Hugh's News & Commentary

The Eagles are set to open their second season as an active NAIA member school on November 4th and 5th as they host the SCU Classic at Pickens-Springer Gymnasium.

An unkind schedule plagued Southwestern Christian's seven-win, twenty-three loss inaugural year in the NAIA, forcing the Eagles to a last place finish in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference.

There is one positive side to the Eagles 2010-11 season: there is nowhere to go but up.

The Eagles look to do three things differently this season in hopes of evolving into the NAIA Division II threat they are capable of being.

Step One: Schedule Improvement

Assistant Coach Jim Poteet assisted in putting a much better schedule together for this season in order to help the Eagles achieve more victories.

"Our schedule is much friendlier this year," confirmed Poteet. "For one thing, we play more home games. It's a lot easier playing in front of your own fans."

Step Two: Added Depth

SCU lost three reliable players in starting-guard Greg Block, pace-keeper Josh Gamblin, and leading-scorer Riemond Prince to graduation, but plans on suiting up a number of key returners and adding a wealth of size to the blue and white uniforms this season.

Jordy Harris, Ray Hilliard, Brandon Rollins, Zach Bryant, Derek Colvin, Keenan Seahorn, Andrew Hamm, and Mladen Jarpun are all back in the Pickens-Springer this season.

Ray Hilliard, a five-foot-eight junior guard, averaged eight points a game for the Eagles last season.

Six-foot-ten senior center Derek Colvin was the big man in the paint last season for the Eagles, averaging five points a game.

Sharp-shooting senior Zach Bryant, a six-foot-two senior known for his hot-hand behind the arc, also returns for the Eagles after averaging five points a game last year.

Six-foot junior guard Jordy Harris can be counted on to get a fire started from the three-point line, and Brandon Rollins, a six-foot-three junior guard, can compete from outside and inside, using his strength and size to drive the lane.

Seahorn, a six-foot-two senior, can fill either role as guard or forward. Andrew Hamm, a six-foot-five senior, is a strong power-forward for the Eagles and at six-foot-four, hard-working junior Mladen Jarpun, has the ability to find a good shot for the Eagles and add up more points on the scoreboard.

Head Basketball coach Mark Arthur was also prosperous in his recruiting efforts this season, bringing in key freshman and transfers that will help the Eagles depth-wise. The Eagles have added eight newcomers to their lineup this year to help spice things up.

Freshman Luke Blair, a five-foot-eleven guard, is a hard-nosed and solid all-around player that brings good passing and shooting skills with him from his prep days in McKinney, Texas.

Another five-foot-eleven guard, Jeremiah Gibson of Burleson, Texas, will compete for playing time as a shooting option for the Eagles.

Freshman Glenn Irwin, a six-foot-one guard from Oklahoma City, redshirted last season but is expected to be a scoring machine that will add coveted athleticism.

Six-foot-five freshman forward Jordan Narcisse of Houston, Texas shows promise as a burst of quickness for SCU, running the floor well and getting to the basket for a quick shot.

Junior Tyler Averill, a six-foot-four transfer from Santa Ana Community College (Cal.), is a bulldozer in the paint that can both rebound and shoot, while Clinton Amberry, a six-foot-ten junior transfer from California Baptist, adds size to the SCU lineup, has good footwork, and shoots the roundball well. Also from California is Marc Traylor, a six-foot junior guard from Las Positas College, who possesses incredible agility, great passing skills, and the ability to breakdown defenses. Chris Potter, a six-foot-two sophomore transfer that comes to SCU after playing football at cross-town rival Southern Nazarene, can compete against foes much bigger than his size and is an all-over, very physical player.

Step Three: Confidence

One thing that for sure if the Eagles expect to garner many wins this season, they must muster confidence from the get-go this season. With a schedule more conducive to winning and the improved talent and depth to its roster, SCU has the tools to be a top-notch team in 2011-12, but they have to believe and have confidence in themselves they are capable of playing at a higher level.

"It's going to be a tough season again, there is no getting around that," stated Arthur. "The NAIA and our conference in general provide hearty competition for our boys. We have brought in some height and talent to our experienced returners this season. Everyone is working hard and giving their all in practice. I have a lot of faith that we will have a much better season this year. I'm excited to see what we can do."

The Eagles take on Bethany College (Kan.) on November 4th and Bacone College on November 5th as they open their season with the SCU Classic at the Pickens-Spring Gymnasium. Both matches start at 6 p .m.

Article written by Kasey Gardner