Post by dylanrocks on Jan 28, 2007 20:16:57 GMT -6
In keeping with its pledge of more local coverage, here's the Ricky Franklin feature that will appear in tomorrow's J-S.
UWM guard fulfilling potential
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE
broquemore@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 28, 2007
A little dose of peer counseling went a long way for UW-Milwaukee guard Ricky Franklin.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore had plenty of critics at the beginning of the season, when he struggled in just about every offensive category. Even his younger brother, Larry, threw in his two cents.
The UWM coaches pointed out specific areas in need of improvement, and small steps were being made. Then his Panthers teammates sat him down and demanded that he play up to his potential, not only for his sake but for everyone else's, too.
That's when Franklin took the big leap.
He has scored in double figures in five of the last eight games.
"Everybody started talking to me, telling me I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do and really being hard on me," Franklin said. "When it was coming from coaches, I knew I had to do better, but when it was coming from my teammates, that's when I really knew I had to pick it up."
Junior guard Avery Smith was among those who inspired Franklin to get better.
"I told him that it's really an easy game, and to play his game and that things would work out," Smith said. "We really need him on both ends of the floor."
Franklin, much like the Panthers as a whole, started the season miserably. His defense was always adequate but his shooting bordered on awful. At one point, he was barely shooting 25% and less than 20% from three-point range.
Not only was Franklin displaced from the starting lineup, he was also put on the scout team, or second unit, for a week or so.
Panthers coach Rob Jeter didn't do that as a punitive measure, although there was definitely a point he wanted to get across.
"If you move people from my side to the other, basically you're moving them because they're not doing the little things," Jeter said. "I would never move a player over if they just weren't making shots.
"For Ricky, we watched enough tape, and when guys are in a slump, we keep showing them what they're not doing and how they're not moving and cutting. If you can get them to do that, you'll be amazed at how they can get some easy shots if they just get to the right position. That's what's happening for him now."
Franklin, a laid-back individual by nature, first had to leave that persona on the sideline and become an aggressive force on the floor. He also had to overcome his fear of failure.
"I started relaxing and I stopped being so tight on the floor," Franklin said. "I was really playing not to mess up instead of just playing my game."
And the perpetual losing that defined most of December started getting to Franklin as well.
"I knew that my performance was part of the big losing streak, so I had to pick it up," he added.
Franklin is once again a starter but is now more of a point guard in the swing offense rather than a small forward. He played the point in high school at Milwaukee Riverside, yet he is adjusting his habits so that they're in line with what Jeter wants him to do.
"I can just, as a point guard, tell everybody what they need to do, what spots they need to get to and what's going on without consulting Coach Jeter," Franklin said.
UWM (7-16, 4-6 Horizon League) plays host to Cleveland State (8-15, 2-7) at 7 tonight at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
UWM guard fulfilling potential
By BOBBI ROQUEMORE
broquemore@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 28, 2007
A little dose of peer counseling went a long way for UW-Milwaukee guard Ricky Franklin.
The 6-foot-1 sophomore had plenty of critics at the beginning of the season, when he struggled in just about every offensive category. Even his younger brother, Larry, threw in his two cents.
The UWM coaches pointed out specific areas in need of improvement, and small steps were being made. Then his Panthers teammates sat him down and demanded that he play up to his potential, not only for his sake but for everyone else's, too.
That's when Franklin took the big leap.
He has scored in double figures in five of the last eight games.
"Everybody started talking to me, telling me I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do and really being hard on me," Franklin said. "When it was coming from coaches, I knew I had to do better, but when it was coming from my teammates, that's when I really knew I had to pick it up."
Junior guard Avery Smith was among those who inspired Franklin to get better.
"I told him that it's really an easy game, and to play his game and that things would work out," Smith said. "We really need him on both ends of the floor."
Franklin, much like the Panthers as a whole, started the season miserably. His defense was always adequate but his shooting bordered on awful. At one point, he was barely shooting 25% and less than 20% from three-point range.
Not only was Franklin displaced from the starting lineup, he was also put on the scout team, or second unit, for a week or so.
Panthers coach Rob Jeter didn't do that as a punitive measure, although there was definitely a point he wanted to get across.
"If you move people from my side to the other, basically you're moving them because they're not doing the little things," Jeter said. "I would never move a player over if they just weren't making shots.
"For Ricky, we watched enough tape, and when guys are in a slump, we keep showing them what they're not doing and how they're not moving and cutting. If you can get them to do that, you'll be amazed at how they can get some easy shots if they just get to the right position. That's what's happening for him now."
Franklin, a laid-back individual by nature, first had to leave that persona on the sideline and become an aggressive force on the floor. He also had to overcome his fear of failure.
"I started relaxing and I stopped being so tight on the floor," Franklin said. "I was really playing not to mess up instead of just playing my game."
And the perpetual losing that defined most of December started getting to Franklin as well.
"I knew that my performance was part of the big losing streak, so I had to pick it up," he added.
Franklin is once again a starter but is now more of a point guard in the swing offense rather than a small forward. He played the point in high school at Milwaukee Riverside, yet he is adjusting his habits so that they're in line with what Jeter wants him to do.
"I can just, as a point guard, tell everybody what they need to do, what spots they need to get to and what's going on without consulting Coach Jeter," Franklin said.
UWM (7-16, 4-6 Horizon League) plays host to Cleveland State (8-15, 2-7) at 7 tonight at the U.S. Cellular Arena.
