UMHB Men’s Basketball Roster for the 2017-2018 Season

The UMHB Men’s basketball team is gearing up for an exciting 2017-2018 season Check out the roster below to see who will be representing the Crusaders this year.

UMHB Men’s Basketball Roster

The 2017-2018 UMHB men’s basketball roster is as follows:

-Jalen White
-Jaquan Mills
-David Moore
-Marquise Sopwith
-Cedric Thomas Jr.
-Will Barton
-Josh Hawley
-Marlon Lewis
-Tyler Jones

2017-2018 Season

The 2017-2018 UMHB Men’s Basketball Roster is as follows:

--Head Coach Jody Martinez
--assistant coaches Ray Williams, Nate Williams, and Blake McElfish

-#10 Tyrek Chambers
-#11 Khyle Edwards
-#12 Jordan Hankins
-#13 Josh Martinez
-#14 Tanner Merrill
-#15 BJ Powell
-#20 Nate Rogers
-#21 Jalon Pipkins
-#22 Johnathan appearances
-#23 Austin Sparks
-#24 Kentton Williams

New Additions to the Roster

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s Basketball team has added three new players to its roster for the 2017-2018 season.

Guard Bryce Harper and forwards Joshua Copley and Tyler Sanders will join the Crusaders this fall. Harper is a transfer from McLennan Community College while Copley and Sanders are both incoming freshmen.

“We’re excited to add these three young men to our program,” said UMHB head coach Ken DeWeese. “They each bring a different skill set that we think will help us be successful this season. We’re looking forward to having them on campus and getting started with our fall workouts.”

Harper, a 6-2 guard from Harker Heights Texas, averaged 7.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season for McLennan. Copley is a 6-5 forward from Houston Cypress Ranch who averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots per game as a senior in High School Sanders is a 6-6 forward from Prosper who averaged 16 points and eight rebounds per game last season at Prosper high school

Returning Players

The UMHB men’s basketball team returns 7 players from the 2016-2017 season.

The 2017-2018 roster includes:
-Cameron Singletary
-Justin Washington
-Ryan Laughlin
-Coleman Jennings
-Jalen Creighton
-Cruz Tlatelpa
-Will Furbush

Key Players to Watch

The UMHB men’s Basketball team is gearing up for another exciting season of play. As always, there are a few Key Players to watch. First, there is senior guard Jalen Richard. Richard has been a starter for the last two years and is considered one of the best Defensive Players in the conference. He will be looked to again to provide leadership on and off the court.

Another player to watch is junior forward Joshua Nzeakor. Nzeakor was named honorable mention All-American last season and is considered one of the best players in the country. He will be a key player on both Offense and defense for the Crusaders.

Finally, keep an eye on freshman point guard Jahquez Davidson. Davidson was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school and is expected to make an immediate impact on the team. He has good size and speed and is a createive playmaker.

The Coaching Staff

Chris Briggs enters his fifth season as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Cru have won 90 games during Briggs’ tenure, including a 27-4 mark last season that ended with an NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen appearance. UMHB has also won three American Southwest conference championships and made three straight trips to the NCAA postseason under Briggs’ leadership. The Cru have been ranked in the Top 25 of the D3hoops.com poll in each of the past three seasons, reaching as high as No. 2 in the nation during the 2016-17 campaign.

The Schedule

2017-18 UMHB Men’s Basketball Schedule

11.17.17 vs. Texas Wesleyan W, 86-64

11.18.17 vs. LeTourneau W, 80-70

12.2.17 at Concordia (TX) L, 71-76

12.5.17 vs East Texas Baptist W, 85-77

12.9.17 at Southwestern (TX) W, 69-66 (OT)

The Competition

When it comes to college basketball everyone likes to know who the competition is. Here is a list of the teams that the UMHB men’s basketball team will be playing against during the 2017-2018 season.

The teams are:
– Alcorn State
– Angelo State
– Arlington Baptist
– East Texas Baptist
– Howard Payne
– LeTourneau
– Louisiana College
– LSU Shreveport
– McMurry
– Mississippi College
– Northwood (TX)
– OUAZ
Ozark Christian College
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Texas Lutheran

Fans’ Expectations

With the regular season set to tip off in just over a month, expectations are high for the UMHB men’s basketball team After winning the ASC Championship last year and narrowly missing out on an NCAA DIII Tournament bid, the Cru are ready to take the next step and earn a spot in the Big Dance. Head Coach Pete Peterson has assembled a talented roster that features a mix of experience and youth, and he is confident that his team has what it takes to compete at the highest level

The Cru will be led by senior guard Jase Migliore, who was recently named ASC Preseason Player of the Year. Migliore is coming off a breakout junior campaign in which he averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game He will be joined in the backcourt by junior shooting guard Austin Curry and freshman point guard Malik Matthews. Curry is a sharpshooter who provides instant offense off the bench, while Matthews is a dynamic playmaker who should see significant minutes as a rookie.

Up front, UMHB will be anchored by senior center Kameron Fields and junior forward Tyler Taffinder. Fields is a big body who can protect the rim and score down low, while Taffinder is an athletic wing player who does his best work around the basket. The Cru will also have plenty of depth in the frontcourt with senior forward Blake Boren, junior center Tanner Beard, and freshman forward Luke Cox expected to see time on the court this season.

With so much talent on their roster, it’s no surprise that UMHB has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the ASC title once again. The Cru will open up their season on November 15th against East Texas Baptist University and they will look to make some noise on the national stage this year.

Conclusion

The 2017-2018 UMHB Men’s Basketball Roster is a talented and experienced group that is looking to build on the success of last season. With eight returning players and four new additions, the team has the depth and skill to compete at a high level. We are excited to see what this group can do on the court this season.