STLCC Archer’s Men’s Basketball team aims to surpass last year’s 8th place national finish
By: AARON MCCALL
Staff Writer
The STLCC Archers men’s basketball team were District 13 champions and finished eighth in the nation at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) tournament last season.
This season STLCC Head Coach Randy Reed said they are looking to build on that success. Reed wants to keep the positivity flowing and improve.
“Let’s try and get better than eighth,” Reed said. “Let’s keep the success rolling baby. Let’s just keep getting better.”
Reed said he knows the task will not be easy, but he has high expectations.
“It’s going to be hard, but I think we have a chance of getting better than eighth,” Reed said. “That’s a lofty goal, but you want to always say you can do better than the team last year.”
Reed says the 2014-15 team has talent and with a good attitude this group of Archers can be successful.
“This team will be successful because I think they have a good attitude, work ethic, and I think they believe in me and what I’m teaching,” Reed said.
Reed said his team will put on a show for the fans when they attend home basketball games at STLCC-Forest Park. Along with the flash on the court, he said the Archers will play solid fundamental basketball.
“You are going to see dunks,” Reed said. “You will see entertaining basketball, smart basketball, and well coached basketball. You will see some really good quality junior college basketball.”
Freshman guard Jeremy Verges said he thinks this team can repeat some of last season’s success.
“I expect nothing less than nationals again,” Verges said.
The 2014-15 roster has only three returning players from last season. Point guard Jacob Hensel, guard Sean Robinson and post position player Devin Naruaez are the returning trio.
“Our team chemistry can improve,” Vergas said. “This is a new team, but we have a lot of offensive threats.”
Reed said this Archers team is deeper on the bench than in the last season.
“We have a lot of depth. Last year we were pretty much two players and a couple of other guys who were pretty solid, but this year we have balance,” Reed said. “We have about eight or nine really good basketball players on [this] team.”
Sophomore guard Jacob Hensel said he is ready to be a leader and take his team as far as they can go.
“[I want to be] better as a team and lead my fellow teammates to get us as far as we can go,” Hensel said. “[I want to] win as many games as possible and play as a team first and foremost. [I want to] get back to nationals.”
