FORT SMITH -- Arkansas-Fort Smith men's basketball coach Josh Newman enters the season with a full roster, something he didn't have at the end of last season.
Newman, entering his 10th season at UAFS, had barely enough healthy players last season to play the final two games of the season. The Lions, who finished 16-13, had just a handful of players for the final week after injuries and illness decimated the roster.
Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions
No.^Player^Pos.^Class^Ht.
0^Alex Cooper^G^Jr.^6-1
1^Dominique Raney^G^Sr.^6-4
3^Teris Bourgeois^G^Sr.^6-5s
4^Richie Spiller^G^Jr.^6-1
10^Ognjen Vasiljevic^G^Fr.^6-4
11^Dalton Glapion^F^Fr.^6-8
15^Darrius Parker^F^So.^6-8
21^Kenny Martin^F^Sr.^6-10
22^Dusan Stojanovic^G/F^Sr.^6-7
23^DaVaunta Thomas^G^So.^6-5
24^Seth Youngblood^G^Jr.^6-1
32^Hunter Ball^F^Fr.^6-7
44^Caleb Kirk^G/F^Fr.^6-5
Head Coach: Josh Newman
Assistant Coach: Chris Popp
Assistant Coach: Justin Bailey
Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Nov. 13^Western State Colo.^7 p.m.
Nov. 14^Metro State^4 p.m.
Nov. 18^at Missouri Southern^7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21^at Northeastern State^3:30 p.m.
Nov. 25^at Goldey-Beacom^7 p.m.
Nov. 28^at Wilmington^Noon
Dec. 2^Southwestern Adventist^7 p.m.
Dec. 5^Ecclesia#^7 p.m.
Dec. 9^at Colorado State (Exh.)^7 p.m.
Dec. 17^at Rogers State*^7:30 p.m.
Dec. 19^Dallas Baptist*^2 p.m.
Dec. 31^St. Edward’s^3 p.m.
Jan. 2^Texas-Permian Basin*^3 p.m.
Jan. 7^at St. Mary’s*^7:30 p.m.
Jan. 9^at Texas A&M International*^3 p.m.
Jan. 14^Oklahoma Panhandle State*^7:30 p.m.
Jan. 16^Lubbock Christian*^3 p.m.
Jan. 21^at Oklahoma Christian*^7:30 p.m.
Jan. 23^at Newman*^3 p.m.
Jan. 28^at Texas-Permian Basin*^7:30 p.m.
Jan. 30^at St. Edward’s*^3 p.m.
Feb. 4^Texas A&M International*^7:30 p.m.
Feb. 6^St. Mary’s*^3 p.m.
Feb. 11^at Lubbock Christian*^7:30 p.m.
Feb. 13^at Oklahoma Panhandle State*^3 p.m.
Feb. 18^Newman*^7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20^Oklahoma Christian*^3 p.m.
Feb. 25^at Dallas Baptist*^7 p.m.
Feb. 27^Rogers State*^3 p.m.
*— Heartland Conference Game # — Toy Toss Game
Arkansas-Fort Smith Lady Lions
No.^Player^Pos.^Class^Ht.
0^Desiree Loving^G^Sr.^5-7
1^Brittany Holbert^G^Sr.^5-8
2^Kristen Mootry^G^So.^5-8
4^Sydney Franklin^G^Jr.^5-7
10^Nese Walters^G/F^Fr.^6-0
11^Skai Thompson^G^Sr.^5-11
12^Candice Followwell^G^Sr.^5-9
13^Oliva Hanson^G^So.^5-11
22^Ashley Bean^G^Sr.^5-7
23^Andrea Wilson^G^So.^5-10
24^Maya Perry^G^Jr.^5-10
25^Dana Lewis^F^Fr.^6-0
32^Jasmine Brainard^F^Sr.^5-10
33^Blandine N’Goran^P^Sr.^6-3
34^Nyaduop Lam^F^Jr.^6-1
Head Coach: Louis Whorton
Assistant Coach: Lauren Unger
Assistant Coach: Jordan Greenleaf
Schedule
Date^Opponent^Time
Oct. 27^Evangel (Ex)^6 p.m.
