Essex Community College freshman guard Sean Lipscomb sets the tempo for the men's basketball team with his play on the court.
And his mere presence may set the tone for the future of the program.
Lipscomb, a two-year starter at Dunbar, is averaging a team-high 27.4 points per game to lead Essex (3-2) to its best start in 10 years. The Knights are coming off a 5-16 season.
Knights second-year head coach Terry Maczko and assistant coach Tony Smith pulled a coup by luring Lipscomb to Essex, and they are hoping that Lipscomb's positive experience at the school will attract more of Baltimore's best players.
"Sean's the key. We have to make his two years here a success academically and on the court," said Maczko, a 1983 graduate of Pottsdam State.
"I'm not from this area, so Tony and I spent a lot of time at the playgrounds this year getting to know players and coaches and letting them know that we wanted to build a nationally recognized program that stressed solid academics as well as a good basketball team. We wanted Baltimore's best players to stay in Baltimore. I was tired of hearing of these players going out West to continue their education."
In addition to Lipscomb, Maczko also recruited Dominique Minor (City) and Chris Gephardt (Joppatowne).
Minor (13.6 ppg, 3.4 apg), a transfer from Northeastern, is a former City Student-Athlete of the Year.
Gephardt, a 6-foot-7 All-Harford County performer, is averaging 10.4 ppg and leads the team in rebounding (9.4).
Another key player for the Knights is sophomore Walter Wright out of Stuart High School in Falls Church, Va. Wright, a transfer from Old Dominion, is second to Lipscomb in scoring (22.9) and leads the team in assists (4.2).
Returning to the team after a six-game NJCAA hardship ruling is Dennis Hughes (Randallstown). Hughes averaged 17.5 ppg and 6.0 apg last season and was named to the All-Region XX third team.
With a core of quick, talented players, Maczko has abandoned the half-court game he used last season.
"We play full-court man-to-man 40 minutes a game," said Maczko, who was instrumental in starting the men's basketball program at Goucher College in 1988. "That's where Sean comes in. He's an excellent defensive player. We're forcing about 30 turnovers a game."
Essex has won three straight after dropping its first two games to perennial power SUNY-Farmingdale (89-75) and No. 20 Garrett CC (92-90, OT).
"Our recruiting has allowed us to be competitive with anybody in our region and perhaps even the country this year," Maczko said.
Jacobs to coach CCC lacrosse
Jake Jacobs was hired last week as the first head coach of the Catonsville Community College women's lacrosse team, which will make its debut this spring.
Jacobs, an assistant coach for the Cardinals' women's soccer team, was an assistant girls lacrosse coach at Andover and North County high schools for five years.
Nearly 30 athletes have signed up for tryouts for the team.
"I am very excited about taking over a new college program at Catonsville," Jacobs said.
Jacobs added that he does not have any unrealistic expectations for the team's inaugural season.
"I would like to run it like a JV team," he said. "I'm not really worried about wins and losses, just getting the players playing time and experience."