Dec. 2, 2009
By Josh Bowe for utamavs.com
ARLINGTON, Texas - They couldn't be any more different when standing next to each other off the court. Jordan Reves hails from Bluegrass Country in Jeffersontown, Ky., while Ishmael Awange is from across the Atlantic in Nairobi, Kenya.
When the two step onto the court however, they are just two young pivot men, trying to learn the game in the paint.
"It's definitely a work in progress, both of those guys work very hard," coach Scott Cross said. "Both of them are going to be very good players but big guys tend to develop a little bit slower than guards."
It's development that can't happen soon enough. Reves, a freshman, and Awange, a sophomore, are the only two true centers on the roster. But between splitting starts in the first five games, none has stood out.
Reves is averaging 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Awange isn't filling out the box scores either with 1.2 points and an even five rebounds per game. It are those rebounding numbers for Awange that has let the Kenyan native start two of the last three games.
"I wanted to give Ishmael an opportunity to get in there and use his physical body and maybe get some rebounds," Cross said.
But he doesn't want to discredit Reves at all. While there has been some obvious frustration shown in Reves freshman campaign, Cross wants Reves to know there's nothing wrong with him at this stage.
"I don't think Jordan's done anything wrong," Cross said. "I just wanted to give a change of pace."
Senior guard Marquez Haynes has shouldered the load all season averaging 25.6 points per game. He has also collected more rebounds than Reves and Awange combined. But he isn't concerned with either of their progression.
"They're learning, they're getting there," Haynes said. "Jordan is very young and Ishmael is foreign. We're bringing them both along slow."
The lack of size has altered Cross's game plans however. Cross has probably used a little more zone than he would and UTA has been has a rebounding margin of negative 3.2.
Also Haynes has shot the ball 94 times. In comparison Awange and Reves have a combined 15 shots. While Haynes is expected to shoulder the scoring load, its clear to see that there is plenty of room for Reves and Awange to contribute.
"Obviously at their size they can bring a dimension that no one else on this team can bring," Haynes said. "They'll be totally different players by the end of the season."
