East Tennessee State--Don’t underestimate Steve Forbes. I learned that the hard way last year, when I picked the Bucs to finish fourth in my preseason rankings, primarily due to the fact that my premise was that they lost too much talent to replace from the previous season. Boy, was I wrong. The Bucs went on to win 17-straight, opening conference play with 14-consecutive victories, and the Bucs had four new starters, who joined eventual Southern Conference Player of the Year Desonta Bradford.
Forbes did an excellent job of providing players around Bradford, who could compliment his talents, while at the same time making the Bucs into one of the best defensive teams in mid-major basketball. Players like Peter Jurkin, who redshirted the 2016-17 season as a result of injury, was one of the league’s top rim protectors last season.
The Bucs also had Jalan McCloud and Devontavius Payne, who was a key role player off the bench on the 2017 SoCon Tournament winning team, join Bradford in the backcourt and it was nearly the perfect marriage of talent once again. Forbes is also responsible for bringing in 2018 SoCon co-Freshman of the Year Bo Hodges, as well as another SoCon All-Freshman selection, in Mladen Armus from Serbia.
Forbes has another tall order this season. Gone are Bradford, McCloud, Jurkin, Payne and David Burrell, who have all graduated. The good news is both Hodges and Armus have starting experience, and the Bucs redshirted probably their best player on the team last season, in forward Jeromy Rodriguez. That, combined with another high-profile recruiting class should have the Forbes and the Bucs back in the mix for a SoCon title once again this year.
After all, Forbes has had the Bucs in the tournament championship each of his three years in Johnson City. If he does that again, he may be hard for ETSU to hold on to in the future, as he will be on the squarely on the radar of power five programs.
Backcourt Preview:
Just like the past two years, there will be wholesale changes in the backcourt for East Tennessee State. Gone are the likes of SoCon Player of the Year Desonta Bradford, Jalan McCloud, Devontavious Payne, and David Burrell from the backcourt, leaving the Bucs with mostly a new roster heading into the 2018-19 season.
Head coach Steve Forbes is most excited about both theprospects of having Bo Hodges (9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6-for-25 from three-point range/24.0%) in more his element this season on the perimeter will be very beneficial to the Bucs’ SoCon title hopes.
Hodges could be set to have a break out season for the Bucs. He has been shootig the ball at a high percentage during the off-season, according to head coach Steve Forbes, posting a 52% shooting clip during the off-season in live scrimmages.
Hodges showed he could be a versatile scorer last season, with his ability to get points in the paint by driving to the basket, as well as showing off a solid mid-range jumper. Now, add consistent touch from the perimeter and Hodges has a chance to have a big season for the Bucs. For Hodges to be a consistent and versatile threat this season, he will have to hit from beyond the arc with some consistency.
On the defensive end fo the floor for the 6-4, 200-lb native of Nashville, TN., was solid on the defensive end of the floor for the Bucs last season, posting 26 steals and 22 blocks. He was one of the hardest working players on the defensive end of the floor for the Bucs last season, which is part of the reason he shared SoCon Freshman of the Year honors with VMI’s Bubba Parham.
Hodges enjoyed several strong games last season for the Bucs, including 19 points and nine boards in a late-January win over The Citadel. In the late-February loss to the Bulldogs, Hodges recorded 17 points and dished out a season-high five assists.
Hodges is a tremendous athlete, and will be asked to do some different things this season than last, but the things he will be asked to do for ETSU will be more akin to his skill-set, and won’t be all too unfamiliar to him. Hodges handled a lot of new assignments he wasn’t all that accustomed to last season and still managed to claim SoCon Freshman of the Year honors. Just imagine what he might be able to provide the Bucs in a more familiar role this season.
Hodges will be joined in the ETSU backcourt by Appalachian State transfer Patrick Good (Appalachian State transfer/David Crockett High School). Good is a local product known to ETSU fans for his prowess he displayed as a prep during his time at David Crockett High School in nearby Jonesborough. Bucs fans had hoped Good would end up in Johnson City originally, but he decided to committ to Appalachian State after his standout career at David Crockett High School.
