by Nick Growall
Staff writer
The Southeastern men’s basketball team is set to start the 2012-13 regular season with an exhibition on Oct. 26 at Brigham Young, building off the momentum from their first season under the command of head coach Kelly Green.
In his first year as head coach, the Storm went 12-17, the most wins since the 2006-07 season, going on to compete in the Great American Conference Tournament in its first year of competition. “We really made some strides. I feel like we got better throughout the year,” said Green. “That’s what you want though, to be playing better at the end of the season.”
Southeastern has several key players returning this season, including seniors Urald King, Steven Kohli, James Harris and Chris Roussell. “A team is only as good as its leadership,” said Green.
King averaged 11.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, while Kohli averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds last year. And because of his returning seniors, Green feels like his team is “further ahead this year than last year at this point. It’s good having carryover.”
Also returning is sophomore big man Antonio Worthy. In his freshman year, Worthy mostly came off the bench, supplying an interior force for the Storm. “Antonio had a good freshman year,” said Green. “He’s worked hard in the offseason. He’s getting stronger in his upper body and has gained a level of confidence.”
“There’s a lot of room for improvement with him, but that’s only a good thing. I’m very pleased,” said Green.
However, after losing last season’s key players Zac Downing, Dami Sapara and Ivan Johnson to graduation, the Savage Storm roster will look a bit different this year. Earlier this year in the spring, Southeastern signed three new transfers to the team: Randy Peters, Travis Timmons and Mateus Oliveira.
Peters, 6-4 guard and native of Mena, Ark., comes to Southeastern from Northark CC in Harrison, Ark., where he average 15 points and 5 rebounds per game, including a career-high 42 points and 10 rebounds in their district championship game.
“Randy is a great shooter who could fill a void for us with Zac being gone,” said Green. “He’s going through some adjustments, but that’s natural with someone transfer from a junior college.”
Timmons, a 6-1 guard, spent his first two seasons at Mesa CC in Mesa, Ariz. The Tuscon native averaged 8.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game last season. “Travis comes from one of the top NJCAA schools in the West,” said Green, “Having played for Coach Sam Ballard. He brings maturity, a winning attitude and the ability to lead.”
Oliveira, a 6-10 forward, spent two seasons at Arizona Western, where he was originally recruited and coached by Green before he took over as the head coach at Southeastern. Originally from Limiera, Brazil, Oliveira averaged 7 points, 5.5 rebounds and one blocked shot per game in a frontcourt that featured a pair of 6-10 players.
“Mateus gives us great length and shot blocking ability inside,” said Green. “He came to the states very frail and passive. But he has become an aggressive player who runs the floor very well and can shoot the 15-foot jumper. “