Men’s hoop team being pushed hard

Men’s hoop team being pushed hard

By Julie Newell
Sports/Photo Editor

As the weather starts to get colder, the sports start heating up and basketball embers start to spark.

Last year the LCC men's basketball team record was 16-13 overall and 13-5 in the MCCAA's Western Conference.

"We finished third last year (in the conference)," LCC Head Coach Mike Ingram said. "It was a good year for us (last year) … I expect us to be better (this year)."

This year the team consists of 14 players: six returning sophomores and eight freshman.

The returning Stars are: Tevin Taylor, Skyler Wilson, Tevin Ali, Darious Young, Brandon Suttles and Aaron Latimer.

Ingram talked about a few of the returning players

"Darious Young is coming back after sitting last year," Ingram said. "When he was a freshman he was first-team all-conference and he was freshman of the year," Ingram said. "Last year, Tevin Ali was first team all-conference and … Tevin Taylor was third team all-conference.

"All three of those guys; I'm expecting them to have good years," Ingram said.

The new Stars are freshmen Diante Smith, Ty Andrades, Mitchel Skym, Xaviah Andrews, Gary Brookins, Lerone Hall, Youssouf Sow, Jordan Clay.

The eight freshman players are not the only new people on the team. Ingram spoke about how he hired an entirely new staff of coaches this year.

"This will be the first year … I've got all new coaches for the first time in probably 13 (or) 14 years," Ingram said. "I thought my staff needed to get younger … to be able to identify with the players a little bit better, help recruit a little bit better. I'm just really excited about those guys and what they've been bringing to the table so far."

The new coaches include former Lansing Catholic High School Coach Joe Springer and former LCC player Donquall Jackson. Jackson played for the Stars last season.

Another coaching addition may be forthcoming in the near future.

Ingram commented on what the team has been working on during practice.

"The guys have to learn how to win," he said. "They have to learn that in order to win you have to be pushed and I think that I'm pushing them a little harder than I have in the past couple years.

"They should expect to be coached, they should be expect to be pushed, they should be expect to be challenged," Ingram said. "I think early in the fall they struggled with that a little bit with saying things like, 'Hey this isn't fun.'

"I just kept telling them fun is working, fun is being pushed, fun is being a competitor, fun is going to class … All these things are fun and you just keep putting that in their head and so I think it's starting to click into them."

The first game of the season is against Aquinas College on Thursday, Nov. 7 in the Gannon Gym, starting at 7 p.m.