Four starting players return to Drury squad

by Sony Hocklander

SBJ Contributing Writer

Gary Stanfield has a long history of success in his 30 years of coaching men's basketball. As he begins his ninth year as head coach of men's basketball at Drury University, his career record of 150-79 makes him Drury's third winningest coach in the program's 91 years. While at Drury, Stanfield has also been honored as the 1993 District 16 Coach of the Year and the 1994 NAIA Midwest Region Coach of the Year.

Coach Stanfield's love of the game began his sophomore year of high school in Eureka, where his family had recently settled.

It was the friendship of two young players that year and the interest of a caring coach that launched Stanfield into his life's profession.

"He was a special person," Stanfield said about the coach. "At that time it didn't register exactly why I thought so highly of him, but he was a good Christian man who I thought was interested in me as a person as well as how I played basketball, and at that particular time of my life, that was something I needed."

Stanfield tries to apply that same caring approach to his own career.

"It's the reason that I do it, quite frankly," he said. "Sometimes you get the mission of winning basketball games muddled in with the desire to work with the kids. And the time it takes to do the second thing is a very important compromise, but that's your goal."

After graduating from college in 1969, Stanfield began his coaching career at Weaubleau High School as the head coach. Four years later he coached at Willow Springs High School. In 1981, Stanfield moved his family to Springfield to take the head coach position at Hillcrest High School where he finished out his high school coaching career with a state championship team and as the 1984 Missouri 4A Coach of the Year.

Throughout that phase of his career, Stanfield coached his teams into conference championships four times, and had played in four state tournaments. His high school coaching record was 254-146.

In the fall of 1984, Stanfield joined Drury's staff as the assistant basketball coach. Stanfield became head coach at Drury in the 1991-1992 season.

For years he had been in favor of moving the team from its affiliation with the NAIA to NCAA Division II, he said, and that season he began the three-year process of joining that division.

The team was dually affiliated with both divisions by 1994, the team's last year to participate in postseason play as an NAIA affiliate.

In the past five years in NCAA II, the level of play has become more competitive and Drury's win-loss record has remained solid but without quite as high of a winning percentage.

"The schedule changed," Stanfield said. "In the NAIA, we played tough competition, but we just didn't play it as frequently as we do in the NCAA."

The transition to the NCAA and Drury's scheduling reflect a distinct strategy.

"The bottom line to many people is how many you've won without taking into consideration who they're playing," Stanfield said. "Some schools schedule six or seven real easy wins before they ever start their season, and hope to win a conference tournament in the end. That's their strategy. Our strategy is to play the very best teams we can find and hopefully position ourselves Ð thinking that if we do qualify, we'll be in a better position to actually do something when we're there."

The men's basketball program at Drury has strong alumni and booster club support. The boosters provide room and board scholarships for Drury players, which is unusual among universities, Stanfield said. But it is as important to Drury's alumni and staff for players to get a good education, maintain their grades, and successfully graduate, as it is for them to win.

"We used to go to postseason play almost every year. We were the dominant team in our district, District 16. ... The people have been patient. They don't support us just because we've won, and if anything our backing has improved," Stanfield said.

Last year Drury ended the season at 18-9, a solid showing with more wins than the year before. What does Stanfield foresee for the Panthers this season?

"I tell the players that I would hate to be a team preparing to play us," he said.

With 10 out of 16 players returning four of them starting players this season's team should be stronger then ever, according to Stanfield.

"To play together as a team and to do some of the things we've been doing, just a little better, should position us. We think that we are going to have a strong team based on the number of returners, and we'll get some help in the recruitment. We're excited about the season," he said.

Returning starters from last year are Shaun Bass, Logan Bond, La'Cross Lee and Matt Miller. Returning players Kevin Nicholson and Shon Ellenstein also started in some of last year's games. [[In-content Ad]]