First-year head coach David Doino has been busy this preseason helping the Averett University men's basketball team adjust to his new system of play. However, Doino has been impressed with how his team is approaching the new strategies.

"We're taking it head on," Doino said. "Everybody's been asking a lot of questions and approaching everything with a positive attitude."

Despite enduring the challenges that come with being a first-year head coach, Doino is excited for the opportunity to see his squad on the court and to provide support for his players.

"I'm most excited about being on the sidelines and rallying my troops and having my guys back," Doino said. "I'm also looking forward to us getting out there and playing and executing as a group, as team, and really just playing as hard as we can."

The Cougars are returning 10 players from last year's team, which went 12-14 (9-5 USA South) and finished second in the regular season standings before exiting the USA South Conference Tournament early in the quarterfinals. Doino is excited to see the veterans take the squad to greater heights.

"We have a bunch of guys with experience that are hungry," Doino said. "They tasted a bit of success last year in the USA South, but have a little bit of a bitter taste in their mouths because of the way things ended. So they're working hard and they're motivated."

Guys such as Carter Jones, Bradley Robinson, Charles Bryant, Trevor West, Devontae Pannell and JaColby Hawkins are accomplished players and are expected to have an immediate impact for Averett, which was voted second in this year's USA South preseason coaches poll.

Doino believes that his team will be able to overcome the challenges it has faced in preseason and will be able to perform at a high level.

"We're getting better everyday," Doino said. "We believe that if we're not getting better, we're getting worse, so we're working hard, and I'm excited about the type of team we'll have in December and January."

He'll also need some leaders to step up following the graduation of Paul Porter and Melvin Garrison, the latter of whom was an emotional leader for last year's squad. However, Doino believes that the experience Robinson, Pannell, Jones, Bryant and West bring to the table will fill in the gap left by Garrison.

Averett opens its season at Lynchburg College on Nov. 18.


Here is a breakdown of the team by position:

Guards
Key Returners: Bradley Robinson, Trevor West, Devontae Pannell, JaColby Hawkins, Davis Absher
Key Freshmen: James Contreras Jr.

Robinson, a junior, started all 26 games last season, averaging a team-best 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game en route to being selected to the USA South All-Conference Second Team. West, also a junior, made 24 starts last year and averaged 11.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Both were crucial to Averett's success. Hawkins is coming into his junior season following a breakout season as a sophomore, when he averaged 9.2 points and 2.1 assists in 26 games, including four starts. Pannell, also a junior, will be expected to step up after playing a key role as a reserve in 26 games last year as a sophomore.
 
Doino is excited about the depth the Cougars have at the guard position.

"I'm excited about guys like Bradley Robinson and Trevor West," Doino said. "They have years of experience and are very talented and are working hard day in and day out, so we're excited about their development and having their experience with us."

Forwards/Centers
Key Returners: Carter Jones, Charles Bryant, Cody Stephens, Darnell Collins
Key Freshmen: Darin Ketner

Averett returns Bryant, a sophomore, and Stephens, a senior, on the wing. Stephens played in 25 games, making three starts, averaging 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in his first season after transferring to Averett. Bryant, meanwhile, was one of the top rookies in the USA South. He played in 26 games last season and averaged 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. While both are listed at 6-foot-2, they have the ability to play much bigger in the paint than their height would indicate.

In the paint, Averett returns Jones at center. He started in all 26 games as a sophomore, averaging 11.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. The Cougars will also rely on Collins for depth. He appeared in 20 games last year as a junior. Both will be needed to help fill the big shoes of Porter, who graduated as Averett's all-time leading offensive rebounder and finished second overall in career rebounds.

Doino is expecting big things from both Jones and Collins. He is also excited to see Stephens and Bryant perform as well.

"All four of those guys are guys who bring a lot of experience," Doino said. "They've been a part of the program, they have a lot of pride and that are really working towards getting better and helping us win in any way that they can."