2022-23 Season Preview: Centenary Men's Basketball
The Centenary men's basketball program has established itself as a consistent contender in both the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and the country on an annual basis. Head coach Chris Dorsey, though, is not satisfied and aims to lead the Gents to another championship in 2022-23.
Shreveport - The Centenary men's basketball program has established itself as a consistent contender in both the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference and the country on an annual basis. Head coach Chris Dorsey, though, is not satisfied and aims to lead the Gents to another championship in 2022-23.
Centenary begins its journey at home on Tuesday evening versus Arlington Baptist University in the regular-season opener with tip set for 7 p.m. at the Gold Dome. The Gents prepped for the opener with a pair of exhibition games within the last week, a crosstown meeting with the LSU Shreveport Pilots on Nov. 1 and a final one on Monday at Louisiana in Lafayette, La.
The Gents were picked to finish fourth in the SCAC preseason coaches' poll released last week after posting a 13-13 overall record and 7-9 mark in league play last season under Dorsey, who enters his sixth season at the helm. Centenary has now finished .500 or better in all five seasons under Dorsey and made its ninth-straight appearance in the SCAC Tournament last season. The Maroon and White went 9-3 at the Gold Dome, continuing their recent stellar play at home as they are 24-6 in their last 30 home games over the last three seasons.
The Gents have established themselves as one of the most successful programs in the conference under Dorsey, winning 45 conference games in the last five seasons and its 38 wins from 2017-21 season led the conference in that span. The Gents are now an impressive 25-13 in their last 38 conference games dating back to Jan. 25, 2020. Centenary has made four trips to the SCAC championship game under Dorsey, and also have two semifinal appearances.
Dorsey, one of the top young coaches in the country, is 67-51 in his five seasons at the helm including an impressive 46-28 mark in SCAC play. The Gents have won 13 or more games in a season four times in Dorsey's tenure and eight or more conference games three times. He led the Gents to their best season in the division III era and one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2019-20 as the Maroon and White won their first SCAC Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history, losing a heartbreaker, 83-81, at UT-Dallas.
"We have a good mixture of new players and returners," said Dorsey. We have a veteran team with seven players still on the roster from our 2019-20 championship season. That experience will take us a long way this year. We have five new players that will all be an immediate impact for us. The talent level is high, and we have great chemistry within the team. It's a long season, but I know by February we will be playing our best basketball."
Centenary is scheduled to play 14 home games, nine road games, and two neutral-site contests this season. The Maroon and White will play its first regular-season road game at East Texas Baptist University on Saturday, Nov. 12 (5 p.m.) in Marshall, Texas and then come home to face Louisiana Christian University on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. The Gents will then play a pair of games in the Millsaps Tournament in Jackson, Miss. on Nov. 19-20, break for Thanksgiving, and then face Texas College at home on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 3 p.m.
The Gents will open conference play at home on Friday, Dec. 2 versus Trinity (7:30 p.m.), then face Schreiner on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m., and then play two-straight non-conference home contests – Tuesday, Dec. 6 versus Millsaps (7:30 p.m.) and Belhaven University on Friday, Dec. 9 (7 p.m.).
"I am excited about our schedule for this season," said Dorsey. Our non-conference schedule is very competitive with a mixture of top NAIA and D3 opponents and the level of competition will prepare us for SCAC play. The SCAC is improving each year on a National level. We have great coaches and athletes within our conference. I'm eager to see how we match up to our SCAC opponents and I can't wait to get the season rolling."
Centenary returns a solid group of returning players, highlighted by a pair of All-SCAC performers in senior F Seth Thomas (Kilgore, Texas) and senior G Ralph Johnson (White Castle, La.). Both Thomas and Johnson have earned all-conference honors multiple times and are two of the top all-around players in the conference.
Thomas was Named to the All-SCAC Third Team last season and earned one first-place vote for SCAC Defensive Player of the Year as he played in 26 games and made 20 starts as he continued his impressive career with the Gents by averaging 26.1 minutes per game and 9.7 PPG. Thomas had nine double-digit scoring performances with eight coming in conference play and he scored a career-high 25 points on 10-18 shooting in 19 minutes in the Gents' 95-64 win over Champion Christian at home on Jan. 15.
