LCC men’s hoop team faces challenges

By Brodee Gillam

Sports Editor

To say the 2016-17 season was a rollercoaster ride for the LCC men's basketball team would be an understatement.

Three players were removed from the roster after winter break, including a starter. After continuing the year three players short, the Stars then lost another guard, as well as forward Brandon Dingman, near the end of the season.

However, through all of that adversity, LCC still finished with a 23-7 overall record and went 15-3 in its conference.

This year will have its own challenges. With only two returnees, the team looks to be green and inexperienced.

LCC Head Coach Mike Ingram named freshmen Darious Young and RonQuavious Southward, among others, as notable newcomers. Ingram said those freshmen need to learn the ins and outs of the college game, but have a lot of potential.

"(They) should be a pretty good guard tandem," Ingram said. "They got to play harder and they have to learn how to play with their teammates a little bit, but they can do some things."

Ingram was not concrete on the starting five for opening night against Olivet College JV on Saturday, Oct. 4. He said the two returning sophomores, Kenny Davis and Josh Horford, are set to be the captains for the upcoming season, but need to become better leaders.

Horford said the team is progressing well in the preseason, but they still have work to do.

"We're feeling pretty good, but we just got a lot of things to learn," Horford said. "There's a lot of young guys and lot of incoming guys. We only have two returners, so we're just trying tighten up on things before the season starts."