BASKETBALL: Catching up with Coach E - 11/9/2012
I cannot believe that tomorrow is the beginning of the NCAA basketball season. There is not a more exciting time of year, well, except march madness. There are 125 games scheduled for Friday, November 9. As a junior college coach, there is almost nothing more gratifying than watching your former players suit up for another school after they have moved on. I was so fortunate to coach at Monroe College for the past 5 years before beginning my tenure here at SCF. We were one of the best junior college programs in the country, went to 3 consecutive national tournaments (only 16 teams are in the NJCAA field) and were ranked number one in the nation for almost half the season last year. In my 5 years, 19 graduates moved on to division one institutions and another 6 to division two or NAIA schools. Currently, 8 of my former players will be suiting up for division one schools and hopefully I will get the chance to see them on TV this year.
| I cannot believe
that today is the beginning of the NCAA basketball season. There is
not a more exciting time of year, well, except March Madness. There
are 125 games scheduled for Friday, November 9. As a junior college
coach, there is almost nothing more gratifying than watching your
former players suit up for another school after they have moved on.
I was so fortunate to coach at Monroe College for the past 5 years
before beginning my tenure here at SCF. We were one of the best
junior college programs in the country, went to 3 consecutive
national tournaments (only 16 teams are in the NJCAA field) and
were ranked number one in the nation for almost half the season
last year. In my 5 years, 19 graduates moved on to division one
institutions and another 6 to division two or NAIA schools.
Currently, 8 of my former players will be suiting up for division
one schools and hopefully I will get the chance to see them on TV
this year. One of my proudest moments was watching Tyrone Nared, a
recent graduate of University of Oregon, catch a put-back dunk to
end the 1st half. This was the ESPN top play of the day. Ty came to
us without a division one or two scholarship offer from Woonsocket,
Rhode Island. He played for my former college teammate, and current
URI assistant coach, Preston Murphy. After completing 2 great years
at Oregon, Tyrone is now playing professionally in Germany. |
Here's a look at the SCF Basketball 2013 sophomore class:
| ISAIAH WILLIAMS | IONA COLLEGE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DEVON HODGES | ??? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SAVAD GARNER | ??? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DAUNTAE JOHNSON | ??? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| STONE HOLLAWAY | ??? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DENZEL MYERS | ??? |
These 5 sophomores are a huge part to our success this year.
They have been so influential to the adjustment to college life for
our freshman. Not only are they talented basketball players, but
they are also great young men. Even with my transition to a
new school, returners Denzel Myers, Stone Hollaway, and Dauntae
Johnson have made my time here easier and more enjoyable. Our 3
transfers, Savad Garner, Devon Hodges, and Isaiah Williams have
done a phenomenal job adjusting to their new surroundings and
helped their teammates understand what it takes to not only succeed
in college, but also get to the next level.
Our sophomore class is a great one. They are leading the way to
changing the culture here for SCF basketball. Any Manatee fan
or alumni will be proud to know these 5 young men are representing
the college.
Where will the players from this year’s State College of
Florida team end up?
I am not sure but I know I will be just as proud of them as I am
of all my former players.
You can check out player profiles on NOW online in our 2012-2013 media guide.
Catch up with me next week!
Coach E