The Tigers are building a foundation for the future, and after two exhibition games, first year head coach Mark Price and assistant coach Sean Rutigliano are confident in the team’s direction.
“We want to bring an unselfish team style of basketball,” Price said. “We want effort and we want a team attitude.”
This season, the Tigers are a young team with only four members being upperclassmen. Seniors Josh Raine and Belford Williams along with juniors Jeremy Banks and Scott Day will be counted on to lead the team as they progress to the regular season.
“Scott Day is a really good vocal leader and Jeremy Banks does a great job with our younger guys relating to them and keeping them together on the floor,” Rutigliano said.
Both coaches are not going to let age be an excuse for this team.
“It is what it is,” Price said. “It doesn’t really change our expectations and the things we cant change we don’t really try to dwell much on.”
Rutigliano believes the younger players have a chance to be integral parts of the team.
“With any young team, you have to see where the pieces fit,” Rutigliano said. “By no means are we going to use our youth as a crutch, we wont do that. They might be freshmen in terms of their years, but mentally and physically they aren’t going to be freshmen on the floor competing in the GSC.”
According to both coaches, the real strengths of the Tigers this year is their character and willingness to learn.
“For the most part they come every day to practice wanting to learn,” Rutigliano said. “They’re really teachable kids. Our guys come every day with an open mind and a willingness to learn.”
“We have a really good line of character with these kids, and that’s always a good place to start,” Price said.
The Tigers begin the regular season tonight against Alabama-Huntsville, who are ranked third in Gulf South Conference East. The Tigers will then face second-ranked North Alabama on the road.
The Tigers also have stout non-conference competition to begin the season. Incarnate Word who is ranked second in the Heartland Conference and Texas A&M Commerce who is ranked second in the North division of the Lone Star Conference will test the Tigers early in the season.
Despite the challenging start, Rutigliano has confidence that the team can compete with anyone.
“Our biggest strength is that our guys really try to compete,” Rutigliano said. “I think they play hard and I think they are really starting to sell out to the system in terms of what were trying to do offensively. I think they are starting to mold together nicely.”
The team is picked last in the Gulf South West coaches’ poll, but according to Price the team is going to continue to work.
“We just have to improve on what we are doing well and get better at the things we aren’t doing well,” Price said.
