The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

The Student News Site of Appalachian State University

The Appalachian

Newsletter Signup

Get our news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

* indicates required

Men’s basketball holds first official practice

Mens+basketball+holds+first+official+practice

While many stayed in bed on the drizzly Saturday morning, the App State men’s basketball team was hard at work in its first official practice of the season. The Mountaineers will hold their season opener on Nov. 14 and have long been preparing for the upcoming season.

In the previous season, App State (12-17, 9-15 Sun Belt) experienced some growing pains in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference, as well as their first year under head coach Jim Fox.

While some players, such as second team All-Sun Belt selection Frank Eaves, had great seasons, the team itself simply could not find sustained success during the transition.

This season appears brighter for the Mountaineers, as senior guards Eaves and Chris Burgess return to the lineup to provide veteran leadership that is enhanced by a key addition in freshman guard Ronshad Allen-Shabazz.

Allen-Shabazz, a three-star commit from Raleigh, averaged 25 points, four rebounds and two steals per game as a junior at Knightdale High School before transferring to Huntington Prep in West Virginia, one of the most prestigious high school basketball programs in the country, and averaged 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game as a senior.

Former players from Huntington Prep include Minnesota Timberwolves standout forward Andrew Wiggins, the first overall selection in the 2014 NBA draft, and center Gorgui Dieng, also a first round selection, among others.

Fox believes that Allen-Shabazz will be a pivotal cog in the future of the men’s basketball program in due time.

“If he learns the system, he’s going to be a dangerous player for a long time,” Fox said.

A year into Fox’s tenure, he expects a lot from the Mountaineers this season.

“They’ve bought in and they’re really working hard to get better, they have a commitment to get better,” Fox said. “The biggest thing for us now is to clean up sloppiness.”

While the Mountaineers have been predicted by some to finish in the top half of the conference this season, they will have to compete with talented teams such as Georgia State, who upset Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season, and Louisiana Monroe, who finished 24-14 overall last season. Both teams return some of the best rosters in the Sun Belt.

App State will need to be well-prepared and ready to fight to improve on their performance for this season. The team will open in an exhibition against Belmont Abbey on Nov. 3. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Story by: Brooks Maynard, Sports Reporter

 

Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal

We hope you appreciate this article! Before you move on, our student staff wanted to ask if you would consider supporting The Appalachian's award-winning journalism. We are celebrating our 90th anniversary of The Appalachian in 2024!

We receive funding from the university, which helps us to compensate our students for the work they do for The Appalachian. However, the bulk of our operational expenses — from printing and website hosting to training and entering our work into competitions — is dependent upon advertising revenue and donations. We cannot exist without the financial and educational support of our fellow departments on campus, our local and regional businesses, and donations of money and time from alumni, parents, subscribers and friends.

Our journalism is produced to serve the public interest, both on campus and within the community. From anywhere in the world, readers can access our paywall-free journalism, through our website, through our email newsletter, and through our social media channels. Our supporters help to keep us editorially independent, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone.

If you can, please consider supporting us with a financial gift from $10. We appreciate your consideration and support of student journalism at Appalachian State University. If you prefer to make a tax-deductible donation, or if you would prefer to make a recurring monthly gift, please give to The Appalachian Student News Fund through the university here: https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1727/cg20/form.aspx?sid=1727&gid=2&pgid=392&cid=1011&dids=418.15&bledit=1&sort=1.

About the Contributor
Brooks Maynard, Reporter
Donate to The Appalachian
$1201
$5000
Contributed
Our Goal