By MATT STRAUB
Sports Editor

NEW BRITAIN — When and if Central Connecticut men’s basketball coach Howie Dickenman ever gets tired of coaching, he could have a future in journalism.

Without even a prompt, Dickenman revealed his observations about CCSU’s quality of play over the first four games of its season.

“We‘re fun to watch when we run,” Dickenman said. “When we have to face a set defense in half court we’re deliberate and tend to not value the basketball. When we get out and fill up the lanes and get the ball in the middle, our guys make some good decisions in the break.”

That opinion is borne out by the fact that Central had 26 assists in Tuesday’s win over Binghamton on 31 field goals in the game including a staggering 19 on 20 makes in the second half. That shows just how well Central moved the ball on the break when it pulled away, and what kind of easy baskets Central can get if it holds on to the ball.

Of course, the first half demonstrated the opposite. CCSU finished the game with 21 turnovers, a number that irked Dickenman.

“We had a lot of turnovers, we have to value the ball a little bitter,” Dickenman said. “We had a lot of unforced turnovers. To me that’s a lack of concentration ... I’m not going to say we turned the ball over because we ran. You can still run without turning the ball over with a little bit more precise passing.”

Central was guilty of three turnovers in the first half on simple handoffs, but the Blue Devils committed most of their mistakes while running full speed.

That said, watching Central play a slowdown style has not always been pretty this season. Central’s offense continues to be led by Ken Horton, whose start has reached historic levels. He has scored 18 or more in CCSU’s first four games, the first Blue Devil to put up those numbers since Damian Johnson kicked off the 1992-93 season in torrid fashion.

For the sophomore, who has double-digits in 25 of his 33 games in blue and white, attention is coming. A player averaging 23 points and more than seven rebounds to start the season is going to get scouted. The defensive pressure could be more intense as soon as today’s game against Lafayette (2 p.m. ESPN Radio 1410). In  fact, to some extent, it already has.

“Guys now are being a lot more physical with me,” Horton said. “They know I like to play the high post so now they’re hugging me a little bit and being more physical with me up there. That’s just an adjustment I have to make. I have to read the defense and find open spots. Everything will come.”

Something else that must come is the defense. CCSU held the Bearcats to 0-for-19 from 3-point range, four shy of the NCAA record. Against a Lafayette (2-3) team that doesn’t mind shooting it, Central’s guards will have to have their hands up.

“We defended the three very well obviously,” Dickenman said. “They missed 19 in a row.”

For Central, right around 20 is a good number for assists and a bad number for turnovers. The 19 missed threes were probably in part a fluke, the Detrick Gym rims performing one of the favors it owes the snake-bitten Blue Devils.

But more than numbers, Central must worry about style. Lafayette better bring its track shoes.