Men’s Basketball Building for Run at Title
Justin Brown, Harbinger
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Illinois Central College men’s basketball program is building an all-star team of local talent for next season.
ICC men’s basketball team began the 2014-15 season ranked no. 20 in the NJCAA Division II polls.
Despite the preseason rankings, the Cougars would fall short of expectations, losing to Danville Area CC in the Region 24 semifinals and ending their season with a 17-13 record.
“We played well and had a good nucleus of freshman.” head coach Tony Wysinger said.
But then, according to Wysinger, ICC lost three key starters late in the season. “Down the stretch we didn’t get our best team on the floor,” he said. “That will take you out of the top 20.”
Despite the less-than-ideal outcome, Wysinger and the Cougars are already at work and looking forward to the upcoming season.
“We are going to have a bunch of guys [from the area] that know our style and know what the expectations are.” Wysinger said.
The Cougars will return NJCAA Region 24 Freshman of the Year and Thornton Township HS grad Justin Taylor. Taylor led all ICC scorers with 17.4 ppg and hauled in 6.4 rpg on his way to earning Region 24 honors.
“I’m excited for next season,” Taylor said. “There are a lot of sophomores coming in and not that many freshman, and the freshman that are coming in can play.”
ICC will be welcoming back incoming transfers Kendall Davis (Limestone/Lincoln Land CC), Preston Wells (Richwoods/Sheridan College, Wyoming) and Blake Rayford (Central HS) to the Peoria area.
Along with a solid group of transfer and returning sophomores, ICC will also welcome in familiar names from the area, Chris Dixon-Williams (Limestone) and Cole Louderman (Dunlap).
Dixon-Williams, son of ICC assistant men’s basketball coach Chris Williams, led Limestone (14.6 ppg) while earning All-State 3A/4A special mention IBCA and first team all area.
Louderman brings an added threat from beyond the arc to the 2015-16 Cougars.
Other members from the area include returning sophomores Matt Long (Richwoods), Michael Doss (Roanoke-Benson) and Edward Johnson (Limestone).
Beginning on Tuesday June 2nd, ICC will host an open gym every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 p.m. through mid-July.
While many of next year’s team members may have played as opponents in high school, the open gyms will give the players a chance to get familiar with each other as teammates.
Not limited to ICC students, the public is welcome to attend the open gyms and help the Cougars shape up for next season.
The open gyms also allow Cougars alumni a chance to return to keep up their skills while offering guidance to current, incoming and even many area youth that have their sights set on becoming a member of the ICC program.
“With the older guys [ICC Alumni] coming in to help us, veterans that know a lot about the game…. we are playing against better competition that will help us when we get to the regular season.” Davis said.