Pacerhoops readytotake floorThursday
11/3/2009 11:29 PM
By CAM HUFFMAN
Sports Editor
The USC Aiken men's basketball team plans to answer some burning questions when it takes to the hardwood Thursday night for its first exhibition basketball game of the 2009-10 season
Whether this year's USCA team is going to be similar to the last two squads - which combined for a 52-12 record, a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship, two NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Division II Sweet 16 - or to head coach Vince Alexander's first two seasons as Pacer coach - when USCA won just 15 games while losing 44 - seems to be the hot debate in the PBC.
Some fans, especially those across the river at Augusta State, are predicting a collapse for a Pacer team that will have to replace the school's best-ever player, two-time PBC Player of the Year Chris Commons, as well as All-PBC forward Josh Dollard, All-PBC point guard Javonte Clanton, swingman Cody Ballard, guards Kingsley Oguchi and Job Casimir and center Brian Egwuatu.
Alexander and his staff, on the other hand, are promising to keep the winning tradition going with the additions of key transfers like Re'mon Nelson, Michael Technow and Byron Faison, as well as returning contributors like Jores Dongo, Sterling Council, Mark Brown, Rashad Flowers, Jakub Gadomski, Seth Leonard and others.
The league's coaches seem to believe that this team's ultimate destiny is somewhere between those two extremes. USCA was picked to finish third in the PBC behind Augusta State and Clayton State.
The process of determining exactly which group is right will begin Thursday night when the Pacers take on Southern Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Alexander is hoping fans pack the Convocation Center so they can form their own opinions of this year's squad.
"We have established a lot of excitement the last two years and established that the Convocation Center is a tough place to play," said the head Pacer. "We are very excited about our new team. A lot of questions are being asked, and the main one is what are we going to be like without Chris Commons? This is an opportunity for our fans to come out and show support and also find out what we're going to be like."
Alexander plans on getting all of his players on the court, and he is confident that fans are going to be pleased with what they see.
"We aren't as strong in the middle, but we are going to be a little more speedy and really get out and run," said Alexander. "You will probably see us put up more threes than we have in the past. We have four or five of those shooters, and we are still pretty good inside."
The cost for the exhibition game is $6 for adults and $4 for children, senior citizens and visiting students. For tickets, call the ticket office at 641-3486.
11/3/2009 11:29 PM
File photo by Cam Huffman
Sports Editor
The USC Aiken men's basketball team plans to answer some burning questions when it takes to the hardwood Thursday night for its first exhibition basketball game of the 2009-10 season
Whether this year's USCA team is going to be similar to the last two squads - which combined for a 52-12 record, a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship, two NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the Division II Sweet 16 - or to head coach Vince Alexander's first two seasons as Pacer coach - when USCA won just 15 games while losing 44 - seems to be the hot debate in the PBC.
Some fans, especially those across the river at Augusta State, are predicting a collapse for a Pacer team that will have to replace the school's best-ever player, two-time PBC Player of the Year Chris Commons, as well as All-PBC forward Josh Dollard, All-PBC point guard Javonte Clanton, swingman Cody Ballard, guards Kingsley Oguchi and Job Casimir and center Brian Egwuatu.
Alexander and his staff, on the other hand, are promising to keep the winning tradition going with the additions of key transfers like Re'mon Nelson, Michael Technow and Byron Faison, as well as returning contributors like Jores Dongo, Sterling Council, Mark Brown, Rashad Flowers, Jakub Gadomski, Seth Leonard and others.
The league's coaches seem to believe that this team's ultimate destiny is somewhere between those two extremes. USCA was picked to finish third in the PBC behind Augusta State and Clayton State.
The process of determining exactly which group is right will begin Thursday night when the Pacers take on Southern Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Alexander is hoping fans pack the Convocation Center so they can form their own opinions of this year's squad.
"We have established a lot of excitement the last two years and established that the Convocation Center is a tough place to play," said the head Pacer. "We are very excited about our new team. A lot of questions are being asked, and the main one is what are we going to be like without Chris Commons? This is an opportunity for our fans to come out and show support and also find out what we're going to be like."
Alexander plans on getting all of his players on the court, and he is confident that fans are going to be pleased with what they see.
"We aren't as strong in the middle, but we are going to be a little more speedy and really get out and run," said Alexander. "You will probably see us put up more threes than we have in the past. We have four or five of those shooters, and we are still pretty good inside."
The cost for the exhibition game is $6 for adults and $4 for children, senior citizens and visiting students. For tickets, call the ticket office at 641-3486.
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