Nov. 13^vs Colorado Mesa^3 p.m.
Nov. 14^vs Colorado School of Mines^4 p.m.
Nov. 19^Saint Gregory’s^5:30 p.m.
Nov. 21^at Northeastern State^1:30 p.m.
Nov. 24^at Henderson State^5:30 p.m.
Nov. 28^Midwestern State^1 p.m.
Dec. 5^ at Cameron^1 p.m.
Dec. 12^Texas Women’s^1 p.m.
Dec. 17^at Rogers State*^5:30 p.m.
Dec. 19^at Ouachita Baptist^1 p.m.
Dec. 31^St. Edward’s*^1 p.m.
Jan. 2^Texas-Permian Basin*^1 p.m.
Jan. 7^at St. Mary’s*^5:30 p.m.
Jan. 9^at Texas A&M International*^1 p.m.
Jan. 14^Oklahoma Panhandle State*^5:30 p.m.
Jan. 16^Lubbock Christian*^1 p.m.
Jan. 21^at Oklahoma Christian*^5:30 p.m.
Jan. 23^at Newman*^1 p.m.
Jan. 28^at Texas-Permian Basin*^5:30 p.m.
Jan. 30^at St. Edward’s*^1 p.m.
Feb. 4^Texas A&M International*^5:30 p.m.
Feb. 6^St. Mary’s*^1 p.m.
Feb. 11^at Lubbock Christian*^5:30 p.m.
Feb. 13^at Oklahoma Panhandle State*^1 p.m.
Feb. 18^Newman*^5:30 p.m.
Feb. 20^Oklahoma Christian*#^1 p.m.
Feb. 23^Bacone^6 p.m.
Feb. 27^Rogers State*^1 p.m.
*— Heartland Conference Game # — PinkZone Game
"Last year we finished with just six guys," Newman said. "That really hindered what we wanted to do, which was three-peat."
The depleted roster ended UAFS's two-year reign as Heartland Conference champions. But Newman has all five starters back and enters the season as the overwhelming favorite of Heartland coach to return to the top of the conference. All five returners averaged double figures in scoring.
Junior guard Seth Youngblood (Roland, Okla.), a first-team all-conference selection, averaged a team-best 17.3 points per game last season. Youngblood (6-foot-1) scored 48 points last season in a game against defending national champion Central Missouri.
Sophmore guard DaDaunta Thomas (13.1 ppg), junior Alex Cooper (13.1 and 138 assists), senior Dusan Stojanivic (10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds) and senior Kenny Martin (12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds) round out the returning starters.
Newcomer Ognjen Vasiljevic from Loznica, Serbia, averaged 25 points per game in his European league last season.
"Our expectation is to get back on top," Newman said. "With the five starters back, we had two Division I transfers who sat out last year, and with our recruiting class, we've put ourselves in a position to be successful."
UAFS Women
Louis Whorton begins his 30th season as the Lady Lions coach, and he will have a loaded roster with four starters back to go with a solid recruiting class.
Last year was a season of firsts for the program since moving from junior college to NCAA Division II. UAFS shared the Heartland Conference regular season title, won the conference tournament and advanced to the South Central Regional semifinals, and made its first national tournament appearance.
"Our goal is to win every game we play like always," Whorton said. "Last year we started out 1-5, but once they figured it out, we went 20-4 the rest of the year."
Jasmine Brainard, a 5-10 senior forward, led the team in scoring with 13.8 points to earn conference Newcomer of the Year honors and was named the MVP of the conference tournament.
Candice Followwell, a 5-9 senior, averaged 9.7 points and had 93 assists. Sydney Franklin, a former West Fork standout, scored 8.1 points and was second on the team with 33 3-pointers. Brittany Holbert averaged 6.4 points per game.
Newcomer Nyraduop Lam, a transfer from San Diego City College, averaged 16 points and 12.2 rebounds last season. Olivia Hanson, a former standout at Fort Smith Northside, transferred from Missouri Western.
"We have seven seniors," Whorton said. "This is the deepest we've been since we've been in Division II. We lost our leading scorer and our leading rebounder, and those are hard to replace, but this is a tremendous group of kids. They work hard."
Sports on 11/08/2015