The 6-0, 165-lb redshirt sophomore will have three years of eligibility remaining at ETSU. He’ll have a chance to compete for a starting job right away for Forbes’ Bucs this season, and in his only season at App State, Good registered action in 29 games as a true freshman, averaging 7.0 PPG in almost 23 minutes-per-game during his time as a Mountaineer. Good shot 41% from beyond the arc, and averaged 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists-per-game for Appalachian State.
During his standout career at David Crockett High School, Good was outstanding, scoring 2,716 career points, finishing out his career as the program’s all-time leading scorer. He also finished as David Crockett’s all-time assists leader during his career at Davey Crockett High School.
Good will be one of several guards competing to find a place in the ETSU backcourt this season. It will be up to other guys now on campus to carry the torch for the Bucs this season.
Isaiah Tisdale (Vincennes JC/Lexington, KY), Tray Boyd III (NW Florida State CC/Memphis, TN), Carlos Curtis (Riverside Universirty High School/Milwaukee, WI), Davien Williamson (Winston Salem Prep/Winston Salem, N.C.), Kevon Tucker (Gordon State College/Wofford/Dacula, GA), Myles Rasnick (Knox Webb High School/Knoxville, TN) and Tre Tiller (Chattanooga Central HS/Chattanooga, TN) will all play a significant role in the backcourt for the Bucs over the next couple of years.
One of the more interesting additions to the backcourt rotation is Tucker, who was once a player in the Southern Conference as a freshman with Wofford back during the 2016-17 season before transferring to Gordon State for the 2017-18 campaign. Tucker had an outstanding season at Gordon last year, and honed his skills in the backcourt, especially as a perimeter threat, and now brings those talents back to the SoCon for Wofford’s rival ETSU.
The 6-3, 200-lb junior will have two years of eligibility remaining in Johnson City. He has a propensity for scoring the basketball, and is especially adept as perimeter shooter. Tucker is the fifth JUCO All-American that the Bucs have signed from 2015-18, and it’s easy to see that ETSU has benefitted from the JUCO route. Tucker will be yet another of those talents looking to raise the bar even higher for ETSU hoops.
During his lone season at Gordon, Tucker averaged 19.5 PPG last year, while posting an impressive 47% shooting clip from beyond the arc. He ranked seventh in the JUCO ranks last season, connecting on 108 triples.
He had 41 and 37-point efforts for Gordon last season, and he’ll have a chance to be a big-time contributor for Forbes this season, perhaps as a starter at one of the wing positions. In a recent 85-38 exhibition win over Southern Wesleyan, Tucker led all Bucs scorers with 17 points.
One of the more interesting players to keep an eye on will be Tisdale--a guard that comes to ETSU from JUCO powerhouse Vincennes JC. Tisdale is a good decision-maker, and a player that Forbes thinks can come in and not only be a major contributor with his leadership, but has a very real chance to start for the Bucs this season.
Tisdale was a two-time JUCO All-American during his time at Viccennes, and even helped lead the program to the JUCO Final Four in 2018. He was ranked as the 15th best JUCO player in the nation last season. He averaged 17.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 4.5 APG during the 2017-18 season. Tisdale will be ready to step in and provide some quality minutes in the backcourt for the Bucs this season.
Coach Forbes is impressed with Tisdale’s feel for the game and his leadership. He is one of the more mature decision makers in the backcourt for the Bucs. Tisdale drew the start in the exhibition against Southern Wesleyan, finishing the contest with seven points, five assists and five rebounds.
Boyd was selected as a preseason All-SoCon honoree by the league coaches. The 6-4, 185-lb junior wing was an explosive scorer at Northwest Florida State College, averaging 14.8 PPG. He was rated as the 35th-best JUCO player in the nation last year, and showed his prolificness as an outside shooter, connecting on 106 triples for the season. In the exhibition win over Southern Wesleyan, Boyd posted 13 points, five rebounds and dished out three assists in the 85-38 win. Boyd will probably be the first guard off the bench this season for the Bucs.
Curtis, like Boyd, is another dynamic offensive performer that can score points in bunches. The 6-2 true freshman guard is a versatile guard that can score points from beyond the arc, as well as create offensive opportunities off the dribble.
Curtis was a three-star recruit coming out of Riverside University High School, where he averaged 19.0 PPG and 6.4 APG as a senior in 2017-18. Curtis is one of the top incoming recruits in the SoCon this season, and should be a major puzzle piece in the backcourt for the Bucs as a true freshman this season. He saw 12 minutes of action in the exhibition win over Southern Wesleyan.