Johnson had another impressive season for the Gents as he earned Honorable-Mention All-SCAC honors. Johnson played in 26 games and made 25 starts, averaging 25.8 minutes per game, 6.8 PPG, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 2.5 assists/game. He was one of the top free throw shooters in the conference as he was a superb 84.2 % from the line. He recorded six double-digit scoring games and scored a season-best 18 points in Centenary's 67-62 win at Millsaps on Nov. 30 as he shot 5-7 overall, 4-4 from beyond the arc, and 4-4 from the free throw line. Five of his six double-digit scoring performances came in conference play and he ranked 10th in the conference in assists.
Senior G Jalen Behr (Athens, Ga.) is also back and was impressive in his first season with the Gents as he played in 24 games and made 22 starts. He averaged 19.0 minutes/game, 6.9 PPG, and 3.2 rebounds/game. Behr shot 39.7 % from the floor for the season and 34.3 % from beyond the arc. He recorded eight double-digit scoring games and immediately established himself as he scored 12 points in his debut in the Gents' season-opening win at home versus Arlington Baptist on Nov. 9. Behr scored a season-high 16 points and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds on Jan. 30 versus Schreiner at home. He made at least two treys in a game eight times and season high was four accomplished twice and ranked 13th in the conference in steals.
Senior G Kile Mingo (Cypress, Texas) turned in another impressive season as he played in 23 games and made 10 starts, as he averaged 7.7 PPG in 18 minutes/game. Mingo shot 41.3 % from the floor overall and 34.3 % from 3-point range, averaged 2.8 rebounds per game and 1.0 assists/game. He recorded nine double-digit scoring games with eight coming in conference play. Mingo scored a season-high 18 points at Trinity on Feb. 5 and made individual history on Feb. 19 in the Gents' regular-season finale at Texas Lutheran as he moved into the program's all-time top 10 list for 3-point baskets made with 152.
He grabbed five or more rebounds in game five times, had two or more steals nine times, and had two or more assists six times. He hit two or more treys in a game nine times, made four twice, and season high was five made in his 18-point performance at Trinity. Mingo ranked seventh in the conference in 3-point FG's made, 12th in steals, and 15th in 3-point FG %.
Junior G Braeden Board (Rayne, La.) played in 21 games and made 16 starts last season as a sophomore. He averaged 15.7 minutes per game and shot 42.5 % overall from the floor. Board averaged 7.0 PPG and posted six double-digit scoring performances. He had a pair of 20-point games including a career-high 23 at Austin College on Jan. 23 on 9-13 shooting from the floor and ranked in top 15 in the conference in blocked shots.
Senior F Joseph Wiggins (Bossier City, La.) is back for his second season with the Gents after seeing action in 25 games and made eight starts last season. He shot 55.8 % from the floor and averaged 19.5 minutes per game and recorded five double-digit scoring games, doing so in three of the final four games of the season. Junior G Coby Harris (Lafayette, La.), senior G Tykeem Singleton (Fort Worth, Texas), and senior F Xavier Johnson (Baker, La.) are all back and provide quality depth and experience for the Gents. Junior G/F Dylan Hooter (Mandeville, La.) is also back after playing in 19 games and making one start in his first season for the Maroon and White in 2021-22.
Junior G Jerrick Baines (Alexandria, La.) scored 21 points in the exhibition loss at LSUS last week in his Centenary debut. Baines is a transfer who comes to the Gents from Bismarck State College in Bismarck, N.D. where he helped lead his team to the semifinals of the Mon-Dak Conference tournament. Freshman G Quentin Beverly (Katy, Texas) scored 12 in his Gents' debut versus LSUS and senior G/F Willie Davis (Bronx, New York), and junior G Chrys Jackson (North Las Vegas, Nev.) each scored 11 in their first appearances.
Freshman G Cameron Walker (Bossier City, La.) is a local product from Airline High School who scored two points against the Pilots. Freshman G Dalyn Davis (Natchitoches, La.) prepped at Natchitoches Central High School where he was an All-State and a two-time All-District 1-5A selection for the Chiefs, helping lead his team to a state runner-up finish.
The 2023 SCAC Championship is set for Feb. 24-26 in San Antonio and hosted by Trinity University.
See the Gents' complete season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/mbkb/2022-23/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests. Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests.
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