Fresh start

MUSCLE SHOALS - One of Tommy Dillon's first tests for his Northwest-Shoals basketball team was just that -- a test. Conducting a simple pop quiz in late May, the new Patriots' basketball coach scribbled "5-25" on the white board in the team's locker room.

"What is this?" Dillon asked his team.

"That's May 25, coach," they said.

Incorrect.

"No, that was your record last season," Dillon said.

Dillon has a pretty tough test of his own, as he's been asked to turn around a basketball program that suffered through a lousy season a year ago.

He replaces Barry Pace, who coached the past five seasons.

"We just have to get them to understand that the mentality they had last year is just not acceptable," Dillon said.

"I told them I didn't care what happened with the coaching staff last year, but that the real fact of the matter is when you see a record like that, it's a team quitting on themselves. It has nothing to do with the head coach or the administration."

Dillon comes to NW-Shoals from Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga., where he was an assistant. Dillon has also served as an assistant on the staffs at Georgetown, Tallahassee Community College, Kentucky State and Eastern Kentucky.

He worked under Billy Donovan as a volunteer at Florida from 1996-98. In 2001, he was head coach of the Kentucky Coyotes of the United Pro Basketball League. He's also no stranger to junior college basketball in Alabama -- he was an assistant at Wallace-Dothan from 1998-2000.

"I'm kind of a blue collar guy. I've had to work my way up in this industry and had to take jobs nobody else in America would want to take, including this one," he said.

"But I like it. I like the challenge. One of my favorite quotes comes from Rick Pitino. 'Don't chase money, chase winning.' I felt like I could win here."

Dillon retained six players from last year's team, including former Lauderdale County standout Anthony Wallen.

"He's a great shooter, and what I'm trying to teach him now is that this team doesn't need to be carried on his back anymore," Dillon said.

"Last year, he took most of the shots and everything kind of ran through him. This year, he's got to take better shots and better care of the ball."

Other returning players are 6-foot-4 Ty Long, who will move to point guard this year, Demarcus Palmer, Vince Cordell, Josh Burks and Jud Meadows.

Mix in a solid recruiting class with those veteran players, and Dillon thinks he's got what he needs to resurrect a struggling program.

Raymond Davis, a transfer from Chattahoochee Valley, has sparked interest from Marshall and Virginia Commonwealth, Dillon said.

Jarod Strode, from Dillon's hometown of Winchester, Ky., is a 6-5 transfer from Shawnee who can play any position on the court. Justin Riggins averaged 26 points per game last year as a prep standout in the Atlanta area.

"I've got the best recruiting class anybody could ask for," Dillon said.

Former Mars Hill standout Drew Stutts, who walked on at UNA last year, is also on the team.

"We're just trying to change the attitude around here," Dillon said. "The guys that are on this team despise losing."

Sounds like they've passed the test.

Cody Whitlock can be reached at 740-5727 or cody.whitlock@timesdaily.com.