Led by Bozeman, Arkansas-Little Rock psyched for NCAA tourney

There was no doubt whose hands the ball would be in.

Seven seconds were left on the clock when Solomon Bozeman began racing downcourt. With Arkansas-Little Rock trailing by two points, the only question that remained was whether the Sun Belt's player of the year would go for the tie or the win.

"We trust his decision-making. We knew he wasn't afraid to take a big shot," Trojans head coach Steve Shields said.

With the game in his hands, Bozeman didn't give it much thought.

"Once the (coaches) gave me the option, I knew I was going to take the three," the senior guard said with a little chuckle. "It felt pretty good when I let it go."

And good it was, lifting Arkansas-Little Rock past North Texas 64-63 to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1990 when Bozeman was all of 3 years old.

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Jon Teitel's "Big Dance" Interviews: UALR's Solomon Bozeman & Joe Kleine

In the latest installment in his "Big Dance" interview series CHN writer spent some time with the hero of Arkansas-Little Rock's comeback win over North Texas in yesterday's Sun Belt title game (guard Solomon Bozeman) along with assistant coach Joe Kleine. Both names are quite familiar to basketball fans, even before last night, due to Bozeman beginning his career at USF before transferring and Coach Kleine's playing career in both college and the NBA.

Jon Teitel: You transferred from USF in 2008. Why did you decide to leave USF, and why did you decide to go to Arkansas-Little Rock?

Solomon Bozeman: I decided to transfer mostly due to a coaching change, as the coach my freshman year (Robert McCullum) got fired. I have a lot of family down here in Arkansas, and Coach Shields is a great guy who I believe in.

JT: You were named Sun Belt Player of the Year earlier this month despite not having a single teammate make any of the all-conference teams. Do you feel like you need to play your best in order for your team to have any chance of winning a game next week?

SB: I feel like I have to play well, but my teammates can step up and hit big shots so I do not need to have a monster game.

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Jon Teitel's "Big Dance" Interviews: Arkansas-Little Rock's Steve Shields

Recently CHN writer spent some time with Arkansas-Little Rock head coach Steve Shields, whose team won four games in four days to win the Sun Belt conference tournament. Where the Trojans get seeded remains to be seen, but the shot-making ability of senior guard Solomon Bozeman and their five seniors are things opponents will need to account for next week.

Jon Teitel: How do you go from being an all-conference golfer for your dad Gene at Baylor 25 years ago to winning a conference tournament title as a basketball coach?

Steven Shields: I actually started out playing basketball at Oklahoma City University before transferring to a community college to play basketball. My dad tried to get me to come to Baylor right out of high school, but I was a little hard-headed and not fanatical about golf. I always knew that I wanted to coach a team sport.

JT: You had to win four games in four days to get into the NCAA Tournament after losing four of five to close the regular season. How was your team able to turn it around and maintain its focus over the past week?

SS: Despite us losing three games to finish the regular season, we played well in the last two of those losses. We knew that our league was wide open due to a lot of parity, and we had a lot of close games this year.

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Shane Edwards Returns To Campus After Successful Rookie Season In NBA D-League

Former Trojan standout Shane Edwards is back on campus working out at the Jack Stephens Center after a successful rookie season with the New Mexico Thunderbirds of the NBA D-League. A 2009 First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, Edwards averaged 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Thunderbirds last season and ranked second in the NBA D-League with a .625 field goal percentage.

Edwards will leave for Virginia on June 10 to participate in the NBA D-League mini-camp, before heading to Las Vegas, Nev. on July 6 to play in the NBA Summer League with the Denver Nuggets.

The Gilbert, Ariz.-native was a part of two Sun Belt Conference West Division championship teams in his two seasons at UALR. As a senior, Edwards averaged 11.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game to lead the Trojans to a 23-8 overall record and a 15-3 mark in league play.

The UALR Sports Information Office recently had a chance to catch up with Edwards and find out about his experience and adjustment to professional basketball.

What was the biggest adjustment going from college to the pros?

The talent level is different. Everybody at that level can play and the speed of the game is definitely a big factor. The guards are a lot faster and strength is a big factor. I think I made a quick adjustment though. The spacing is better at that level. It is a lot more open as opposed to college where the game is packed in down low, and I tend to like more spacing.

What was your daily routine like?

We practiced every day. When you play 50-plus games, you have to do a lot of recovery stuff. We did pool workouts and other things to get our legs back and get ready for the next game. You lift hard when you have a chance to lift. I had to lift with the size of the guys at the next level. That’s where strength becomes a big factor. I had to maintain my weight if not put a little more on. I also worked with my assistant coach, Darvin Hamm, to develop my post skills. He gave me stuff I could work with on the block and off the block, and I think my post skills got a lot better.

How did you handle the longer schedule and travel?

You’re on the road a lot. We had one road trip that lasted 2-3 weeks. Going from one place to another, you’re only home for a few days. You kind of get used to it once you adjust. I did hit a wall at one point during the season. I think everyone does at some point. But once you get past that stage it becomes so much easier. You just need to fight through it.

What made you want to come back to campus?

I knew coach (John) Barron would get me ready. He always has a lot of new things that is working with to help us develop. Last summer that I was out here he had a lot of good things for me, so I knew he would be the one to get me in shape and get me ready for July. I’ve been lifting hard with him and he’s been able to put some weight on me.

You’ve been working out with some of the current players since you got back. Any advice for them?

I try to help them out every way I can. While I’m here working out with them I try to push them. That’s what I did while I played here too. I want to push them to have a good senior year so they can be successful.

You made a lot of progress from your junior to senior year at UALR. Do you think you’re continuing to develop as a basketball player?

I think so. My assistant coach was telling me how much I progressed throughout this past season from the beginning of the year to the end. That’s one of my goals every year, to always improve and never take a step back. Try to take my game to another level. I had a lot of fun this past season playing pro ball. It was different in a good way. It was a good experience and hopefully I can keep progressing with the ultimate goal of getting to that next level. That’s what the D-League is all about.

What do you remember most about your time at UALR?

We had a great season my last year. We really improved from my junior to senior year and it was fun because we were winning and had success. I just had a good time with all the guys. It was a fun year for me.