For this post, I decided to do something outside of FGCU athletics and go local in my own backyard: Bradenton, Florida. I know what my readers are probably thinking: "Why are you doing a story outside of FGCU?" My answer is this: I just wanted to. I want to go outside of the NCAA and look at teams at the NJCAA level.
This will be about the men's basketball team at my junior college (JUCO), State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota (SCF). The Manatees (7-7) prepared for another home game as they welcome Gordon State College (6-2) to Hal Chasey Gymnasium on Friday, December 14 at 6 P.M. The Manatees are led by first year head coach Tom Parks. Prior to SCF, Parks served as associate head coach for NJCAA Sheridan College in Wyoming before becoming assistant coach for Eastern Florida State College.
Last Time Out:
The Manatees, who are in the Suncoast Conference in the NJCAA Region 8 (FCSAA), are coming off of two losses in the JUCO Shootout in Ocala, hosted by College of Central Florida (CCF). They would fall to Miami-Dade (110-101) and Indian River State (98-82).
Leading the way for the Manatees are freshmen Isiah Dasher and D'Moi Hodge.
Although he was suspended from the game against Miami Dade, Dasher remains in tact. The New Jersey native is averaging 16.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. In the game against Indian River, Dasher was held six points and two rebounds.
Hodge is averaging 18.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Against Miami, he scored a season-high 50 points, seven rebounds and four blocks while against Indian River, he was pulled out due to an injury while finishing with nine points, two rebounds and one block. Because of his performances, the native of Tortola, British Virgin Islands was named FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week.
Another freshman that has been hot lately is Remy Robert II. Robert is averaging eight points per game and is predominantly the 3-point specialist on the team. At the JUCO Shootout, Robert II had 10 points against Miami-Dade and 17 against Indian River. In fact, the Baton Rouge native has scored at least 10 points in four straight games.
From the sophomore class, DeAndre Osuigwe is averaging 13.1 points per game and leads the team in assists per game (6.4). The Nyack College transfer (NCAA DII) had 11 points and nine assists against Miami-Dade and 16 points and eight assists against Indian River.
Miles Wilson has also been a good factor defensively as he averages 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Wilson had 11 points and five rebounds assists against Miami-Dade and six points and two rebounds against Indian River.
Scouting Gordon State:
Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Georgia and are a part of NJCAA Region 17/GCAA. The Highlanders are coming off of a 73-69 win against St. Pete College and enter the matchup with a three-game winning streak.
Sophomores Oronte' Anderson and Seth Brown-Carter lead the way for the Highlanders. Anderson is averaging 14.9 points and 4.6 assists per game while Brown-Carter is averaging 13.8 points per game. Against SPC, Anderson had 13 points and five assists while Brown-Carter had 19 points.
Freshman Tre GoMillion is also leading the way for the Highlanders as he averages 12 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. GoMillion did not play against SPC, but in his last game against South Carolina Salkehatchie he had nine points and three rebounds.
How to Keep Up:
Fans can watch the game livestream on the SCF athletics YouTube page and can also keep up on Twitter:
SCF: @SCF_Basketball
Gordon State: @gordonbasketbal
Promos:
General admission is $5 and for kids, it's $4, but fans can get in for free if they wear an ugly Christmas sweater to the game. Students and staff with an SCF I.D. will get in for free regardless.
*YouTube Page Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpxyXJqcQVkozbVYacR26g
*side note: Once the game ends, there will be no replay afterwards.
For my JUCO alma mater, I've actually been scouting some of these players, and I see a lot of potential in some of them that would be perfect for Dunk City. I'd love to have Dasher, Hodge, Robert II and Osuigwe play. The three freshman do need time to grow when they reach the end of their sophomore years. Dasher is like John Wall, a slasher, Hodge can throw down dunks (perfect fit) and Robert II is a sharp 3-point shooter, just like FGCU's redshirt senior Dinero Mercurius. I think Osuigwe would be a good fit too. He can pass the ball really well hence he has a lot of assists per game, and you rarely see pass first guard nowadays, but he has those elements that can fit for Dunk City.
It would really be great to have coach Michael Fly added a Manatee to the team. Softball coach Dave Deiros signed Erica Ward last year and baseball coach Dave Tollett signed Hunter McGarry and Anthony Gonnella this year, so why not sign an SCF basketball player on the team?
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