Clermont Cougars Start Season with Fresh Talent, Challenges

The UC Clermont College men’s basketball team has a roster of new faces as the Cougars prepare to start their season, including the one at the top of the program. Steve Ellis steps into his first year as head coach with the tough task of getting his team, including nine new players, to come together quickly before facing some stiff early-season competition.

“We had to do a lot of heavy recruiting after I was hired, but we have a lot of players that we feel really good about,” Ellis said. “These guys just need to get used to playing together—then we can do some positive things.”

The newcomers will have to grow into their roles quickly, as the Cougars face two former championship teams in the first part of the season. Clermont opens the season at home on Nov. 2 against Edison State Community College, which Ellis said will be a tough challenge for the Cougars. On Nov. 13, Clermont faces Andrews University, a team that won the national championship two years ago. In late December, Clermont faces the defending national champions, Berkeley College, in a tournament in Pennsylvania.

“We face some really good competition that should tell us where we are,” Ellis said. He might have a roster filled with inexperience and only three returning players, but he does have some talent. Sophomore forward Mikhale Buck is a player to keep an eye on, along with sophomore guard Terry Sparks. One of the top newcomers is sophomore Adam Westbeld, a 6-foot-8-inch center who went to Kettering Fairmont High School.

Ellis said the biggest priority for the team is going be defense. “The guys are starting to play well together on the defensive end,” he said. “We’re trying to stress pressuring the ball all over the court to limit and rush the shots for the other teams. Hopefully, that will translate into some turnovers and easy baskets for us.”

Ellis also said he’s already seen a great deal of improvement from the team during preseason practice and that he’s excited to see how much the team improves throughout the season.

“We can’t wait to get the season started,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of good, quality guys that are going to play hard and be fun to watch.”

For more information about the men’s basketball program visit:

http://www.ucclermont.edu/athletics/MensBasketball.html

UC Clermont Athletics includes Women's Volleyball, Men's & Women's Soccer,  Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Baseball and Softball. The UC Clermont Cougars participate in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). The Cougars have been successful in bringing home national championship titles in men’s and women’s basketball and baseball. In addition, the volleyball and softball programs have been ranked nationally and have been highly competitive in national tournament play.