Wildcats Open Season with Road Game at Welch College
GALLATIN, Tenn. – The Bethel Wildcats will open their season Tuesday night traveling to Gallatin, Tennessee to meet the Welch College Flames. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Welch is a member of the NCCAA.
Coverage:
No links have been provided for the contest. A recap will be provided upon receipt of the stats at www.bethelathletics.com
Season Preview
This season's Wildcat team will feature only six returners from a team that won just 12 games last year. After a strong start to the season, the returners faced a very difficult road last year with three season ending injuries to starters in January and the loss of the starting five man due to a family illness. The silver lining out of this was seeing the growth and progress of a few younger Wildcats. That group will look to rebuild by adding 10 new players who will bring a variety of different skills to the table. It will not be an easy road with the teams in the Mid-South Athletic Conference. This team has the ability to get the Wildcats back in the upper half of the conference and get back to their winning ways. If the Cats can do this, they will help Coach Jeff Britt earn his 500th career victory.
The Wildcats returning cast will have the lone senior on the roster: Latrell Carter 6'8 (4.9pts/2.8rpg). The underclassmen returnees are Hayden Thomas, 6'3 Junior (8.3ppg/2.5rpg), Jose Nazario, 6'2 Sophomore (1.5pts/1.2apg), Tyler Neely, 6'2 Sophomore (4.5ppg/1.9apg), and Yassine Zlitni, 6'6 Sophomore (4.8ppg/2.4rpg).
Bethel has brought in six transfers, three freshman, and one player who is coming back to this year's team.
* Keyshawn Kennedy 6'4 Junior, Nassau Community College (13.7pts/6.6rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
67 |
44.7 |
31.4 |
66.7 |
0.8 |
3.1 |
3.9 |
1.5 |
0.9 |
0.5 |
2.2 |
9.2 |
* Brennon Marsh 6'8 Sophomore, Vol State Community College (7.5pts/9.5rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
38 |
42.8 |
0 |
52.8 |
2.3 |
6.5 |
8.8 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
1.5 |
1.8 |
6.2 |
* Connor Guthrie 6'2 Sophomore, Bethel University (1.5pts/0.5rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
16 |
37.5 |
31.6 |
0 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
1.5 |
* Gavin Thompson 6'0 Freshman, North Idaho College (2.0pts/1.0rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
4 |
33.3 |
0 |
66.7 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
1.0 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
2.0 |
* Akeyse Rice 6'8 Sophomore, North Idaho College (0.6pts/0.3rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
15 |
50.0 |
0 |
16.7 |
0.3 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
1.1 |
* Querrion Gadson 6'1 Junior, Kentucky State University (7.7pts/3.5rebs)
|
Year |
GP |
FG% |
3P% |
FT% |
OFF |
DEF |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PTS |
|
Career |
60 |
47.6 |
36.4 |
60.0 |
0.9 |
2.3 |
3.2 |
2.7 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
2.0 |
5.9 |
* Chisom Watson, 6'6 Sophomore, South Suburban (RS)
* Dimitrije Stojanovic, 6'11 Freshman, Serbia-MLS2 (1.8pts/1.8reb)
* Arthur Burnett, 6'8 Freshman, RockTop Academy (20pts/13reb)
* Garrett Hayden, 6'2 Freshman, Carlisle County (24pts/6reb/4.0apg)
The non-conference schedule this season will only feature six games as the NAIA has cut total games from 30 to 28. Bethel will open the season with two away games at Welch College and Brescia University. The Wildcats will host the Chick Fil A Classic (Crowley's Ridge College and Southeastern Baptist College), John Melvin University, and Life University at home. Bethel will play two exhibition games against NCAA I schools in Arkansas State University and University of Tennessee-Martin. Coach Jeff Britt states that "We have a good group of guys coming in this Fall and I can't wait to get to work and see them gel together. This season will be no easy task, but we will do what we can to prepare these guys for what's ahead."
Coach Britt enters the season with 493 career victories. He is joined on the bench by longtime assistants, AJ Johnson and Jonathan Stanley.