Tough act to follow

University of Toledo freshman guard Stuckey Mosley wasn’t on head coach Tod Kowalczyk’s radar when the two first crossed paths.

Kowalczyk had never even heard of Mosley until the 6-3 Florida native quite literally forced the issue at a basketball tournament in Indianapolis. The Rockets’ head coach was there to watch a potential recruit from an Ohio team.

“I didn’t know who Stuckey Mosley was until the kid we were looking at, Stuckey was going at him pretty good and got the better of him,” Kowalczyk said. “We started making some phone calls and we are very fortunate that he decided to come to UT.

“He’s been a great addition and I think he has a chance and an opportunity to be a really good player in our program and our system.”

Mosley isn’t the first of his siblings to travel north for college. One of his older sisters, Jordan, plays guard at Seton Hall, while big brother Dean is a wide receiver at Temple.

It was more than just a simple change of scenery, however, that drew the youngest Mosley to Northwest Ohio.

“I just wanted to try something different,” he said. “Both my brother and my sister went up north to college, so I just wanted to try it. The coaches recruited me really well and it’s a great program, so I decided I wanted to come here.”

Mosley has had to acclimate to more than just the cold temperatures in his first collegiate season.

“I think he’s adjusted to the speed of the game,” Kowalczyk said. “Everybody has a different adjustment period; his was a little longer than I thought it would be. I think he struggled with the intensity, how hard guys play and how fast guys are at this level, but I think he’s really settled in nicely and I’m looking forward to coaching him for the remainder of the season.”

Mosley is averaging only 3.4 ppg, but he has provided a crucial spark several times during the Rockets’ current campaign.

The 18-year-old has not been allowed a prolonged adjustment period. Mosley has had to prepare to replace senior point guard Juice Brown, one of three starters the Rockets will lose at the end of this season.

Juice, a ten-time Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week, is averaging 16.4 ppg this season and is considered by many to be among the greatest point guards to ever play in the Glass City. He earned All-MAC honors last season, notching a conference-best 6.0 apg that was also tied for 13th-best nationally and scoring 20 or more points a team-best eight times to lead the Rockets to an undefeated record at home.

“I watched a couple games so I knew he [Juice] was pretty good,” Mosley said. “I heard he was probably the best point guard to ever come here, so I decided I would come here and learn from him, too.”

Where some might shiver at the idea of stepping into Juice’s shoes, Mosley sees the impending challenge as an opportunity.

“He’s not going to feel any pressure,” Juice said. “We know he’s a good player and he plays with confidence. He’s just as good as any up-and-coming guard in this league, so I don’t think there should be any pressure.

“He’s just going to play his game and do what he does best.”

However, what Mosley does best is up for debate.

“When he first came in they said he was a shooting guard,” Juice said. “But once he came in he was more of a point guard in my eyes, good IQ of the game, can pass the ball and shoot the ball well. I think he’s going to be a good fit here.”

Mosley’s ability to plug in all over the court has given him plenty of opportunities to come off the bench this season. It’s also a trait that will keep the Rockets flexible for years to come.

“He’s just a multi-dimensional guard,” Kowalczyk said. “He can play numerous positions and I just like his versatility.”

Above all, it is Mosley’s mentality that gives his teammates and coaches confidence in his ability to replace Juice next season.

“It hasn’t been mentioned, but I think everybody knows it,” Juice said of Mosley filling his starting spot. “It doesn’t have to be said. I think I’m leaving the program in good hands with Stuckey being the point guard. He’s a bright kid, has a good head on his shoulders and most importantly he’s a hard worker. I think he’s going to be pretty good.”

For the Rockets’ head coach though, Mosley doesn’t have to become Juice — he just has to keep being himself.

“I don’t look at it like he has to replace Juice and be Juice,” Kowalczyk said. “[Stuckey is] a different type of player. That’s going to be more of a team issue than an individual issue.

“Stuckey is going to be the best Stuckey possible. He doesn’t need to be Juice.”