 "Photo: Courtesy of NCCU Athletics")
The N.C. Central University basketball team will get a dose of big time college basketball this season with four ACC and two Big Ten foes on the schedule.
The men’s basketball team is set to start its season next Wednesday versus the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“I am looking forward to the first game versus Carolina. Growing up that’s who I always wanted to play for,” said junior guard C.J. Wilkerson.
At the helm for the Eagles is former NCCU basketball star LeVelle Moton, who enters his first season as the head coach of the Eagles after 2 years as an assistant under former Head Coach Henry Dickerson.
“I don’t know what to expect,” said Moton. “None of these guys have ever played for me in front of 23,500 people before but I just want us to get better every game,” said Moton.
NCCU finished last season with a less than stellar 4-27 record. The Eagles will look to improve this season as it prepares for its first season in the MEAC.
The Eagles will be without its two leading scorers from last year’s squad; Jamar Briscoe, a guard who averaged just south of 18 ppg and transferred to University of North Carolina at Charlotte after his record setting freshman season, and Bryan Ayala who averaged just under 12 ppg.and completed his eligibility.
NCCU will travel through nine states, play 18 away games and 11 home games.
“Its tough when you’re on the road, but when you breed a family atmosphere and have cohesiveness you find things to do,” said Moton.
The team will rely on a brand new line-up this season with a host of new players looking to make an impact.
The Eagles return five letter winners from last year’s team. Last year’s third leading scorer, junior guard Vincent Davis who averaged 11.2 ppg last season, returns and will be assisted by junior college transfer and co-captain C.J. Wilkerson who will assume the point guard job.
“As the point guard, if I don’t do the job efficiently, then the rest goes downhill from there,” said Wilkerson.
The lone holdover from the CIAA days is senior forward Joshua Worthy who is looking forward to his final season as an Eagle.
“Overall we have potential we will be successful if we listen to what coach Moton and the rest of the coaches are teaching us,” said Worthy.
He also added that he is looking forward to playing Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
“No one at my house has ever seen me play at home so I am looking forward to the SMU game.”
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