By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
MIAMI, Okla. — Eight sophomores are in the mix of key personnel as the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M; men’s basketball team opens its season tonight at 7 with a home game against the Oklahoma Baptist junior varsity.
The NJCAA Division I Golden Norsemen entertain 25th ranked Coffeyville at 8 p.m. on Tuesday in the NEO Fieldhouse before traveling to Broken Arrow for a 7 p.m. game next Monday with the Rhema Bible junior varsity.
It’s back home on Nov. 11 to entertain No. 4 Three Rivers of Poplar Bluff, Mo.
Said NEO coach Dustin Grover: “We have two junior varsity opponents in our first three games to give us an opportunity to find out our identity as a team. We’ll have a chance to figure out what guys we are playing in what spots.”
NEO finished 17-14 last season and lost 97-77 to Northern Oklahoma-Enid in a quarterfinal of the Region II Tournament at Shawnee.
Grover and assistant Steve Harrel are juggling players at the point guard position with the return of 6-foot-2 Raphael Brown and 6-0 Jamell Cormier.
Brown, from Kansas City, Mo., averaged 10.7 points and 2.4 rebounds as a freshman. He led NEO with 79 assists and 33 steals.
Cormier, Lafayette, La., averaged 7.8 points and 2.5 boards. He added 68 assists and 28 steals.
Sophomores Scott Forrest (6-4, Atco, N.J.) and Javvero Baker (6-3, Edmond Santa Fe) should see playing time at either the point or shooting guard, according to Grover.
Freshmen Will Fonseca (6-4, Staten Island, N.Y.), Rodrigo Freitas (6-2, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Javer Lewis (6-0, Broken Bow), Korey Fisher (6-0, east Orange, N.J.), Austin King (5-10, Harrah) and Micah Smith (6-0, Muskogee) are expected to provide depth at either guard position.
A veteran keying the NEO offense, Grover said, is 6-4 Phillipe Martin of Staten Island, N.Y., as either a three or four. Martin, the scoring (13.3) and rebounding (4.8) leader in 2008-09, added 43 assists and 22 steals in earning all-league honors in the defunct Bi-State Athletic Conference.
Tony Ross, a 6-7 sophomore out of Tulsa Union, and 6-3 freshman Carlius Lemon of Marrero, La., are challenging at the four spot. Ross, unable to practice because of a knee injury, averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 rebounds.
Kendrick Murray, a 6-4 freshman (Houston, Texas), is expected to see duty at either the three or four spot.
Anchoring the middle for the Norse are veterans Andre Coimbra and Brandon Edwards.
Coimbra (6-9, Rio de Janeiro) averaged 2.9 points and 2.7 caroms and blocked 15 shots. Edwards (6-6, Trenton, N.J.) posted averages of 2.5 points and 2.9 boards.
Byron Johnson, a 6-7 freshman from Memphis, will join the team in January after sitting out with academic issues.
Grover, in three previous seasons at the helm, has a record of 81-49. That includes a ninth place in the 2007-08 NJCAA Division I nationals at Hutchinson, Kan.
Sports
November 1, 2009
Basketball opener set for NEO
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Outlaws open season Thursday on the road
Chris Oldner takes a cut during the Joplin Outlaws practice Tuesday afternoon. The Outlaws open their season on Thursday night at Rossville and play seven road games before their home opener on June 5.
The Joplin Outlaws and new coach Rob Vessell have set some lofty goals for the 2012 baseball season.
Continued ... - Five sign to join Missouri Southern women's track team
- Whisner ignites Joplin Miners past Webb City
- Venus Williams joins Serena on sideline in Paris
- Both sides of border hope changes make easier entry into Canada
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- Pittsburg State Sports
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- Vengels sixth in heptathlon; PSU picks up two seventh-place finishes
- Ethan Cordray signs with Pittsburg State
- Lions, Gorillas begin competition in outdoor track and field championship
- Three finalists named for PSU head baseball coach position
- Lions qualify 10, PSU 15 for Division II outdoor track meet
- Missouri Southern Sports
- High School Sports
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Area athletes turn shine at state meet
Webb City's Jarvis Jones takes sixth in the 200.
- Cleo Elbert steps down at Thomas Jefferson
- Frontenac wins first state baseball title
- Joplin's Jeremy Lynn takes fifth at state tennis
- Frontenac advances at state baseball
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