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MBB SEASON PREVIEW -- Wildcats Set to ‘Make’em Believe’ in New Sherrill Era

11/6/2018 12:02:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
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FORT VALLEY, Ga. – After helping to direct his alma mater over the last two decades, Mark Sherrill is set to construct his own perennial contender. The Fort Valley State Wildcats are ready to 'Make'em Believe' in the opening men's basketball campaign of their new head coach's era.
 
Sherrill comes to 'The Valley' from being the assistant men's basketball coach for more than the last two decades. In fact, the new FVSU director was a key part of Johnson C. Smith's 20-11 season a year ago, which ended in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament Championship game.
 
The Wildcats head coach looks to a virtual new roster to work with and start to make his footprint on the program. The two top returning scorers of Tyler Edwards and Jaylon McMillan combine with forward Dexter Williams, who came off the bench, as the three-man senior foundation of the 2018-19 squad.
 
"I am very optimistic (about the season) as I have had a chance to watch the guys," shares Sherrill. "I have to wait until I see them against other opponents as I am just coming in and we are getting use to each other. We are working hard as it is a matter of putting it all together to make one unit."
 
The Wildcats' first opportunity against a team with a different colored jersey starts on Tuesday night, Nov. 6, when it travels to face NCAA Division I Troy University on the road in a 7 p.m. tip-off. This weekend, the games count as FVSU takes opens against the University of West Florida on Friday, Nov. 9, in a 5 p.m. contest, before it battles Valdosta State on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 10) in a 2 p.m. game as part of the Gulf South Conference/ Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Challenge held at Albany State (Albany, Ga.).
 
Sherrill and the three seniors aim to put winning results on the scoreboard and have their sights set on the program's first winning campaign since it went 21-9 in the 2013-14 season. Fort Valley State recorded only a 13-16 final record last season, but it did reach the SIAC Tournament Second Round before falling to league-power Morehouse College.
 
"A strength for us (going into the season) is having Tyler at the point guard and Jaylon for shooting guard. I am teaching them to step up and be the team leaders. Experience, though, overall as a team will be a challenge," noted Sherrill.
 
Despite the collegiate experience challenge and a mix of a dozen new faces, Sherrill and the Wildcats are ready to 'make'em believe' and surprise the SIAC and South Regional foes this year.
 
"Our goal is post season play as I believe in aiming big," Sherrill said with a smile. "We set our goals to get to March and pick up Division and Conference championships.
 
"It will be a learning process for myself (directing FVSU) – dealing with a new conference, implementing my system and the challenge to get this group to come together," added the new head coach.
 
What better position to have your team's most experience area be in the backcourt running the show. Point guard Edwards doubled his point output, tripled his 3-pointers made, improved by more than 16-percent at the foul line and added two rebounds per night to his stat line.
 
As a senior, Edwards looks to build upon his scoring production for the fourth year in a row after a team-best 15.8 points per night average a year ago. He took his trey total to 19, up from six, and made 50 more field goals overall. The Douglassville, Ga., native also increased his charity stripe efficiency to 76.9-percent (123 of 160) to go with 5.0 rebounds, 51 assists and 40 steals. Edwards heads into his final campaign with 787 career points and continued production has him on pace to become the next FVSU's next 1,000-point member.
 
Edwards will again have McMillan as a backcourt reliable wing option. The shooting guard doubled his second-season output last winter up to 13.3 points per contest. McMillan also proved to be one of the outside SIAC shooting threats where he downed 73 triples along with another 60 two-point field goals for team-high 385 point total. The Stone Mountain, Ga., product set his career-best at the foul line of 68.7-percent (46 of 67) to go with 42 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 18 steals. Like Edwards, McMillan should add his name to the 1,000-point club as he stands at 692 points in 79 career games.
 
One of Sherrill's top newcomers, sophomore transfer K'Viontae Williams (Marion, Ala.), is projected to be a new presence in the backcourt. The 6-4 combo guard contributed 7.9 points per game and made 54.8-percent from the field in the 2017-18 season at Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
 
On the inside, Dexter Williams brings a veteran presence to the frontline. The senior from Atmore, Ala., saw time in 13 games his first year as a Wildcat where he averaged 1.2 points, pulled down nine rebounds and blocked four shots. Junior 6-6 transfer forward Shawn Foxbrennen (Miami, Fla.) is a newcomer the FVSU coaches are counting upon as an inside player.
 
Besides the three seniors and pair of newcomers, the Wildcats have 10 other new team members vying to show their talents on the court. Three forwards include senior D'Angelo Strickland (Lithonia, Ga.), junior Brenton Cliette Jordan (Macon, Ga.) and center Levi Griffin (New Orleans, La.), along with freshman Richard Fisher (Miami, Fla.) to go to down low.
 
FVSU will have no shortage of guards to check into the game. Junior Thomas Hardy (Gaffney., S.C.) sophomores Latavius Jankins (Morrow, Ga.) and Leon Perry (Warner Robins, Ga.), and freshmen Ben Ross (Atlanta, Ga.), Aaron Edwards (Decatur, Ga.) and Tarrence Evans (Stockbridge, Ga.) complete the player roster.
 
With a youthful overall presence, coach Sherrill and the Wildcats have their sights set high and are determined to 'make'em believe' in the team against the rugged SIAC ranks, which includes nationally-ranked Morehouse, Miles and Tuskegee.
 
 
-Wildcats-
 
 
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