As the 2020-2021 season is right around the corner UTRGV men’s basketball is looking to take the next step in their success with an opening day matchup at No. 19 University of Texas on Nov. 25.
In an offseason that has seen members of the team report positive cases of COVID-19, Head Coach Lew Hill is eager to get back on the basketball court and return to a sense of normalcy.
“Just play, practice every day and just game plan for each practice and now we’re starting to game plan for Texas so it’s exciting,” Hill said.
Having positive cases of COVID-19 within the program has presented its challenges, such as practicing without a full team.
Coach Hill explains that although the situation is unfortunate, the utmost precaution and care is taken, but practice must still go on.
“Some days you have more young men than others, some days you don’t practice, some days you do so we just… we can sit here and complain about the pandemic or we can just go with the punches and I decided, with our guys, to go with the punches,” he said. “Whatever that day brings you, that’s what we do. We can control what we can control.”
Men’s basketball alongside the rest of the athletics department must follow NCAA and UTRGV COVID-19 guidelines throughout the season.
The team must follow NCAA and UTRGV COVID-19 guidelines throughout the season which includes:
–Wearing face coverings that cover mouth and nose and practicing proper social distancing when not participating in practices or competitions;
— Undergoing daily temperature checks;
— Frequent sanitization of high traffic areas such as the weight room and victory center; and
— COVID-19 testing will be conducted a minimum of three times per week throughout the season.
Although COVID-19 has limited how the team interacts off the court and develops chemistry, Coach Hill explains that having a veteran team with 13 returners eases the process.
“Well practicing hasn’t been as hard because we have a lot of veteran guys coming back,” Hill said. “Off the court we used to do a lot of things together as far as cooking out, taking them to different places, just the fellowship. That has hurt some but with having a veteran team it’s made it a little easier than it would’ve been last year for instance with having so many new guys.”
The 13 returning players for UTRGV men’s basketball include:
— Senior guard Chris Freeman;
— Junior forward Sean Rhea;
— Sophomore guard Quinton Johnson II;
— Sophomore guard Connor Raines;
— Sophomore forward Jamal Gaines;
— Graduate guard Nick Mora;
— Junior forward Marek Nelson;
— Senior guard Rob McClain Jr.;
— Junior guard Ricky “Doc” Nelson;
— Senior guard Javon Levi;
— Junior guard Uche Dibiamaka;
— Sophomore guard Isaiah Garcia and;
— Senior forward Anthony Bratton
This season, there are three new players on the team that add size and defense:
— Graduate forward Jeff Otchere from Stony Brook University;
— Junior forward Malik-Lawrence Anderson from Tyler Junior College; and
— Junior guard LaQuan Butler from Southeastern Louisiana
The program graduated three key on-and-off the court contributor from its 2019-2020 team that helped UTRGV finish third in the conference:
–Lesley Varner II who has been preparing for the 2020 NBA Draft scheduled for Nov. 18;
–Isaiah Fontaine who is currently playing overseas in Finland for Raiders Basket; and
–Jordan Jackson.
With the departure of last season two leading scorers in Varner and Jackson, Levi is ready to do what is asked of him and instill confidence in his teammates as the leader of the team.
“I wouldn’t say I have to fill their shoes. I just have to continue stepping up and being a leader,” Levi said. “Just trying to control my team and help everybody gain confidence and go out there and play. Help everybody along the way but we have a veteran squad so I wouldn’t say I would have to fill their shoes as much cause we have plenty [of] other pieces.”
The additions and losses for the UTRGV basketball program also occurred on the bench as former special assistants to the head coach Caleb Villareal, who is now an assistant coach at Prairie View A&M University and Byron Peak who is no longer with the program.
In their place, in the same capacity, will be Patrick Nee who joins UTRGV after two seasons as the head coach at Garden City Community College and Chris Lowe who previously was a graduate student manager at Saint Louis University.
Coach Hill shares what both Nee and Lowe add to the program.
