The IUS men’s basketball team, who went undefeated in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last year, and made it to the NAIA Division II National Tournament, officially started practice for this season Oct. 2.
In his second season, coach Wiley Brown’s team returns with four starters from last season, six new freshmen and high expectations for making the national tournament.
“The tournament was a great experience for our young team last season,” Brown said. “Our goal for this season is to get back.”
Returning sophomore guard, Jazzmar Ferguson has even higher expectations.
“We’ve been to the tournament, we know what it looks like and it left us with a sour taste,” Ferguson said. “We want to win it this year.”
The Grenadiers are still a long way from the postseason. The team will start this year with an exhibition game against the Knights of Bellarmine University.
“Bellermine always has a good team,” Brown said. “It [the exhibition] will be a good test for us. The guys are really looking forward to it.”
Bellarmine won the teams’ last meeting, 104-98, on Nov. 7, 2008.
“We owe them,” Ferguson said. “They are one of the only teams on the schedule that beat us last year.”
After a few weeks of practice, Brown seems optimistic about what he has seen.
“Everyone’s coming out and ready for the challenge. They’ve been very competitive,” Brown said. “[Dejon] Gary, [Carlos] Mitchell and [Jazzmar] Furguson have become tremendous leaders.”
Craig Bryant, junior forward, led the Grenadiers in scoring last season, averaging 12.7 points per game, while junior guard, Dejon Gary led the team with 5.5 rebounds a game, to help the Grenadiers finish with a 24-9 record.
In addition to the returning players, freshman center, James Murry and freshman guard, Kevin Slaughter are expected to see some playing time this season.
Brown, who worked at the University of Louisville as a strength and conditioning coach under Rick Pitino and Denny Crum, feels he has a defense first mentality.
“We’re going to press pretty much the whole time,” Brown said.
His defensive style was evident in a recent practice.
“I told you guys we’re going to do a lot of running today. And that’s what we’re going to do,” Brown said to the Grenadiers after telling half the team to line-up on the baseline for sprints after a defensive breakdown in practice.
“They’re going to be bigger, faster, stronger, but were going to wear them out mentally.”
As some of the players were in the middle of sprints, the rest of the team watched and cheered from the sideline.
“He’s pushing us,” Fergusson said after practice. “We’re going to be ready.”
The exhibition game against Bellarmine, will be held at Bellarmine University, Nov. 4.
BY HUNTER EMBRY
Staff Writer
ahembry@ius.edu
