NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (GCAConf.com) -- The 2015-16 Basketball Preview by the Sporting News ranks Talladega as the tenth best team in NAIA Division I this season in their Small College Report.
Talladega College made history last season. The Tornadoes won 32 games in the 2014-15 season, along with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles; the first time in program history the program had completed the feat. The 32 wins were a school record and contained within them a 20-game win streak, the longest in the nation last season.
In the midst of that win streak, the Tornadoes rose to the top of the NAIA Division I men's basketball rankings, another program first. After taking their second consecutive GCAC tournament crown, Talladega ran through the bracket at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball championship advancing their way to the Fab Four for the first time in school history. The season ended with a loss to eventual champion Dalton State in the national semi-finals, but Talladega would end the season ranked second overall.
Now, after losing a host of talented players, including All-Americans Brandon Peters and Shondel Stewart, the Tornadoes have their sights on the ultimate prize. Talladega Head Coach Matt Cross believes his program is poised to claim a national championship, the first for a historically black college or university since Texas Southern won the crown in 1977.
"Last year was special", said Coach Cross. "When I came back here (in 2012) for my second stint at Talladega I had a five year plan to win a national championship. We've set that as a goal for this program and we feel like we're right on schedule to be able to compete for a championship again this year."
He continued, "It's been almost forty years since an HBCU won the NAIA championship and we want to be the school to end that drought."
Cross knew that he had a special group last season. He was returning a large group of seniors from a team that advanced to the round of 16 at the 2014 tournament. "We had a great chemistry. That team had been together awhile and there was a pretty special bond that had been created between them. It had started the years before going back to junior college with Brandon and Shondel so they knew how to win because that's what they had done together."
Coach Cross is confident that this year's team will be just as hungry as last year's group.
"A big key for us is going to be how we blend our returnees with a talented group of newcomers", he added. "We have six guys back from a 30-win team who bring back a lot of valuable experience. We're at the point where we can speed up the learning process for these guys."
"Courtney Mack
is set to have a big year." Mack (pictured at right), a senior forward, averaged 9.6 points per game for the Tornadoes last season. He scored 15 or more six times and finished third on the team with two double-doubles. Cross continued, "He plays a hybrid four for us and affects the game in a lot of ways."
"I also think Jamarqus Jones is going to have an important role this season. This will be his third year with us and we've seen a lot of improvement in his game."
Continuity is extremely important in a system like Cross', which relies on pressure defense to create scoring mismatches on the offensive end. Talladega finished last season ranked in the top ten in scoring offense, scoring margin, and field goal percentage while also finishing in the top twenty in both blocks and steals. Though the faces have changed some, the Tornadoes have no plans to change their style of play.
"We're going to create pressure. Our wing players are very good. You can't just replace guys like "Snap" (Peters) and "Delly" (Stewart), but I think this season we've upgraded on the overall ability in our backcourt. We have point guards who can score, can shoot, and are skilled and fundamentally sound."
"Our frontcourt is versatile. We have guys who can control the paint for us, and other players who can stretch the floor as well as make plays off the dribble."
"We were able to accomplish a lot in our recruiting. We found kids that want to compete and that want to learn. It can be tough recruiting to a small rural area like Talladega, but we know we have a great school and of course the best thing you can sell to any recruit is winning. We've fortunately been able to do that the last couple of years."
"We were able to accomplish a lot in our recruiting. We found kids that want to compete and that want to learn. It can be tough recruiting to a small rural area like Talladega, but we know we have a great school and of course the best thing you can sell to any recruit is winning. We've fortunately been able to do that the last couple of years."
Wins are not easy to come by in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. In each of the last three seasons, the GCAC has had three schools advance to the NAIA tournament. Cross believes this season could see a quartet of teams reaching the postseason.
"One thing that's good about getting recognized by publications like 'The Sporting News' is that it shows that there's respect for our conference", he stated. "I think this is the best conference in the nation. I think we're right there with the best HBCUs at any level. Xavier, Philander Smith, have both been there. I think this is the year we get four teams to the tournament. The future is bright for this conference."
The GCAC features an accomplished group of coaches. Cross counts that group as one of the conference's greatest strengths.
"There's great camaraderie among the coaches in our league", he said. "It starts with Coach Val (Dale Valdery, Southern University at New Orleans) who has been a great friend to me and is just a heck of a coach. Coach (Mike) Newell at Dillard has been a mentor. Dannton (Jackson, Xavier University) has won a lot of games, Thomas Billups (Tougaloo) is a legend, Sam Weaver (Philander Smith) has done a great job and Coach (Frank) Burnell has tough teams at Edward Waters every year. It's the best set of coaches I've been around."
But as much as he respects the other coaches in the GCAC, Matt Cross hasn't let that get in the way of his desire to win.
"We're working towards our goal. Ultimately, the polls don't mean anything. We have to be prepared to build through the regular season, into conference play and then into the postseason. The price of winning is high, but our guys are starting to see their hard work pay off. We just have to take the next step."
Talladega begins their pursuit of a championship later this month.
For more information about Talladega College men's basketball please visit TalladegaTornadoes.com.
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