Williamson is another talented true freshman expected to factor into the rotation in the backcourt this season for the Bucs. He comes from a successful prep program, and was named an Associated Press first-team all-state pick as a senior in high school. During his senior season at Winston-Salem prep, Williamson averaged 23.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.5 steals and 2.6 assists-per-game.
He helped his prep program to a state championship during his senior season. He was named conference player of the year twice. Williamson has a good touch from the outside, but his real strength for Forbes and staff this season will be his quickness and ability to create off the dribble.
Tiller comes to ETSU out of Chattanooga Central, which is another program that has produced reputable talent over the years. He’s an exceptionally gifted athlete that will contribute off the bench for the Bucs this season. The 6-3 walk-on junior guard is especially known for his quickness on defense.
Rounding out the Bucs backcourt will by Myles Rasnick. Like Tiller, Rasnick is a walk-on, but could see some minutes this season. The 6-1 freshman guard was an all-state pick, as well as being all-region MVP as a senior. Rasnick logged four minutes of court action in ETSU’s big exhibition win this past Friday night.
Frontcourt Preview:
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| ETSU junior forward Jeromy Rodriguez |
Jeromy Rodriguez (NW Florida State CC/Santiago, Dominican Republic) has been called the most-skilled player head coach Steve Forbes has ever coached according to numerous preseason interviews. Rodriguez, a 6-7, 225-lb, with ball-handling capabilities on par with most guards, was supposed to be a fixture in the lineup for the Forbes and the Bucs last season, however, a medical procedure on his right shoulder forced the talented player from Santiago, Dominican Republic to exercise a red-shirt year during the 2017-18 season.
The talented post player has also been called the most-talented individual overall player the Bucs have in their embarassment of talent heading into the 2018-19 season. Rodriguez does everything well, according to Forbes, as he especially active on the boards, and is an adept passer out of the post. His presence alone will allow Hodges to now play his natural wing guard position, as opposed to being a post presence, as he was asked to last season for the Bucs.
Though Rodriguez wasn’t cited as being a big-time offensive threat for the Bucs by Forbes, his first game for the Bucs on Friday night showed that he could score when called upon to do so, as he finished the lopsided exhibition win with 16 points on an impressive 7-for-10 shooting from the field. Perhaps that was a major reason Rodriguez garnered the respect of the other coaches around the SoCon to be named to the preseason All-SoCon team, and might well be the top newcomer in the league when the dust settles on the 2018-19 campaign. In addition to his 16 points in the exhibition, Rodriguez also added four rebounds, three assists and a block.
Veteran Mladen Armus (6.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG) comes off what was an impressive freshman campaign for the Bucs, which saw him garner SoCon All-Freshman team accolades. He might be the most improved player on the roster for Forbes, as well as being the best post defender. Armus played in all 34 games for the Bucs last season, which included five starts and started all three tournament games for the Bucs.
Armus, a 6-10, 240-lb, native of Belgrade, Serbia, posted a field goal percentage of 62.7% (84-of-134) last season, as well as posting 15 blocks and 19 steals on the defensive end, showing his ability as an all-around player. Armus’ biggest problem during his first season with the Bucs was staying out of foul trouble. If he can do that, his improved presence as a player around the basket could see him emerge as a double-figure scorer in the paint this season to go along with his polished skills as a defensive presence in the post.
Last season, Armus enjoyed his best performances of the season against The Citadel, tying a career-high with 14 points in a late-season loss. He had 10 points and 11 rebounds in a SoCon semifinal win over Furman last March. In the recent exhibition against Southern Wesleyan, Armus posted 12 points and an impressive 21 rebounds. He connected on 5-of-9 shots from the field.
While Armus and Rodriguez are likely to find themselves in starting roles in the frontcourt for the Bucs to start the campaign, both will have plenty of support in the form of reliable contributors coming off the bench.
Senior James Harrison Jr. (1.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG) is one of the veterans still around that can help lend leadership on the floor as well as in the locker room. The 6-8, 230-lb power forward is athletic, with quickness and solid post moves. The left-handed Harrison is an efficient, productive scorer around the basket, and possesses the ability to draw contact and get to the charity stripe. He’ll see a big increase in minutes this season. Harrison enjoyed one of his best games of the season in an early conference game against VMI. He finished the contest against the Keydets with a career-best six points.
