Behind enemy lines: chatting with Drew Davidson

CTC caught up with the Star-Telegram’s Drew Davidson to help get a better feel for Texas-Arlington basketball: 

What were the expectations for UTA coming into the year? 

The expectations for UTA is simply to be competitive come conference play. That's what the team is focused on building up to through the non-conference season. Wins are nice and important, of course, but the Sun Belt typically sends only one team to the NCAA tournament so the Mavs are hoping to have it clicking at the right time later in the season. They certainly have the talent to earn a bid come March.

Through five games, what has the feel for this team been like? They seem to struggle defensively and shoot a ton of three's....

The expectations for UTA is simply to be competitive come conference play. That's what the team is focused on building up to through the non-conference season. Wins are nice and important, of course, but the Sun Belt typically sends only one team to the NCAA tournament so the Mavs are hoping to have it clicking at the right time later in the season. They certainly have the talent to earn a bid come March.

What type of style does UTA like to play? 

As I mentioned in previous answer ... UTA relies a lot on its guard play. Lonnie and Reger Dowell form a nice backcourt and can make things happen with their quickness. Inside, Brandon Edwards is a nice player who is a double-double threat on a nightly basis. He has really come into his own as a senior this season, and scored a career-high in points at Rupp Arena.

Oklahoma State transfer Reger Dowell has been scoring (and shooting) a ton? What's the vibe around him? Was this expected?

Reger Dowell is definitely a scorer and probably UTA's biggest threat every game. He has the green-light to shoot and has done a nice job of scoring. He's probably the most talented player on the team, which is why he's leading the team in scoring and believe he's in the top-10 or so of scoring in the nation. With that being said, as the year goes along, UTA needs to try and get more guys involved so teams don't simply focus on Dowell.

Are there any other players we should know about?

Dowell is obviously the biggest name being a transfer from OSU. Brandon Edwards has been playing well. McClanahan is a quick guard, Jorge Bilbao has potential.