Jack LeGwin
Florida Southern Men’s Basketball is primed for a successful year once again behind seven players returning for their senior seasons.
New Assistant Coach Seth Evans said that everyone will have to step up this year in order for the team to succeed.
“We are hoping everyone contributes this year,” Evans said. “Even some of the guys that didn’t play that much last year are going to contribute. This year, going to be honest here, we don’t know who the starters are going to be. We don’t know a lot of things because everyone has been so close in practice.”
The balance in the rotation for the Mocs was put on display last year when Kevin Capers [Lake Wales] was named as a first team All-American by multiple publications, despite starting only 13 games. He is also named a preseason First Team All-American once again for the up and coming season.
Evans said that while Capers is an extremely gifted player, there is a bit more that will be necessary for success in the up and coming season.
“Kevin knows that he is going to need to be a leader for this team this year,” Evans said. “He’s going to have to show by example, and he is going to have to work hard everyday, that is something that he is going to need to work on, and he knows that.”
Capers will be back for the Mocs, alongside Ty Logan (Upper Marlboro, Md.), Bubby Johnson [Waldorf, Md.], Tyler Kelly [Pickerington, Oh.], Dominique Williams [Haines City], Stephen Turner [McCordsville, Ind.], Stephen Battle [Waldorf, Md.], Melique Hill [Tampa] and Marcanthony Lozano [Bradenton].
The Mocs have games against top ranked teams like Metro State, Bellarmine, Delta State, and Tuskegee, the team that knocked the Mocs out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Evans said he believes that the big thing that will test the team this year is the intense schedule that is in front of them.
“Our conference is going to be an elite conference this year,” Evans said. “There are going to be a lot of D1 transfers coming in, and we will have a target on our backs from how good we were last year. We know it will be an interesting year for us with a lot of newcomers that need to contribute for us to do well.”
This edition of Mocs basketball has four new players on the roster: Tyler Ross [St. John, Ind.], Dylan Travis [Omaha, Neb.], Daniel Turner [McCordsville, Ind.] and Michael Volovic [Carmel, In.]. Ross is the only freshman of the four, with Travis, Turner and Volovic all as transfers.
“Any one of the new guys could be productive this year, and could surprise a lot of people,” Evans said. “What we are looking for is to win our conference, win the conference tournament and to have a shot of hosting the region again, like the past two years.”