Basketball gets ready to tipoff

The Ouachita men’s basketball team surprised everyone last year when they got an at-large berth to the NCAA II south regional tournament and upset No. 1 seed and host Florida Southern to finish the year at 20-10.
The conference coaches have recognized the great effort from the team last year and voted them to repeat as Gulf South Conference West Division champions. The high expectations are somewhat new for the Tigers. They were picked to do well last year, but exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“Expectations are great, we want those expectations, but it does not change how we work,” said head coach Charlie Schaef.
“We know we are the hunted, and we have to work even harder to get where we want to be,” said senior guard Rowan Ledbetter.
“It does not change anything we are just going through the normal day-to-day operations.  We are just trying to get better every day,” Schaef said.
Schaef says the high pre-season pick is because of the returning talent for the Tigers and their potential, and this year’s goal is to maximize the potential.
The Tigers, a very balanced team last year, return eight players from last year’s team, seven of whom are seniors.  Three Tigers return in the front court in seniors Ed Keyes and Daniel Maddox and junior Josh Raine. Keyes and Maddox averaged 12 points a game for the Tigers. Keyes, who was selected Gulf South West Division first team, averaged seven rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, with highs of 19 rebounds against Alabama Huntsville and six blocks against Arkansas Monticello. The Tigers return several talented guards from last years team including Antonio Benjamin, Jaranimo Marks, Rowan Ledbetter and Quintin Smith. The four guards combined to average 29 points per game last year.  Brandon Rose also returns after sitting out most of last year with an injury.
The team also welcomes six newcomers to the roster. Red-shirt freshman Emmanuel Engulu and freshmen Austin Mitchell, Anthony Henry and Zane Thigpen will get their first dose of college basketball while transfers Roger Eiland and Belford Williams will be expected to contribute right away.
Those players face a tall task this year as the Tigers start off against Division I Kentucky on Nov. 7.
“We get to play on holy ground for college basketball with a chance to play in front of thousands, it defiantly helps in the first few weeks of practice and recruiting,” Schaef said, “Everyone has dreamed of playing there, and we get to live that dream.”
“We know it won’t make or break our season, and it’s a dream for all of us to play there,” said Ledbetter. “The competition and style they play will help prepare us for the rest of the season.”
It does not get much easier for the Tigers from there as they face a schedule tougher than last year’s according to Schaef. He says the strength of schedule is high so that the Tigers are in position to receive an at-large tournament bid if they cannot achieve the automatic bid.  Schaef also said the conference is as good or better than it has ever been. Harding and Christian Brothers return several players and will be near the top of the west division with Ouachita.
Ledbetter agreed saying, “It’s going to be difficult, and will be a battle every night just like always.”