East Tennessee State Basketball: 2019-20 season review of the Buccaneers
By TJ Miller
Key players this season
Lucas N’Guessan – Center, Senior
I’ve already emphasized the importance of ETSU’s guard play, but N’Guessan provided the Buccaneers a huge lift in the paint. The former Oklahoma State player really found his stride this season, averaging 8.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while being a starter. Also, his sterling 65.4% on 2-point field goal attempts is a big reason why ETSU ranked eighth in the entire nation in that category.
Despite playing a modest 335 minutes last season, N’Guessan increased his minutes to 732 this season and was counted on heavily with Jeromy Rodriguez having to miss several games. N’Guessan ended the season leading East Tennessee State in made free throws as he went 80 of 115 (69.6%). N’Guessan is an example of a player who executed his role to near perfection and it’s hard to envision ETSU having this good of a season without him.
Tray Boyd III – Guard, Senior
Boyd can claim a remarkable feat in his two seasons at East Tennessee State. Despite not starting in the majority of the games in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, Boyd finished as ETSU’s leading scorer in both seasons! A big reason Boyd provided such instant offense during his career is his readiness to shoot the ball in a variety of ways. There are players who can shoot the ball well in just one or two facets, but Boyd excelled off the bound, off the catch, and displayed a nasty step-back jumper on occasion as well.
He finished as the team’s leading three-point shooter and fourth in the Southern Conference in three-point makes for 2019-20. Boyd was also a difference-maker on the defensive end, where he led the team in steals. Standing at 6′ 4″, I’m on board with Boyd being able to play at the next level.
Isaiah Tisdale – Guard, Senior
It may sound like a cliché, but most players on the roster deserve a spot in this key player list. However, I’m giving Tisdale the nod as my third key player over a few others because he’s another senior who did a tremendous job at fulfilling his role. On a team with several capable ball handlers, the 6′ 1″ senior was the epitome of reliability. Tisdale led the team in both assists and minutes and rarely every turned over the ball (35 turnovers on the season).
He also led ETSU in total win shares (5.0) and stepped up big in the SOCON Championship game with game-high 24 points. Like Boyd, Tisdale was another junior college standout who seemed to thrive in Forbes’ system and will be remembered as a pillar of the successful 2019-20 season.