ARKADELPHIA, Ark.- Head Coach Dennis Nutt enters his second year at the helm of the Ouachita men’s basketball program after a fourth place finish in the inaugural season of play in the Great American Conference. Nutt and his team enter the 2012-13 season with many familiar faces, as they only lost three players in the offseason. This bodes well for the Tigers, who open up their season on Thursday with an exhibition game against Philander-Smith College.
Returning to the team for this season are seniors Julian LaDay, Austin Mitchell, Nigel Ramsey and Michael Morris, juniors Dave Day and John Kornet and sophomore Colt Fason. The Tigers have added three new faces to the team, with transfers Micah Delph and Kyle Francis and freshman Jamarlin Jackson, who is also a member of the Ouachita football team.
The Tiger returners provided the bulk of their offensive production in the previous season, as Mitchell led the team with 15.8 points per game, followed by Ramsey with 10.8 points per game and Morris with 10.4. Morris also returns as one of the leading rebounders for the Tigers, after averaging six boards per game in 2011-12. Ramsey was also a constant force on the boards, averaging 4.9 per game, while Mitchell averaged 3.2.
On defense, the Tigers look to be solid as well. LaDay returns after recording 61 steals last year, with Ramsey recording 60 during the season. In the middle, opponents are going to have trouble with the likes of Morris and Day. Last season, Morris recorded 59 blocks and 35 steals, while Day recorded 13 blocks on the season.
Newcomer Micah Delph looks to be a great addition to an already talented team. Delph comes to the Tigers after playing his freshman season at Division I Stephen F. Austin. He averaged 1.5 points in very limited time for the Lumberjacks but Ouachita provides a fresh start, and it appears more playing time as well.
Kyle Francis, the other transfer that the Tigers landed in the offseason, comes to Ouachita after a two-year stint at Lon Morris College, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). He is a 6’9, 229 pound forward and will provide another big body in the middle of the lane for the Tigers on both offense and defense.
Jamarlin Jackson enters his first season on the Tiger basketball team after playing his high school career at Clarendon High School in Clarendon, Arkansas. He accumulated over 1,800 points during his time in Clarendon, averaging 26 points per game and received three All-State and All-Conference selections.
The Tigers match-up against the Panthers of Philander Smith College on Thursday. One of the most notable players for the Panthers is Juvon Demerson, who the Tigers have seen before. Demerson is a transfer from Southern Arkansas, one of Ouachita’s GAC foes. He stands at 6’10 and will provide a real test to the Tiger post players. Another key player for Philander is going to be Damarkus Lipscomb, who is one of the primary offensive weapons entering their 2012-13 season.
Excitement is all around the Tigers heading into Thursday’s game. Ouachita and Philander will tip-off at 7 p.m. in Bill Vining Arena. The Tigers will then travel to Cape Girardeau, Missouri on Tuesday, October 30 to close out their exhibition season against Division I Southeast Missouri State. The regular season begins on November 9 for the Tigers, when they host LeTourneau for one of their six non-conference match-ups.
Photo by Dr. Wesley Kluck
