Cormier’s a guy you landed early who proceeded to have an All-Metro season. What do you like about him and what did you see from him as a senior?

I got him early because Greg Manning found him early. He’s got Greg Manning following him, and we watch the [Baltimore] Catholic League all the time. But you could tell. He was a scoring point guard. He wasn’t getting much help from his team, and there are good coaches in that league, but he was still scoring. I love the family. His mother has done a tremendous job, his stepfather, and his little brother is a player. He’s just the ultimate basketball player. He wants to win. He can score it. He’s a great kid and he wants to step up on the court, which is what you want. He was, at times, the best player in the Baltimore Catholic League.

Cormier said one of the things that attracted him to Loyola was watching you ride your team during a practice. Does he kind of have a personality that mirrors yours in a way?

Yeah, I’ve calmed down, too, but I think he’s going to be the kind of guy that you count on. He’s just as enthusiastic and always encouraging [his teammates]. He’s a high-energy guy and he plays with a lot of flair. You just saw what Greivis Vasquez did with a lot of flair and personality and swagger. It might be a lesser version of that, but he’s got some of that. I like what Greivis did this year. He got them revved up with his type of personality and he made a lot of plays. I like that.

How did Drummond’s senior season turn out, and how beneficial will his earlier prep school experience be for next year?

He did well. He’s a big guard that’s not grown into his body. He played the 4 this year, but he’s young at 17 years old. He’s really smart and he can really score the ball. He’s going to be a good player. It’s going to take him a year to catch up to his size this year, but he’ll eventually be a 2/3.

Is he a guy with a lot of versatility?

I think that’s what he does bring – versatility. He’s going to do a little bit of everything. He can catch and shoot at our level. You’ve got to learn and be ready to score at the speed of our game. Once Justin catches up, that’ll be the difference. But he can do all the little stuff for a guard. He’s a tough player and he gets after it as a defender.

How did you get involved with Williams all the way out in Los Angeles?

I’ve been in L.A. before, from [recruiting] Trevor Ariza to Leon Powe [when I was at Maryland]. We were finalists but didn’t get them. But [Ekene] Ibekwe and [D.J.] Strawberry we got. Ever since then, [I’ve kept up with] Gary McKnight at Mater Dei. At Mater Dei, we talk about kids and we had a scholarship [to give]. [McKnight] talked about Pierson Williams, who had six 3s against them. So I took a look at him. Jordan Farmar was from there, they’re sending a kid to USC for basketball and a bunch of kids [to Div. 1 schools] for football. I saw him, had him visit and had a feeling. He reminds me of Delonte West. He had six 3s in the playoffs against Mater Dei, an extremely well-coached team. He can catch and shoot, and he’s growing. At 6-5, he’s a 3 man.

But I like kids from L.A., and the little things they bring to the table. He’s a good athlete and he’s long. He’s got good upside. He’s a flat-out shooter. That’s what he does. So we got him late. Sometimes a late kid is what you need. He’s a great kid, good personality. He comes from a strong program and he’s a kid I like from L.A.

What did you see from Etherly in the past year and what can be expected of him as a sophomore?

He’s going to be a 4-man at our level. He can run and post up, score from the foul line. He’s tough. He has a little Ron Artest in him to be honest with you. He’s not as big and tough, but he’s like him in a lot of ways. It was a tremendous signing for us. He’s stronger, he’s quicker, and I know he’s happier. His energy level is good and I know he’s going to start for us. That guy’s starting for us. We hoped he would come in and compete for the starting job. But with him and Anthony Winbush, who’s coming off his ACL injury, they’re going to do a lot of things. Winbush didn’t play from January, February on. That really hurt us because he’s our best defensive player. But Etherly and Shane Walker are going to give us a chance to be a much better defensive team. Cormier and [Brian] Rudolph at the point give us versatility. And [Julius] Brooks and Josh Wiegand, who sat out last year, can emerge. Josh is a big guy. He kind of reminds me of Bill Laimbeer. He can make shots.

Talk about your relationship with Jamal Barney and your expectations for him this season.

You look back at some things, and sometimes you make a mountain out of a molehill. That was on him. There was a lot of stuff in his life. He has a child and there were a lot of different things going on that he didn’t handle well. But I know one thing. He knew he wasn’t prepared enough coming into last year. But I know he’s not making that mistake this year. He’s really stepped up. That’s good news. All of our best players are going to play. I’m the head coach, and the substitutions will be dictated by me. I thought we had some issues last year. There was a lot going in our favor but we were one injury away from having a good season. [Brett] Harvey got hurt and was out for a couple weeks and then we lost our best defensive player in Anthony Winbush. That hurt. We were headed in the right direction, but it’s been two years. We can win this year with Barney working and really making an effort right now. It makes me happy. We’ve got young guys that have got to blend. But I’m as excited as I’ve been in a few years to coach this team.

Andre [Collins] was easy to coach. Gerald Brown was such a competitor. Then two years ago, we had minor issues that were my fault. We were working on some quirks. Then with some guys leaving, last year we battled. We beat two NCAA teams in Morgan and Vermont. We were tied with West Virginia at the half and we beat Indiana on the road. Then all of sudden Winbush gets hurt and Harvey goes down. But we competed. We’ve got to take all that and make it happen this year. I get the feeling we’re headed in the right direction. We got a freshman from Baltimore that I think can be a difference maker. I just see it in his eyes. I’m really excited to coach that. I like this team already and it really helps that Cormier is here. He’s a freshman, but I know I like the way he is. Not to take anything away from the other two [freshmen], but he’s what our team needs. He knows what it takes to compete. He’s got that Baltimore competitiveness. I know he’s a player.

The first several years you had an improved record each season, but the past couple years haven’t been quite as smooth. What are your expectations for the coming year?

You always aim for a winning season. That’s our goal this year. It’s very attainable for a couple reasons. We were a couple missed shots and a buzzer-beater away. All I’m saying is we’re right there. You take the injuries away, we were right there [last season]. We’re looking to challenge for the title. Siena was 17-1 in the league and they won an NCAA tournament game and had a player (Kenny Hasbrouck) in the NBA. We have to take advantage of our experience this year. Our league is always good. You have a window at the mid-major level. It’s a roller coaster at this level. We were 1-27 six years ago. I’ve taken some transfers, like Etherly, who could’ve helped out of high school but came back and sat out last year. Josh Wiegand took a year off so Jawann Wright, who helped us, could play. But we’ve got everything lined up. It’s a two-year window with a nice group. We realize that. Sometimes you surprise people early. Then we had some adversity. It was a young team in a really good league. Then you just come up a little short and that’s frustrating.

But we have a good program. We have a great program. We travel and play the best on the road. We have an Under Armour contract. We teach our kids about art and theater. I’ve had three kids get their master’s degrees in six years. We’ve been building the program. We’re on TV. I’m 2-15 in money games. Take those off my record – Duke, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Davidson, Virginia, Boston College [and several others]. You can go down the list. Playing at George Mason -- that game was on MASN. At the school, applications were way up. Is that all me? Of course not. But that’s partly the basketball program. My point is, we had a couple down years, yeah, but we’re looking at the upward part of the roller coaster. We’re ready to climb back up.

Baltimore Sun photo of Jimmy Patsos by Gene Sweeney Jr. / Feb. 26, 2009