Rodger Blind’s voice was barely above a whisper. The coach of the St. Peter’s College men’s basketball team was showing the wear of 13 tough and hard-fought games, as well as a nasty battle with the flu. He should have been home in bed taking care of himself. “Have no time for that now,” Blind said. “We’re in the middle of the season.” But he was doing his best to muddle through an interview, one more chance to defend his embattled team. “We’re playing better and that’s a good sign,” Blind said in a raspy, yet upbeat tone. “Like anything else, you have to hope it continues. And we play in a league that is wide open, where anything can happen. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season.” Two straight impressive victories over Loyola of Maryland and Rider can do that to a team. Anything positive had to have help a team that was in a 2-9 rut, getting demoralized with every loss, falling deeper and deeper into a losing crevice. Blind would be the first one to tell you that he was deeply concerned about his team after they came home from a loss at Iona with a 3-9 overall record and a 1-3 mark in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The team was in a brutal tailspin. The team’s leading scorer, Ricky Bellinger, actually went through a four-game span where he scored a total of 12 points. Heck, Bellinger could score 12 points before the opening tip. He also had two games where he didn’t score a single point. That’s right. The big goose egg. Startling statistic. “You’re always concerned when you’re losing,” Blind said. “As a coach, I was looking for the right combination of players to get us through it. Hopefully, I was going to be able to get Ricky Bellinger’s level to get higher. If he’s not playing well, then find someone else. Just find a way.” It wasn’t supposed to be a struggle this season. The prospects look good for a prosperous campaign, especially after the Peacocks won nine of 12 games down the stretch last season and won surprisingly two games in the MAAC Tournament to reach the tourney finale, only to lose in a tough decision to Siena. But there was hope for 1999-2000. But the 3-9 start, the bizarre play of Bellinger and the way the Peacocks were playing spoiled any positive carryover. “If I thought that when we started off that things would just carry over, I would be making a big mistake,” Blind said. “You’re 0-0 to start the new year. Last year is over and done with. Each year is different. I don’t think I ever mentioned last year once. Added Blind: “It’s about us. It’s about stop making bad turnovers and giving up easy baskets. It’s about playing better defense and playing harder.” Blind had to wonder what was going through the mind of Bellinger, a pre-season All-MAAC selection. His confidence was shot and he was obviously upset with something. It effected everyone on the team. “I wouldn’t be human if I told you it wasn’t in my mind,” Blind said. “People were asking me about Ricky, asking if he was upset. I still had to worry about getting the team righted. Ricky was such a competitor that he couldn’t handle being double-teamed by the opposition. They were taking the ball out of his hands and he was becoming frustrated.” Added Blind: “Basically, by doing that, he was encouraging more traps coming at him. He couldn’t force shots. He had to let the game come to him. It’s like he had this inner clock, that he needed a certain amount of shots, a certain amount of points. If he didn’t get it, he got frustrated and it hurt him.” But that all seems to be a part of the past. Bellinger has rebounded in fine fashion, scoring better than 20 points in each of the Peacocks’ last four games, including 30 in a win over Monmouth. He now has 1,520 career points, becoming only the sixth SPC player to record more than 1,500 points. Forward Kamaal McQueen has been thriving as a super sub off the bench. Forward Rodney Rodgers has been brilliant around the basket. And point guard Kalief Allen has been steady, as well as giving a defensive ball-hawking presence. Jermaine Johnson has been a find, giving the Peacocks a solid presence along the front line. Keith Sellers and Antoine Orr have contributed. Things are finally looking up. A little. “Kamaal has no ego and if he can continue to give us what he has in 20-25 minutes, then we’ll stick with it. Rodney has done a very good job rebounding and starting seems to agree with him. Jermaine certainly plays to his strengths. He’s worked a lot on his shooting and if he gets an open look, I’m confident he’s going to knock it down. I’m not surprised with his progress at all.” Blind knows that his team hasn’t turned the corner just yet. Although he’s the eternal optimist