The Grand Rapids Community College men’s basketball team is looking to reload after last year’s 23-6 season as they brought in 14 talented recruits.
Head coach Joe Fox is impressed with the recruiting class GRCC brought which includes a multitude of freshmen and transfers.
“It’s tough to replace the guys we had last year, but I always have a chance to reload the roster and we brought in a talented freshman class with a few transfers who are sophomores,” Fox said.
One of the main lessons the team learned from last year’s playoff loss to Delta College was to compete through all 60 minutes of the game.
“One thing I believe this group of sophomores will do well is compete,” Fox said. “I think they learned that from the sophomore group from last year. This year, the guys will play with extra tenacity and give their all for all 60 minutes.”
With 14 new recruits, there are plenty of players who can earn minutes this season. One difference from this year’s roster compared to last year is the size of the starting lineup.
“We have exceptional depth this year,” Fox said. “We also have a fast play style and we also have better length compared to last year. Our defensive versatility is exciting heading into the season.”
A few newcomers that will look for an instant impact are Community Christian College transfer Joe Francis, Hiram College transfer Spencer Willman, and Southwestern Illinois College transfer Tristan McRoberts.
Willman attributes his prior college experience to helping him adjust to a new team this year.
“My prior experience makes it easier to adjust to a new schedule every week,” Willman said. “It also helps me slow down and make better decisions on the court.”
One aspect that the Raiders seemingly lost last year was the leadership and chemistry they had, but both Willman and Fox seem to believe it has only increased due to the new faces.
“The team has bonded very well and everyone gets along off the court,” Willman said. “Having great team chemistry makes on the court chemistry easier and is essential to being a successful team.”
Fox seems to agree with Willman that the chemistry between each player is impressive heading into the season.
“Our returning players have been fantastic and so positive for our young guys even though a few of them are redshirting,” Fox said. “As for one of our returners, Seth Schuitema has been tremendous this off-season and we’re looking to up his workload from last year.”
The two players redshirting, Jajuan Walker and Bashir Neely, were critical to last year’s success as freshmen but needed to redshirt in order to earn their associate’s degrees. As for Schuitema and a few other returners,including sophomore Alex Ehnis, they will need to provide leadership for a team that has had little time together compared to last year’s team.
“It feels great to finally be a contributor, es-ecially because I have been working at it for three years now,” Ehnis said. “I am glad Coach Fox believed in me and told me to take last year off because it paid off.”
One of the main goals Fox has for the team is to reach the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Nationals tournament.
“We always have the same goals every year: compete for a conference championship, compete for a district championship, and qualify for nationals,” Fox said. “So when I’m recruiting guys, I always tell them that I’m trying to get GRCC back to Nationals,”
The Raiders finished third in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA) last year behind two teams, which Fox believes will be near the top once again.
“The top two teams from last year’s conference standings, Bay College and Mid Michigan, will be right where they left off,” Fox said. “We finished third last year so one thing we’ve done with our recruiting class is closing the gap in talent.”
Prior to their first game of the season, the Raiders had multiple jamborees along with a scrimmage that they hosted. During the scrimmage, the Raiders faced Camp Battlegrounds Prep and the Aquinas JV team. In their first game against Camp Battlegrounds Prep, the Raiders displayed their fast-style of play as they went on an 11-2 run in the first few minutes of the game. Led by the sophomore’s, GRCC was able to defeat CBP easily 57-36.
However, in the second game against Aquinas JV, the freshmen were able to display their talent. Led by freshmen Mason Wilcox, Amarion Ficklen, and J.D. DeGroot, the Raiders were able to keep up with the Saints for the majority of the game. Unfortunately, the Saints hit a 3-pointer near the end of the game which resulted in the Raiders losing by five points.
Although the Raiders went 1-1, Willman emphasized the positives he saw from the scrimmage.
“As a team, our biggest strength is our depth and our speed,” Willman said. “We have fast guys who can push the pace and catch a breather when needed. In the word of Coach Fox ‘we are trying to be the fastest team in the country,’”
The Raiders open their season at the Ford Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 1 when they face Olivet College JV.
