Five years of Eastern basketball has allowed me to see three different eras. The Henry Domercant era, the post Henry Domercant era and now the Mike Miller era, none of them successful, all of them dysfunctional but for different reasons.

What’s interesting, if you compare all three, is that the problem has flipped 180 degrees.

The Henry Domercant era, which ended three years ago, was a pleasure to watch simply because everybody in Lantz Arena (by the way, the average attendance was 2,573, including a sellout crowd of 5,020 for Domercant’s final home game against Austin Peay; compare that to 767 for Wednesday night’s home opener against Indiana-South Bend. That’s pathetic) knew Eastern’s all-time leading scorer was getting the ball, and still he scored 27 at Marquette, 30 at Illinois and 40 against Northern Illinois.

The offense didn’t stand around and watch Domercant, either. Everybody moved and screened to get Domercant an open shot.

It was the most effective I’ve ever seen an offense run at Eastern, but if Domercant had a bad night, a loss was inevitable because they couldn’t defend well.

Lack of recruiting athletic wing players led to no postseason.

Next came the post Henry Domercant era, which is not talked about much because these teams weren’t just bad; they were silly bad.

This era got Rick Samuels fired. Josh Gomes was not a go-to scorer yet, Jesse Mackinson was not a legitimate center and guard Derik Holyfield was a cancer that killed the team. They couldn’t defend without fouling and couldn’t attack the basket at all.

The team went a combined 18-37 during the 2003-04 and 200-4-05 seasons, with losses to Division III Florida Gulf Coast and an eight and four-game conference losing streak.

Now we are in the Mike Miller era.

When you have a new coach for the first time in a quarter century, that’s just the way it works. Miller accepts the responsibility and understands he is the face of the program. He has brought an OVC-best recruiting class (something no Eastern coach has ever done) to Charleston.

This year’s team looks to be playing extremely hard at the defensive end (allowing 59 points per game) and has the athletes to rebound the basketball. For the first time in my Eastern history, they have a fundamental problem – the new players can’t put the ball in the basket.

Miller has brought the complex and sophisticated triangle offense to Charleston and let me be the first to say, it’s not working.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe it’s being taught perfectly, but this team isn’t getting it. The ball goes from the point guard to the forward at either elbow and then, NOBODY MOVES!

It’s like time stands still. No effective backdoor cuts, no screening for others, nothing.

Then the post player awkwardly tries to get rid of the ball without turning it over and 12 to 15 seconds is off the shot clock. Miller is forced to scream “move it” to players who can’t help but look frustrated and confused.

Miller’s Eastern teams currently average 57 points per game and just scored 21 points in a half against an NAIA school Wednesday night. That’s not good enough. The Ohio Valley Conference is down.

Defending champion Murray State has already lost to a Division II school and Eastern could pounce if they just loosen up, play, attack the basket and stop waiting for others to score.