“Coach Lowe, he just finished playing not to long ago about two, three years ago so it gives me a perspective of still playing and he can talk to the guys cause he’s played at a high level himself and help them out as far as what to do, how to do it, how to prepare yourself for life after college,” Hill said. “So, with him just finishing his pro career helps those guys out tremendously. Coach Nee, he’s been a head coach, he brings in a wealth of knowledge and fresh ideas, so we’re excited about both of those guys. I think they’re both basketball guys so we’re excited about the opportunity that they will help us with.”
Although last year’s season ended in disappointment, with the cancellation of the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas due to COVID-19, the team will face high-level opponents this season with a non-conference schedule that includes UT and Texas A&M but for coach Hill playing big time opponents is business as usual.
“It’s just another opponent. I think it’s just exciting for our team, but we play these guys every year,” Hill said. “We play different high-major schools every year. We just want to go out and see where we stand against them and let them know that we can play with them and hopefully find a way to win the game but as far as…I just want my guys to play against the best before we hit the conference. We want them to be challenged and I think every year we’ve done that. Every year since I’ve been here, we’ve done a great job of challenging them.
The non-conference schedule is as follows:
–@ No. 19 Texas on Nov. 25;
— @ UTSA on Nov. 28;
— vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Dec. 2 at Bert Ogden Arena;
— vs. Our Lady of the Lake on Dec. 4;
— @ Texas A&M on Dec. 6;
— @ Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Dec. 10;
— @ Incarnate Word on Dec. 14;
— vs. Sam Houston State on Dec. 21; and
— vs. Dallas Christian on Jan. 5.
Levi explains that facing big opponents in the non-conference is another opportunity to showcase his talents but is thankful to return to the court and is looking to take advantage of the opportunity.
“I mean, like coach said, we’ve been playing them,” Levi said. “It’s another opportunity to go out there and play basketball and compete at a high level so you just got to take advantage of those opportunities at the end of the day and I feel like that’s all it comes down to. Just taking advantage of the opportunity, playing up to the competition, just being ready for the moment. ”
The conference season will function differently this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic as teams will play back-to-back against the same opponent to reduce travel and health risks.
Coach Hill said that the team will rise and meet the challenges of the 2020-2021 schedule to reach their goal of a WAC Championship and a NCAA March Madness appearance.
“We got to come out and take care of ourselves, our business and if we do that with the way the schedule is made this year – when you are playing the same team twice in consecutive days – we just have to figure out what best fits that and then make the adjustments that we need to do,” he said. “But it’s a tough underrated conference as it’s been all year and obviously New Mexico State has ruled the conference since I’ve been here, and we got to do what we have to do to win every game.”
The conference season for the Vaquero’s is as follows:
— @ Chicago State on Jan. 8
— @ Chicago State on Jan. 9
— vs. Dixie State on Jan. 15
— vs. Dixie State on Jan. 16
— @ New Mexico State on Jan. 22
— @ New Mexico State on Jan. 23
— vs. Grand Canyon University on Feb. 5 at Bert Ogden Arena
— vs. Grand Canyon University on Feb. 6 at Bert Ogden Arena
— @ California Baptist University on Feb. 12
— @ California Baptist University on Feb. 13
— vs. Seattle U on Feb. 19
— vs. Seattle U on Feb. 20
— @ Utah Valley University on Feb. 26
— @ Utah Valley University on Feb. 27
— vs. Tarleton State on March 5
— vs. Tarleton State on March 6
UTRGV was picked to finish third in conference according to the WAC Coaches Preseason Poll, it’s best mark in the coach Hill tenure, but as he explains he is not satisfied with the ranking.
“It doesn’t matter where they pick us at, it’s where we end up at,” Hill said. “That’s why you got a preseason-poll and you got a postseason poll, so they picked us three, they think we are number three. We have to go out and prove them wrong.”
In a season that will have the ever-present reminder of COVID-19 with empty or limited capacity arenas, restricted travel schedule and safety and health protocols coach Hill wants his team to go out and have fun.
For the UTRGV women’s basketball season preview, visit utrgvradio.com.
For Vaquero Radio, I’m Luis Rubio.
