If ever there was a chance for Bulldog forward Sylvester Seay to show his abilities not just as a player, but as a leader, it's now.
The Bulldogs don't just need a guy who can rally the team offensively and defensively on the court, they need a guy to get behind his teammates. As the only senior on the team, Seay needs to do it -- and do it now -- if the Bulldogs are to keep their heads above the WAC waves while leading scorer and rebounder Paul George is out.
Seay went 1 for 12 on Thursday against Utah State. Every player is allowed an off night here and there. No one's perfect, and no one on this team is LeBron or Kobe. But from here on out, Seay needs to be the leader for this team.
Last year, heading into Fresno State's home game against Nevada, Seay gave one of the best quotes of the season. "He's a solid player, I got something for him, though," Seay said, referencing Nevada star forward Luke Babbitt. FS coach Steve Cleveland didn't seem too pleased with the quote, but it was funny and it spoke to Seay's confidence. Seay then had an incredible night: 28 points to go with 11 rebounds and four blocks as he helped lift Fresno State to a 68-66 win over Nevada at the SMC.
The Bulldogs need Seay to not only have something for Babbitt tonight, but something for the entire WAC on EVERY night and in every way: point, rebounds and defensively.
Points you can't always help: maybe there's an off night or the team's not getting the ball to the right spots. But rebounds and defense are effort and technique.
This span without George isn't just on Seay. Greg Smith has to step up. The bench -- freshmen or not, injured or not -- has to do something other than just steal minutes. The guards have to beat the press effectively, set up the offense correctly and get the ball into the post with feeds that don't make Seay and Greg Smith lose their positioning. After that, the outside shooters need to nail 3s if double team comes. There needs to be some sort of penetration threat.
It will take a team effort to get this team through this tough spot without embarassment. But it's got to start with Seay.
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