GETTING INSIDE

In his first year as head coach of Mississippi Valley State, Sean Woods found the going a little tough, to the tune of a seven-win season.

But Woods also found some players that can hopefully help him turn things around in the coming years. Three starters and six letter winners overall return to the Delta Devils, as Woods looks to speed things up even more with a new crop of recruits.

Woods prefers a fast pace offensively, and he feels he’s brought in the right players to implement his system.

Highly touted junior college transfer D’Angelo Jackson is expected to push veteran Kevin Burwell at the point guard spot, where Coastal Carolina transfer Joshua Mack could also figure into the mix.

Also back for the Devils are juniors Julius Cheeks and Shannon Behling and sophomore Tashan Newsome, giving Woods plenty of options in his rotation.

Of course, if Woods has his way, everyone will get some minutes as he rotates players in and out to keep everyone fresh.

If Woods can get his system implemented and has the numbers to run it, the Delta Devils could be a tough team to beat, which would make the journey it took to get to this point more than worth it.

NOTES, QUOTES

• MVSU needs to shore up its defense if it is to be competitive after allowing 74.6 points per game a year ago, ninth in the SWAC.

• F Shannon Behling is being counted on to help provide some of the production lost when Eric Petty graduated. Petty led the league in rebounding a year ago with 8.3 per game while Behling ranked 10th in the SWAC at 5.3 rpg.

• G Julius Cheeks provides the Delta Devils with some solid outside shooting, ranking fourth in the league in 3-pointers made per game a year ago, connecting on 1.8 treys per contest.

Last Year:   7-25 overall, 7-11 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Head Coach:   Sean Woods; 2nd year at Mississippi Valley State (7-25).

Quote To Note:   “We have worked hard during the summer. (Cor-J) Cox is a young man who is going to open a number of people’s eyes during the upcoming season.”—Coach Sean Woods on late signee Cor-J Cox, a 6-5 sophomore from Olney Central College.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Scouting The Newcomers:   G D’Angelo Jackson was a top point guard at Arkansas-Fort Smith C.C. last year and he’ll certainly expect to get a shot at the job with the Delta Devils as well. Sean Woods will have a choice to make as far as who starts, but Jackson can join into a three-man point guard rotation with Kevin Burwell and transfer Joshua Mack, with two of the three on the floor at one time when the Devils want to apply some defensive pressure.

Wing Cor-J Cox is an athletic swingman who should be a solid finisher in the MVSU running game. Freshman swingman Ricky Lamb and forward Mark Holmes will push the veterans for playing time on the front line.

Key Early-season Games:   The Delta Devils get a total of one home game in all of November and December, so they’d better take advantage of their Nov. 19 contest with Champions Baptist. MVSU travels to Washington State and Gonzaga to start the regular season, followed by the Chicago Invitational, which matches the Devils up with Iowa State and Saint Louis on the road. MVSU will be tested early, but as long as the players see the games as learning experiences that will help in SWAC play, the Devils will be OK.

Program Direction:   The Delta Devils appear to be in good hands with former Kentucky assistant Sean Woods. The entertaining up-tempo offense he prefers will also draw a number of athletes to the program that know they’re going to get a chance to play because of the number of players Woods rotates in.

Getting some success on the floor with some wins is crucial to taking the next step, though, so this will be a big year for Woods and the Devils.

Probable Starting Lineup:   PG D’Angelo Jackson, G Kevin Burwell, G Julius Cheeks, G Tashan Newsome, G/F Shannon Behling.

Roster Report:  

• G Julius Cheeks improved as the season progressed last year, upping his scoring average in league play as well as shooting better from the field, the 3-point line and the free-throw line against conference opponents.

• G/F Shannon Behling was the Devils’ most prolific 3-point shooter, taking the most attempts (166) on the team from beyond the arc and burying 57 of them (34.3 percent).

• Signee Jacob Blankenship has taken a long road to MVSU, stopping at Daytona State College and Santa Fe College in Florida. The 6-9, 250-pound Blankenship will be a junior and should help the interior game of the Devils.