. But now we’re going to get  to see the REAL Phillip Morrison. I’m interested.

So the starting lineup goes from this:

PG Phillip Morrison
SG Michael Spann
SF Jordan Noble
F Cory Britt
F Brian Johnson

To my guess, which is this:

PG The REAL Phillip Morrison
SG Michael Spann
SF Jordan Noble (Maybe Britt? Maybe Mefford?)
PF Brian Johnson
C/F Jordan Hammonds

So now you’ve improved at three positions (I’m really running with this REAL Phillip Morrison joke), with the potential at four depending on who gets a firm hold on that #3 spot. Hammonds and Mefford can both run the floor, too, so they give you size without giving up the ability to play Shouse’s uptempo offense. Plus you’ve added Britt and Mefford as the first guys off the bench, which will only keep the legs fresher. Let’s recap:

Starting lineup = better
Defense = better
Offense = better
Bench = better
Phillip Morrison = better

I’m going up to New Albany, Ind. Saturday for the game against IU-Southeast, which will really be a test for the team, as the Grenadiers are the unanimous favorites to win the KIAC.