Men's Basketball 11/7/2018 4:27:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Opens 2018-19 Season Friday

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The University of Central Oklahoma men's basketball team opens the 2018-19 season Friday against Northwestern Oklahoma State in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Great American Conference Crossover Challenge at the Tahlequah Event Center. Tip-off is slated for 2:15 p.m. The Bronchos will also play Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday at 2:15 p.m.

UCO enters the 2018-19 season looking to continue its recent upward trend. The Bronchos have improved their win total in each of head coach Tom Hankins' first three seasons. This season, Central returns a pair of starters from last year's squad, as well as a pair of veteran seniors with starting experience. UCO has two more returners on the team to go with eight newcomers that forms its 18-19 roster ready to aim for yet another improved season.

"We're going to be a different team, that's for sure," Hankins said. "The past couple of years we've had big guys and we threw the ball in the post on every possession. This year's team is smaller. We'll play fast and shoot a lot of threes and get up and down the floor more. It's going to be exciting to see how the team shapes up once we start playing. There are some athletes on this team that I think will be able to help us in a big way."

Before is a player-by-player look at the 2018-19 Central Oklahoma men's basketball team

Josh Holliday and Jordan London head up the senior class as veteran, four-year Bronchos. Adarius Avery is the third and final senior on the roster. He is a transfer from Loyola-Chicago. London has played in 89 career games for the Bronchos, starting 46 of them. He's a career 40 percent shooter that averages 6.6 points per game over the past three seasons. London also has 110 career 3-pointers and can be lethal from behind the arc on any given night. Holliday has played in 82 career games and started in 28 of those. He's also a career 40 percent shooter and averages 8.1 points per game in his time in Bronze & Blue. Holliday has 114 career threes, and like London, can light it up on any defense on any night. Avery, at 6-for-6, is the big man for Central this season, but is a very athletic wing player more than a post. He can make some highlight reel plays and can be very active on both offense and defense. While in JUCO at Connors State, he averaged 24 points per game.

The junior class is headed up by a soon-to-be three-year starter at point guard, Marquis Johnson. The Oklahoma City native has played in 58 games in two seasons and started in 57 of them. He averaged 10 points per game as a true freshman in 2016-17 and then scored 9.7 points per game last season. Johnson is a career 38 percent shooter that can find a shot or find his teammates when he has the ball in his hands. Cooper Clark is the other returning junior on the roster. The fourth-year player has a strong 3-point game but has played a reserve role in his time at Central. The son of the greatest Broncho to ever play, Wesley Clark, Cooper can thrive in a more up-tempo offense UCO is poised to run this season. Dashon Bell and Ashford Golden are the junior newcomers at Central. Bell is an athletic guard not afraid to make a play with the ball in his hands. He can take it to the basket or find an open spot behind the line. Golden is a similar player. He is one of the most athletic players on the floor that when given any space, can beat a defender off the dribble and make a big play at the rim.

Jordan Hemphill leads a sophomore class after coming on strong as a true freshman a year ago, working his way into the starting lineup and playing a key role night in and night out. Hemphill averaged 8.2 points per game in 29 games a year ago. He started 10 of those games. The athletic wing has the ability to beat anyone off the dribble and find a way to the hoop. He's also talented on defense and can create problems one on one. Alex Ogunseye is back for his third season as a Broncho. After redshirting two years ago, and playing a reserve role last season, the powerful forward is now aimed at continuing his improvement this go around. Ogunseye is a bit undersized in the post, but his work ethic in going after rebounds and loose balls cannot be measured and is a key part of the Broncho basketball team. Jaylan Williams, a transfer from New Mexico Military Institute, is another sophomore that adds size in the post for Central. Williams is a nifty big man that doesn't hesitate to step outside and show off his range. He has a swift jumper and can be of good use to the Broncho offense this season.

A quadrant of freshman rounds out the UCO basketball roster. Carson Calavan is a standout shooter that can find a rhythm and cause problems for the defense. Justin Nimmer is an athletic win that can fill multiple roles on offense and should deter his fair share of shots on defense. Colt Savage and Landon Streich are two more newcomer guards that can serve multiple roles. Both can be good around the perimeter on offense and both will, with time, become key assets in the UCO basketball program.

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Players Mentioned

#24 Cooper Clark: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#5 Jordan Hemphill: G; 6' 5"; Sophomore

#11 Josh Holliday: G; 5' 8"; Senior

#13 Marquis Johnson: G; 5' 8"; Junior

#14 Jordan London: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#4 Alex Ogunseye: F; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#0 Justin Nimmer: G; 6' 6"; Freshman

#1 Dashon Bell: G; 6' 1"; Junior

#2 Landon Streich: G; 6' 1"; Freshman

#3 Ashford Golden: G; 6' 4"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#24 Cooper Clark
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#5 Jordan Hemphill
: 6' 5"; Sophomore
: G

#11 Josh Holliday
: 5' 8"; Senior
: G

#13 Marquis Johnson
: 5' 8"; Junior
: G

#14 Jordan London
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#4 Alex Ogunseye
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: F

#0 Justin Nimmer
: 6' 6"; Freshman
: G

#1 Dashon Bell
: 6' 1"; Junior
: G

#2 Landon Streich
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: G

#3 Ashford Golden
: 6' 4"; Junior
: G