The 2010-2011 basketball season is about to kick off and the upcoming season looks promising for our men’s basketball squad. Everyone else seems to notice as well. They were picked to finish first in the Southern Division in the CIAA.
During the 2009-2010 season, the Rams posted a strong effort totaling 12 wins while competing at the Division I level and sweeping the season series from the N.C. A&T Aggies for the first time in 30 years.
“We’re battle tested,” said Head Coach Bobby Collins. This season marks the coach’s fifth at the helm of the program. His record through his first four seasons is 37-81.
“I hope they are hungry and ready to live up to our expectations,” Collins said.
The Rams go into this season without a familiar face on the bench. Ken Spencer took the head coaching job at Saint Augustine’s College.
Taking Spencer’s seat on the bench this season is Coach Byron Jones.
Offensively, they are looking to run up and down the floor, and look for easy opportunities to score off the fast break. They will be emphasizing their athleticism, and there is no better way to do it other than getting out and running the court.
The Rams are returning 11 players from the previous season.
They will be led by talented senior forward Paul Davis. Davis scored 10.9 points per game, grabbed seven rebounds per game, along with an impressive 50 blocked shots last season.
Defensively, they will be focusing on limiting dribble penetration and on forcing pressure on the ball to create turnovers.
“We are looking to put pressure on the ball,” Collins said.
However, their biggest strength will be their depth.
“We can go from nine to 11 deep in the rotation this year, and one of our strengths will be our endurance,” Collins said.
That is definitely an asset for a running team. While the other team is tired, the Rams will be subbing in fresh legs.
Three newcomers will be expected to make an impact. Winston-Salem native, William Peay, guard; Tyre Desmore, guard out of Petersburg, Va., and a Junior College transfer Michael Bland, from Queens, N.Y.
The new and improved Rams have taken a lot from their Division I experience and many believe this is the year for them.
They have depth, experience, and a hard working coaching staff that is well prepared for the upcoming season.
Can they live up to the hype? Most definitely. WSSU is expecting to take the conference title and make a deep run into the NCAA Division II tournament.