Co-Lin men’s and women’s basketball teams have started their seasons on a winning note in line with expectations following successful play during 2022-23.
The men finished last year with an 18-6 overall record, 12-2 in conference play, and won their first Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference (MACCC) championship since the 1999-2000 season, while the women had a 16-10 overall record, 6-8 in MACCC play. Both teams went to the4 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament, but lost in early rounds.
Men’s second-year Coach David Sanders has a new group of players, but says his expectation coming into the new season are still high. "We want to be National Champions,” he says. “That is the goal and that is what it is always going to be, and from that goal we create others. Winning the conference again is the first step, then we want to win regionals. The main thing for that to happen is getting our players to buy in and get ready for the challenge ahead."
New Lady Wolves Coach Dr. Britta Stephens says she is excited about her first season. "I think we have a good group of core sophomores who all bring experience to the table along with freshmen that have shown promise leading up to the season,” she says. "I think that we are going to be a high energy team and that will look a little different than what Co-Lin has had in the past because of our player makeup and ability. Pressing and guarding will be the way we work best this season. We are going to guard well and generate offense through our solid defense."
The men’s roster features 13 players, including 11 freshmen.
"I think that everything starts with Devin Carter (Edwards), who is a transfer guard from Alcorn State,” he says. “He can handle the ball, shoot it well, and is a very dynamic player who has a chance to be an All-Conference player for us. "We also have Avaughn Johnson (Jackson), who is a Jackson State transfer. He plays inside out and we like what we have seen from him in practice and scrimmages so far. "Emmanuel James (Nigeria) is the first international player for us at Co-Lin and he has a chance to be one of the best athletes in the conference. Ismail Rashid (Brandon) is a do-it-all guy for us who comes in with a lot of maturity after spending a year at a prep school. He is a guy that we are going to be able to use all over the court to make plays for us. Dakota Hillard (Hazlehurst) is a big guy and can shoot it with a nice post game and we are just trying to find ways to get him touches"
The roster also includes Jamarion Smith (Magnolia), Kaison Saunders (Olive Branch), Trevon Taylor and Courterius Scott (both from Jackson), Corey Brown (Roxie), Jayden Jackson (Camden), Antonio Oatis (Hattiesburg), and Fred Gray, Jr. (Belzoni).
The roster for the Lady Wolves features 12 players including six sophomores (four returners, two transfers) and six freshmen. Returning sophomores for the Lady Wolves include Kayla Howard (Shaw), Lashaunte Payne (Magee), A'shante Fleming (Canton), and Ceara Myers (Baton Rouge, LA) while Sequoia Bolden (Hattiesburg) and Jamea Smith (Jackson) both come to Co-Lin after playing their freshmen years at Coahoma.
"I look for us to play pretty fast every game and for all of our players to play every game because of the style of basketball we are going to have to play this season," stated Stephens. "I think the depth of our roster will be one of our strengths."
Returning sophomores for the Lady Wolves include Kayla Howard (Shaw), Lashaunte Payne (Magee), A'shante Fleming (Canton), and Ceara Myers (Baton Rouge, LA) while Sequoia Bolden (Hattiesburg) and Jamea Smith (Jackson) both come to Co-Lin after playing their freshmen years at Coahoma. "I really think that Jamea, Ceara, and A'shante have the ability of being all-conference type players for us," says Stephens. "Jamea and Ceara can average double-doubles in rebounds and points. If we can keep those three playing really well for us and two or three more that can complement them then we will be really successful this season."
Incoming freshmen for the Lady Wolves include Kiersten Haynes (Clinton), Myla Harbor (Ferriday, LA), Ke'Asia McChriston (Jackson), Zamiya Brown (Flowood), Alexanjria Washington (Canton), and Tia Richardson (Jackson).
Early in the new season, the men have posted a 4-2 record, and the women are 5-2. The men have defeated Baton Rouge Community College (89-72), Baton Rouge Post Graduate (122-57) and Delgado (83-75 and 87-81) with losses to Chipola (95-73) and Pensacola (66-63). The Lady Wolves have wins over Shorter (76-52), South Arkansas Community College (93-88 and 61-57), Southern University Shreveport (56-39) and Baton Rouge Community College (73-60), with losses to Kilgore (73-57) and LSU Eunice (79-58).