Jamal Barney and Jimmy Patsos aren't afraid to admit they hit a rough patch in their relationship last season.
Loyola's star shooting guard clashed with his coach, missing six games during the team's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule. Barney's scoring average dipped to 12.6, down from 18.1 points as a sophomore, and the Greyhounds labored through an injury-plagued 13-17 season.
Patsos, however, took an understanding approach with Barney while dealing with the strain in their relationship.
"Barney has a lot going on in his life," Patsos said of the former Southwestern standout. "He has a daughter. He takes care of his grandmother, and he doesn't have anyone else helping him. He has a lot going on."
While Patsos called Barney's junior year "a growing process," it could ultimately prove beneficial to both the 22-year-old's development as a person and Loyola's success this season as a team. With Barney and Patsos communicating better and on the same page once again, the Greyhounds are counting on 2010-11 as a turnaround season.
"You have to remember, in college kids are growing in a lot of different ways — in classrooms, socially, and on the court," Patsos said. "I think Barney had a good year of growing up."
Said Barney: "We patched everything up. We talk every day. I would say [our relationship] is about a B-plus right now. We've been working on our communication. That was the biggest thing, our communication, so we talk every day, and everything is good now."
Barney, a two-time Baltimore Sun first-team All-Metro selection at Southwestern, has had a productive summer thus far. He teamed with Greyhounds freshman point guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons) and junior forward Shane Walker in the Baltimore Summer League at Loyola's Reitz Arena. Barney scored a team-high 17 points for Tark's Grill in a championship-game loss in the NCAA-sanctioned league.
Off the court, Walker said, the change in the relationship between Patsos and Barney has been noticeable.
"They're definitely trying to work on it," Walker said. Barney is "one of his favorite players. There's definitely a level of respect there. They just need to work on it a little bit more, but it's definitely coming along."
Since transferring from Providence after his freshman year, Barney has been counted on to provide the bulk of Loyola's scoring. As a senior, he'll be expected to do that as well as provide leadership for the Greyhounds.
"I see myself as a leader," Barney said. "I'm a senior this year, and my teammates, most of them look up to me. Me being a vocal leader can only help us get better. I have a real loud voice on the court, and I think my teammates respect me enough to know that I'm going to put us in a good situation."
Patsos said he wants Barney to be a leader by setting an example for his teammates — on the court and off. While last year was filled with trying moments for player and coach, Patsos thinks Barney is on the right track.
"He's doing better in school. He's going to graduate early," Patsos said. "He's really holding up his end. But most of my guys are worried about going to class and playing basketball. He's got a whole other life going on. That's just the way it is, and that's OK. That's why he is here at Loyola. We support him, and he knows we're behind him."