Rodney Plummer’s first year back on the bench ended prematurely, in the outbracket round of the PSAL Class AA boys basketball playoffs Wednesday night.
Yet, less than 30 minutes after No. 20 Transit Tech ended Eagle Academy’s season, 74-56, in The Bronx, here was the program’s architect smiling, talking about next year wistfully. The Eagles never got going against their Brooklyn foe, trailing 21-7 five minutes into the matchup and by 39-16 at one point in the second quarter, treating the ball like a hot potato and playing taps with it on the offensive glass without somehow scoring.
Eagle made its run in the second half as senior Stedman Allen and Donte Adams, who each scored 15 points, took charge, getting within eight on several occasions. But it could never quite get over the hump because of turnovers or missed defensive assignments that led to open 3-pointers for the sharp-shooting Express, who sank 12 shots from beyond the arc.
Plummer saw that act before from his team. The Eagles made a habit out of starting slow and finishing fast. It sometimes results in thrilling victories, but also demoralized defeats.
“That’s who this team is, that’s what wev’e done all year long,” he said. “We wait until our backs are agaisnt the wall and then we come out with a sense of urgency. I tried to get them to understand you need that same sense of urgency coming out of the locker room.”
Plummer, a federal investigator and licensed substitute teacher, guaranteed he will be back next winter. He built the program from the ground up, leading Eagle to a PSAL Class B crown and undefeated regular season in the ‘A’ in 2007 and 2008 before stepping down citing a need to take care of “personal issues.”
Plummer came back this year because he missed the game and the Eagles made positive strides after adjusting to his frenetic style of coaching. Despite losing standout point guard Craig Robinson to injury, they compiled an 18-7 record overall, finished second in Bronx AA and defeated longtime borough powerhouse John F. Kennedy twice.
A streaky bunch, Eagle started the year 5-0 in Bronx AA, lost two straight won seven in a row, but dropped its final four – including the loss to Transit Tech and Bronx A East foe Smith in the opening round of the borough playoffs.
“Altogether we had a good season. We didn’t have a great season — we lost several games we shouldn’t have lost and we didn’t go as far as we anticipated going,” he said. “It was a little rough, first year back after being gone for two years. I inheited a good group of guys, but it takes more than one year to groom a team to buy into your system.”
Plummer talked about next year like it was tomorrow. He loses his two best players – Allen and Adams – but returns seven juniors and plans to call up a number of players from the undefeated JV team.
“I’m really excited,” he said. “You have not heard the last from us.”
