“Abrupt is a really good word for it,” head coach Tim Craft said. “I really liked our team last year and the direction we were headed, but we had a very poor finish (five straight losses). All offseason, that has stuck with us and we have been eager to get that bad taste out of our mouths.”
There are plenty of reasons to believe the bad taste will turn into many sweet victories for the Runnin’ Bulldogs. The backcourt will be experienced with the return of point guard Julien Soumaoro, and shooting guards DQ Nicholas, Lucas Stieber and Quest Aldrige, along with Caleb Robinson.
“On the perimeter, all our guys are back,” Craft said. “That helps build continuity and they have set the tone for the new guys about our culture, our work ethic and just the way the program operates day in and day out.”
There will be a few more question marks when Gardner-Webb dumps the ball down low in the paint. Program stalwarts Kareem Reid and Lodovic Dufeal have graduated, meaning Ademide Badmus will see increased minutes, while Louisiana transfer Isaiah Richards and junior college transfer Cheickna Sissoko will also help man the middle for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
“It will be a three-man rotation down there,” Craft said. “Ademide has been our third-string guy for the last few years. I think he is ready to take a big step forward. Sissoko has a lot of experience at the Division II and JUCO levels, and then Isaiah Richards comes to us from a NCAA Tournament team from last year. He brings energy, effort and a good motor. I think all those guys will push each other to get better.”
Gardner-Webb will need all the players to perform well to find success against an always tough schedule that includes Arkansas, Baylor, along with games against regional rivals Queens, Wofford, Appalachian State and Western Carolina. Craft is also looking forward to opening the season at home against Erskine on November 6.
“I think this is only the second time since I have been here (10 years) that we have opened at home,” he said. “Last year, I don’t think we had a home game until December, so it will be nice to be at home before a long road trip.”
“I really like our schedule this year. We have non-conference games against solid mid-major programs and then we have the (Atlantic Slam) Tournament. We play against teams like Cornell, who have won their league consistently, plus it gives us three games in three days to get us ready for Big South tournament play in March. Wofford is always a fun game with all the connections we have. Western is a good game for both schools and I hope we can continue the series. The App game will be in Greensboro, so it will give our fans in the middle of the state the chance to see us play. We have scrimmaged Queens for several years and they have been really good in D-II for a lot of years. Last year was their first year in D-I, so we thought, why not play for real?”
Craft admits it is hard to predict how his squad will fare in Big South play, but says every game will be a challenge.
“Asheville has basically everybody back from that great team and Winthrop looks really strong,” he said. “Radford brings back some super talented guys and I think High Point did an excellent job in recruiting. Who knows how it’s all going to shake out? We just have to focus on us.”
“Our ultimate goal is to win a championship, obviously, but we have to focus on being the best players and coaches we can be day in and day out. If we do that, we maximize our ability to compete, and I think we will have a good season.”
Gardner-Webb opens the season on Monday, November 6, hosting Erskine. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
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