Weiermiller struggling for Broncs

EDINBURG — University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball junior guard Nick Weiermiller will be the first to admit that he is struggling this season.

Weiermiller, a preseason Great West Conference first team selection, was arguably the top Broncs player returning this season but his numbers have been less than stellar.

Broncs coach Ryan Marks said Weiermiller has expressed the disappointment in his play to the coaching staff.

“He is apologetic to the coaches and the team that he is not doing better,” Marks said. “That is just his nature.”

Last season, Weiermiller flourished in the shadow of Emmanuel Jones, who led the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game. Jones graduated, and the Broncs have lacked a player with a scoring punch, which may have hurt Weiermiller’s play this season.

“When you are not as much of a focal point of a scouting report, it always helps,” Marks said. “This year, we have asked Nick to be that kind of player who controls tempo and initiates our offense. By nature, you don’t always score as much when you are in that role.”

Weiermiller, who is playing the point a lot more than he did last year, is only shooting 30 percent this season compared to 41 percent in 2008-09. His 6.4 point average and 3.4 assists per game are well off what he was producing last season — 10.7 points and 5.6 assists.

“I’m sure it’s a variety of things,” Weiermiller said. “I’m just really trying to get comfortable with the team and build chemistry with the guys. It really is just me struggling. I have confidence that he will pick it up and play better with conference play comes around. That’s when it will really counts and, hopefully, I will turn it up then.”

THAT HURT

Marks said the team’s low  point may have been in last week’s  home loss to the University of Texas-San Antonio.
The team had played nine games in a row away from home but didn’t play as if they were happy to be competing at the UTPA Field House. UTSA won the game 72-48.

“The team left (on its holiday break) in a positive state of mind,” Marks said. “After the UTSA game last Friday, I thought that may have been the emotional low point this year. We finally got a game at home and to play so poorly was disappointing.”

Marks said, despite the team’s 81-60 loss to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday, said the Broncs played considerably better.

“I thought we played arguably as good of basketball that we have played as we have all year for majority of the game,” Marks said. “I think the guys were feeling good about that.”

TIME OFF

The Broncs have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off but are expected back for practice at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Field House.

Most of the Broncs have gone home for the short vacation. Marks said the team needed the time off after all the traveling they have done.

“You just tell them to go home and enjoy themselves and almost not think about basketball for a couple of days,” Marks said.

UTPA practices again Sunday before taking on Northern Arizona at 2 p.m. on Monday.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448.