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Jacksonville State Basketball: Gamecocks look to climb OVC ladder for 2018-19

By Darren Mitchell

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: The ball bounces off the rim during the Michigan State Spartans and Minnesota Golden Gophers game during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center on March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: The ball bounces off the rim during the Michigan State Spartans and Minnesota Golden Gophers game during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center on March 10, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Jacksonville State Basketball looks to climb to the top of the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2018-19 season. After facing offseason trials and tribulations, the Gamecocks are up to the task.

Veteran basketball coach Ray Harper will begin his third year as the man in charge at Jacksonville State University. With an impressive 43-28 record with the Gamecocks, Harper faces new challenges on and off the court this season. The big challenges this season start on the road.

Harper and JSU find themselves against some tough competition away from their Alabama home. The wheels on the bus will take them to Penn State, Wichita State, and West Virginia. A daunting task at each stop, but this ensures two things: great competition and excellent preparation for OVC play down the stretch. While the road trips will test the Gamecocks, the home stands will be just as important to each player and fan this season.

A tornado devastated portions of campus this past spring, including the home court of the Gamecocks, Pete Matthews Coliseum. The roof was practically lifted off the structure, and the court had to be demolished due to weather damage. With renovations underway and almost complete, Harper’s Gamecocks will have the ultimate responsibility to fill the stands and give the campus the excitement it has the past few seasons.

If JSU can heal the wounds of the spring storm and create one of their own, they will be doing that by way of defense. The Gamecocks accumulated almost 1400 total rebounds as a team along with 200 blocks last season. Senior forward, Jason Burnell, who accounted for 210 of those rebounds, will lead the charge on defense as well as offense. Burnell averaged almost 12 points a game for the JSU, but will need to contribute more than that since leading scorer from a year ago, Malcom Drumwright, is gone.

To help on offense, Coach Harper will rely on veteran guard Marlon Hunter, who was third in scoring for the Gamecocks last season. Hunter also provides stability on the wings for a one-two punch with Burnell down low. To help Hunter up top will be senior Jamall Gregory. Not only can he score and dish the ball, he was third in the Ohio Valley Conference in steals. Look for Gregory to create some excitement on the new hardwoods of “The Pete.”

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As fall classes have begun at JSU, students both old and new are carrying on despite the destruction of that terrible spring tornado. Sidewalks are filled with those walking to and from class, football tailgating can be seen on Saturdays, and the town is continuing to recover a little each day. As normal becomes relevant again in Jacksonville, AL, Ray Harper and his ball team will diligently prepare to achieve its own goals and give the JSU faithful something to look forward to as well.