Page 18
{The Blue Banner}
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Sports Profile
Bulldog guard Primm climbs up the record books
Justin Greenwood
JSGREENW@UNCA.EDU
STAFF WRITER
To help prepare for the 2010-11 basket
ball season, UNC Asheville’s men’s bas
ketball guard JP. Primm did something
that is unique compared to ordinary prac
tice drills.
“I made a summer challenge to make
100,000 shots in 84 days and I finished it
in July,” Primm said. “That really helped
my shot out a lot.”
Primm made some noise his freshman
year on the court, most notably for his as
sists. He led the team in assists as a fresh
man with 139, and for the first month of the
season, he led the nation for all freshmen.
Now in his third year as a Bulldog,
Primm has become a versatile guard who
can not only dish out assists, but he can
also shoot the long ball and come up with
steals.
Despite leading the team in three catego
ries last season, including assists, steals and
points per game, Primm said he feels like
there is always room for improvement.
“I could always play better and I think
I need to take care of the ball a little more
than I have been doing, but every night I
try to lay it all on the court,” he said. “I’m
never satisfied with how I play, and I think
that’s what drives me.”
Primm had a team-high 116 turnovers
last season in the 30 games that he started,
but this season he is looking to decrease
that number.
“I really want to improve on taking care
of the ball and not forcing the issue all the
time,” he said. “I also really want to get my
teammates involved in the game early.”
Unselfish play led Primm to 172 assists
last season, which was good enough to
place him eighth on the Big South Confer
ence all-time list. Primm has 22 assists so
far this season after five games.
The Bulldogs had a tough season last
year, finishing 15-16 overall and 11-7 in
conference play. As this is the last season
the team will play in the Justice Center,
Primm is hoping to go out on a high note.
“I want to lead my team to a winning sea
son this year with at least 20-plus wins,”
Primm said. “I also want to lead the league
in steals and assists and break the school
record in assists in a single game, which I
have tied twice but haven’t broken it.”
Primm focused on stepping up his game
this summer by going to his home state of
Tennessee to train with some profession
als.
“I traveled around working out and do
ing different drills with some older pro
fessional guys I know and playing in the
Photo courtesy of UNCA Athletics
Junior guard J.P. Primm races past University of Kentucky piayers in their matchup early last year.
- them in the right direction
and just take them all under my wing by
showing them the ropes on and off the
court,” he said. “I tell them about basket
ball and still let them know that school is
also a big factor.”
The Bulldogs recently fought a very hard
battle against the No. 25-ranked UNC Cha
pel Hill. To the surprise of many, the Tar
Heels had only a six-point lead with less
than five minutes remaining in the game-
The Bulldogs would eventually fall 80-69.
with Primm’s 21 points leading the way-
“At that point, I was thinking that if
really play our game, we can play with
anybody in the country,” Primm said, t
told (Matt) Dickey that we have to be up-
“I try to lead them in the right direction and just take
them all under my wing by showing them the ropes on
an off the court.”
- J.P. Primm,
men’s basketball player
Rocky Top League, which is a summer
league in Knoxville, and it helped me stay
in shape,” Primm said.
As one of five juniors, Primm will be as
suming a leadership role on the team this
season. Since much of the team is fairly
young, Primm will be looked to for his ex
perience and work ethic.
See primm Page 19