Gary Waters on Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleveland State Vikings Coach Optimistic

As the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their season, many are making predictions about their coming success, including Cleveland State Vikings men's basketball head coach, Gary Waters.

Few know that Waters and new Cavs coach Byron Scott have a little history together.

Prior to Coach Waters coming to the Vikings in 2006, he was the coach of the Rutgers basketball team from 2001-2006.

At the same time, Scott was the coach of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets from 2000-2004.

While both coaches were in New Jersey, they were mutual acquaintances and talked several times.

When Scott came to the Cavs, it was a reunion of sorts.

At a Coach Waters’ press conference, he was candid when talking about the new-look Cavs and their new head coach for this season.

“Scott is a very, very good coach and when he was hired I thought it was a homerun hire,” said Waters.

Obviously, the Cavs have been through a major change with one of Ohio’s own leaving team for South Beach this past summer, but Waters sees this new-look team as a dark horse.

“The Cavs will surprise people,” said Waters. “Scott’s commitment to play hard will lead this team to being something special sooner than later.”

While he did not want to dwell on the topic of the Cavs, since his press conference was for his own basketball team, Waters did make a prediction on one of the Cavs younger talents who he says will be a stud in Scott’s new system.

“J.J. Hickson will breakout in Scott’s new scheme,” said Waters.

Hickson was drafted by the Cavs in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft and is a 6’9” 242-pound power forward out of Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia.

He has shown signs of brilliance on the court, but Hickson’s game will need to be raised for the Cavs to be a surprise in the NBA in this season.

For the Cavs to be a playoff-bound team the players needed to quickly buy into Scott’s system and Waters said they already are.

“I saw the players buying into the system during a training camp practice and Scott already has his guys playing at a really high level,” said Waters.

Fans need to remember that the team is rebuilding, and even though many NBA writers and experts look down on the team this year, the Cavs could really surprise us.