Basketball Teams Look Sharp in First Practices
PHOTO COURTESY EMILY ZINGG
EAST PEORIA — With the dropping temperatures in October also comes the thrill of the start of the quest for the seventh national title for the womens basketball team and the hope that a new season brings for the mens basketball team.
According to the National Junior College Athletic Association teams aren’t allowed to start official practices until Oct. 1, and both teams took advantage of that first day as they both were on the courts.
WOMENS BASKETBALL
PHOTO COURTESY EMILY ZINGG
The Cougars started their practices with a new general in charge as they replaced last year’s head coach Cindy Stein with Karrie Redeker after Stein left to take the head coaching job at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
“It went good, they all had good early intensity,” said Redeker. “They are a new team and are trying to absorb everything.”
ICC looks to improve upon their 32-4 record and third place finish in the national tournament last year.
The team only returns five players from last year which includes leading scorer and rebounder Chanta Wright. Wright will be rejoined by ShaVonn Watkins, Tiffany Masters, Naomi Harris, Abi Besso and Helena Rodriguez.
The team will continue to practice most days until their first regular season home game on Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. against Joliet Junior College.
MENS BASKETBALL
ICC will look to improve upon their 16- 15 record last year under Coach Tony Wysinger who begins his 15th season as head coach for the Cougars.
PHOTO COURTESY EMILY ZINGG
PHOTO COURTESY EMILY ZINGG
The Cougars tout the return of Partice Sanders, Anthony Swannigan Jr and Jordan Seele. They will look to replace Sam Feehan who lead the team with 13.4 points per game last year.
Coach Wysinger is happy about the freshmen and some transfers he has coming in. He has landed two transfers from Illinois St. in Godson Odera Eneogwe and Terrance King. They also received Peoria Manual product Isaiah Duncan who originally went to Western Illinois but transferred to ICC to be closer to home.
Wysinger has been able to recruit locally with five players on the team from the Peoria area.
The men will open the season on Monday Nov. 4 against Olivet Nazarene JV at 7 p.m. at the CougarPlex.
Check out the Nov. 11 edition of the Harbinger for full previews of both teams.