Multiple Returnees Are Key For 2014-15

The North Central Missouri College men’s basketball team enters the 2014-15 season after finishing last year at 16-13. The Pirates figure to take a step forward this season as NCMC returns nine players from last year’s team. Those players are a year older and a year wiser now and will look to take the program to the next level in their sophomore seasons.
“Having all these sophomores has made our practices go faster,” Pirates’ Head Coach Steve Richman said. “We don’t have to re-teach as much as what we have had to and our freshmen have picked up on things pretty quickly because those sophomore guys have been able to help teach. They have been through it before so they kind of know and can help the young kids pick stuff up a little bit faster. Having sophomores on the floor with that experience is going to be big for us, too.”
The Pirates return their leading scorers from last season in Xavier Newson, Tyrell Thirkield and Jory Woodson. The guard trio is also joined by Blake Johnson, Justin Seamon, Austin Taul and Jamin Brandt, as guards back for a second season.
“We have probably 95 percent of our scoring back with Tyrell and Xavier, who led us in scoring last year, and Jory Woodson,” Richman said. “Those were our three leading scorers last year.”
Returning at forward are Andrew Berry, who set a school record with 19 rebounds in a single game last year, and Avion Ashford. Newson and Brandt can also play forward positions for the Pirates. A newcomer, freshman David Barton from Knob Noster, gives the Pirates a lot of added size as well.
“Andrew Berry was our leading rebounder last year and he is back,” Richman said. “We have added another 6-7 kid in David Barton, who is going to be huge for us on the boards this year. He also gives us an offensive presence in the post.”
Overall, the Pirates will still be a guard-oriented team, but the squad will be more balanced than it has been in years past.
“We are a lot more balanced this year than we have been,” Richman said. “I thought last year we were really guard heavy and even though Andrew Berry did a good job, he didn’t score a lot of points. I think we were a little bit weak in shooting last year, but we went out and recruited a couple of shooters, so I think we have a pretty balanced team this year.”
Joining Barton as the Pirates’ newcomers for 2014-15 are guards Reid Summers of Richmond, Caleb Berry from Lee’s Summit and Terrance Bush Jr. from Des Moines, IA.
“Our four freshmen are all extremely good players,” Richman said. “We are excited about their opportunities, not only this year, but we are going to have a good foundation for next year.”
The Pirates Region 16 foes have looked good from what Coach Richman has seen so far. In an always tough region, there could be several teams with an opportunity to advance to the national tournament.
“Well, I saw Penn Valley two weeks ago and they looked really good,” Richman said. “It’s just like every year with them, they are wild, they are out of control, but they are extremely athletic. I saw Wentworth as well and they looked better than they were last year. Our region is going to be extremely tough again. I think we have the team this year to match up with the stronger teams in our region, though.”
NCMC should get a boost heading into region play, even if their record doesn’t reflect it. The Pirates have boosted the schedule, taking away some contests with JV teams and adding more games against Division I community colleges in an effort to better prepare the Pirates for the region tournament.
“We look at our region every year and the type of teams that are in it,” Richman said. “We decided this year that we are going to have the kids to compete with some of the higher level teams on the schedule. We put Indian Hills on there, who was the national Division I runner-up last year. We put Moberly back on the schedule and that is a traditional team we have played in the past, but they are a Division I team and usually a top five or top 10 team. We are going to a classic and playing Lee College, who is usually a top 10 Division I team, so, whether we win or lose those games, we feel like that is going to give us some of the punch we need when we get into region play.”
“Your ultimate goal is to make the national tournament and that is what it has been here for 14, 15 years,” Richman said. “But, I want our kids to go out and represent us well. I want them to play hard and play good basketball and wins will take care of themselves if you do that.”
The Pirates open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 4, traveling to Overland Park, KS, to take on Johnson County Community College in a men’s-only contest. Tip off for the game is set for 7:30 p.m.

2014-15 NCMC Men’s
Basketball Schedule
11/4 @ Johnson County, 7:30
11/5 Graceland JV, 7:30
11/7 @ Shawnee, 5:00 #
11/8@ Lee, 5:00 #
11/10@ Southwestern, 7:30
11/13 MO Valley JV, 7:30
11/15 Lincoln Land, 4:00
11/17 @Graceland JV, 7:00
11/19 Ellsworth, 7:30
11/22 Johnson County, 4:00
11/26 @ John Wood, 5:00
12/3 Southwestern, 7:30
12/6 Moberly, 4:00
12/10 Culver Stockton JV, 7:30
1/7 @ Lincoln Land, 7:30
1/10 @ North Arkansas, 4:00
1/11 @ MO Valley JV, 3:00 PM
1/21 Wentworth, 7:30 *
1/24 STLCC, 4:00 *
1/31 @ Penn Valley, 4:00 *
2/4 @ Indian Hills, 7:00
2/7 @ STLCC, 3:00 *
2/9 William Penn JV, 7:30
2/11 @ Wentworth, 7:30 *
2/14 Penn Valley, TBD *
2/16 Culver Stockton JV, 7:30
2/18 State Fair, 7:30
2/21 North Arkansas, 4:00
2/26-28 @ Region Tourney Joplin, MO, TBA
(Home Games In Bold)
(Al Times P.M.)
* Region 16 Game
# Indian Hills Classic in
Ottumwa, IA