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FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas
Wesleyan men's basketball team will open its 2003-04 campaign Tuesday
evening at the Sid Richardson Gymnasium, when they host 26th-ranked
Oklahoma Christian at 7:30 p.m.
This year's squad returns two starters
and six letterwinners from a team that finished 22-12 and advanced
to the semifinals of the Red River Conference Tournament.
This season, Texas Wesleyan is picked to
win the conference and is ranked 25th in the nation.
"We are in the process of getting
healthy and learning how to play together," head coach Terry
Waldrop said. "We have quite a few new faces from last year
that will see significant time. I think as the season progresses
we have a chance to really improve and will hopefully be playing
our best basketball at the end of the season. We are so young that
as the season moves along we can gain the experience we need to
compete at the highest levels, which is our goal."
Returning for the Rams are first-team all-conference
and RRAC Defensive Player of the Year, David Johnson, Joey Gladney,
Brad Schilder and Albert Tally. Schilder is a sophomore, while Gladney
and Tally are juniors. Johnson is one of only two seniors on the
squad.
Johnson, a prolific defensive player, led
the nation in blocked shots, tallying 156 in 34 games. The 6-10
forward was also the team's leading rebounder (8.7 rpg) and fifth
on the team in scoring, averaging 11.6 ppg.
As a true freshman last season, Schilder
averaged 8.9 points a game. He will look to provide the team with
some outside shooting. The Burleson, Texas native, made 36 three-pointers
last season.
Gladney, who spent most of season as the
team's sixth man, averaged 11.7 points a game and 6.1 rebounds a
game off the bench.
Tally saw limited action last season, but
will be asked to provide more in the paint this season.
At the point guard position this season
will be junior-transfer Anthony Martin with freshman Byron Tucker
backing him up.
Martin, a transfer from Brookhaven CC,
helped lead his team to the conference finals. Tucker redshirted
last season at North Lake CC. Both players add a lot of speed to
the Ram lineup.
Backing up Schilder at shooting guard will
be true freshman Aaron Smith. Smith is an outside threat from nearby
Mansfield Summitt High School. He shot 43 percent from the three-point
line his senior season, making 82 treys.
Also competing for playing time at shooting
guard will be junior-transfer Drew Busby. The Oklahoma City, Okla.
native, made 134 three-pointers in his two seasons at Southwestern
(Kan.) College.
Providing depth and possibly starting at
the two guard positions or small forward position will be sophomore-transfer
Jaison Frazier. Fraizer is a transfer from Monroe College where
he helped lead his team to a 31-3 record. They were ranked fifth
in the nation in the junior college ranks.
At small forward this season will be senior
transfer Wesley Haynes. The Hammond, La. native, comes to Texas
Wesleyan from Southeastern Louisiana. Haynes scored a season-high
20 points against Vanderbilt. He is probably one of the most versatile
players on the team, being able to play inside and out.
Providing depth in the paint this season
will be sophomore-transfer Brian Carter and junior Otto Beills.
The 7-0 Carter is a transfer from TCU. He was rated as one of the
top 20 centers in the nation coming out of high school. Beills is
back after a one-year hiatus from the team.
Oklahoma Christian leads the all-time
series. 8-1, and have won five straight games against the Rams.
"Our first nine games include six
teams that were in post-season play, so our work is definitely cut
out for us," Waldrop said. "Oklahoma Christian was a sweet
sixteen team last year and has one of the top players in the country.
They have a proven tradition and Coach Hays is one of the highest
quality people and coaches out there today. It will be a great challenge
for us to compete with them and we look forward to that opportunity.
Certainly, it will be one of the NAIA's marquee games early in the
season."
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