SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist brings a new look with nine new players for the 2017-18 men's basketball season and a focus on a new possibility – the Great American Conference postseason.
Make no mistake, the Bison have experience and talent returning in the likes of third-year starters
Chandler Rickey (17.1 points per game) and
Vladimir Nemcok (10.2 PPG) and returning starter
Travon Moore (10.7 PPG).
Caleb Norris returns from redshirt status and
Tyler Lester is expected to return from injury mid-year.
But nine new faces, including seven on the active roster, give the Bison an infusion of expectation in their first year eligible for the Great American Conference postseason as full NCAA Division II members.
"Obviously, the first thing, being eligible, is the postseason," said OBU Coach
Quinn Wooldridge. "Our primary goal finish first eight in the GAC. Once we achieve that – to improve our lot with better seeds."
The personnel mix of experience and new talent will be a key factor for the Bison success.
"It's a different look. We have three returners who averaged in double figure scoring last year and of the nine new ones this year six will be rotation type guys. Not just nine guys," Wooldridge said. "The large group of newcomers this year so the team will have a significantly different face."
OBU has a wealth of experience at the point with Nemcok and graduate transfer
Zach Norris (Oklahoma Christian).
"Vladimir is back to two-year starter here and a three-year starter with our staff and hopefully we'll keep him healthy," said Wooldridge. "Zach is basically the opposite kind of guard. "Vlad makes flashy highlight reel plays. Zach is kind of a more stable bigger body that can help us defend bigger guys at that position."
Moore,
Caleb Norris and Lester give OBU leadership at the perimeter.
"Travon give us a lot of leadership on the floor," Wooldridge said. "Caleb is drastically different. He's not a little boy anymore. Tyler has been struggling with injury."
Looking to join that perimeter group on the floor are 6-9 transfer
Adnan Jahic (Murray State), 6-2 transfer
Quinten Tabor (North Lake) and freshman
Brantly Thompson (Tuttle).
Quinten and Brantly will be in the perimeter group. Adnan will go back and forth, Wooldridge said.
"AJ is unique in being close to 6-9 and can play anywhere from the 2 to the 5," Wooldridge said. "Brantly is a first semester freshman and quite a bit better on defense than thought be in the rotation from day one."
The front court is spearheaded by Rickey.
"
Chandler Rickey is a household name around here," Wooldridge said. "As good a year as he had last year he is much improved this year. Part of that is we will use him differently. He'll be a five for us. He's good on the post but also good on the move. And he's shooting it really well right now and that makes him a matchup problem."
Newcomers in that rotation include Redlands transfer
Britt Hammons and
Spencer Lindsey.
"
Britt Hammons is a versatile four for us," said Wooldridge. "He's a capable ball handler and shooter.
Spencer Lindsey is a 6-9, 240 big kid but his best skill is as a pick and pop five guy. He'll be playing next to Chandler a lot. Offensively, he can space the floor. He's better around the basket than we gave him credit. He and Britt played at Redlands 60 games under their belt."
Freshman
Harrison Stoddart (Edmond North) also mixes in at forward.
"Harrison is a really good pick and pop player," Wooldridge said. "He'll be in the mix too. He can block a shot."
The new faces and the move of Rickey to the five gives Wooldridge and his staff more options.
"We're going to do a few different things offensively and defensively and just try to take advantage of the personnel," said Wooldridge. "We're trying to put Chandler in position to do what he does well. Chandler and Vlad are two of the most skilled guys in the league but they also are two of the skinniest. This year we've surrounded those guys with good shooters and good playmakers and that will help everybody and we will have a little bit more spacing."
The team has more than talent at each position. Leadership also is better.
"We feel like we're much improved," Wooldridge said. "
Zach Norris is a graduate transfer. He's been through another program for four years. He's only been with us for 26 practices but fits in as much lock-step with anybody. Trayvon is a guy that has been around and been a good leader for us. All of our senior guys have been good leaders."
In addition to having a familiar face in
Kyle Hankins as an assistant coach for his second year at OBU and third with Wooldridge, the Bison also added
Matt Dillard as graduate assistant.
"
Matt Dillard will be really good at recruiting," said Wooldridge. "Last semester we were a man down good to be back at full strength."
OBU will prep for a long conference schedule with a tougher non-conference trek. After an exhibition Friday at St. Gregory's, OBU takes on MIAA foes Southwest Baptist and Lincoln in Bolivar Nov. 10 and 11 before opening at home Nov. 16 against Arkansas-Monticello.
"Non-conference will be a little tougher as we backed away from the NCCAA and NAIA schedule," Wooldridge said. "We have just one game like that and that's a post-finals game at home."
After the starting trip, OBU has non-conference games against Northeastern State, at Central Oklahoma Nov. 25, at Oklahoma Christian Dec. 9 and home against Kansas Christian Dec. 16.