Newcomers Octavion Corley (Casper College/Reno, NV) and D’Andre Bernard (Georgia Highlands College/Toronto, Canada) are two JUCO transfers that will add immediate depth and athleticism to the fold for the Bucs underneath the basket, which will be much needed following the graduation of guys like David Burrell and rim protector Peter Jurkin.
Bernard, a 6-8, 190-lb junior transfer from Georgia Highlands College is one of the best athletes on the roster for the Bucs and is set to be a big contributor in his first season with Forbes and the Bucs. Like Rodriguez, not only does Bernard possess size, but he also has skill, including having great hands to catch in the post, as well as pass out of the post, but his best asset might be his overall athleticism, particularly as a leaper.
Bernard also has a solid mid-range game and can step out and shoot the three, as well as score around the basket. He was considered a Top 10 recruit out of Canada when he originally started his prep career at North Florida in 2015-16. He transferred to Georgia Highlands College for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 campaigns. In the exhibition opener against Southern Wesleyan, Bernard saw 13 minutes of floor action, adding a steal, a block and an assist in the lopsided win.
Corley, a 7-0, 195-lb, native of Reno, NV, will also have two years of eligibility remaining. During a golden generation of sorts for ETSU, center Greg Dennis (1988-1992) finished his career with over 2,204 points — good for second in program history.
Nearly two decades later, Forbes hopes Corley will be the second coming of Dennis, as the Bucs add seven-footer Corley out of Casper College to the fold. Although he missed the final 12 games of last season with an injury, Corley averaged 9.8 ppg on 63 percent shooting, grabbed 4.5 rpg and blocked 54 shots in 20 games.
The Schedule Preview:
ETSU will open its 2018-19 season by facing the first of two Sun Belt Conference opponents on Nov. 6, traveling to Atlanta, GA, to face what many of have labeled the Sun Belt favorites entering the 2018-19 season, in the Georgia State Panthers.
Georgia State, who is coached by one of the best coaches in mid-major hoops, in Ron Hunter, will look to make their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last five seasons, led by junior guard D’Marcus Simonds, who is the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors after averaging 21.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 4.4 APG last season.
This is a huge early season road test for the Bucs, and a chance for the SoCon to firmly plant its flag as one of the top-tier mid-major conferences in the country, but it won’t be easy. The Bucs won 25 games last year, while Georgia State claimed 24 victories. It will mark the sixth all-time meeting between the Bucs and Panthers, but the first meeting between the two programs for the first time since 1986. The Bucs hold a 4-1 all-time series edge, but dropped an 89-85 decision to the Panthers in Atlanta in the 1986-87 season.
Following the game at Georgia State, the Bucs will return to the floor when the Bucs open the home slate against Hiwassee on Nov. 8, which is one of two non-Division I opponents on the schedule for the Bucs during the 2018-19 season. The Bucs posted a 94-48 win over Hiwassee on Dec. 10, 2017, at Freedom Hall.
Following the home opener against Hiwassee, the Bucs will be on the road for two-straight, with games at Creighton on Nov. 11 and at Winthrop on Nov. 17. Remember last season when ETSU held a 22-point second-half lead at Top 10 Xavier? Well, the Bucs will have another opportunity to put a major scare or perhaps hang a major L on a power five conference member when the Bucs travel to Omaha, NE to face the Blue Jays out of the Big East.
The Blue Jays are coming off a 21-12 season last year, bowing out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round with a loss to Kansas State. The Bluejays have made 2,142 three-point field goals during the last seven seasons, while the Bucs have a streak of 960-consecutive games with at least one made triple, dating back to 1987. The Bluejays had one of the greatest three-point shooters in the history of college basketball--Kyle Korver--and he wasn’t included in that timespan of the past seven seasons.
The Bluejays could be ripe for the upset, as many consider this to be a rebuilding season for Greg McDermott, who have seven freshmen or sophomores among their 11 possible scholarship players. This would be a big win for the ETSU and the SoCon and could be a real possibility. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bucs and Bluejays.
The Bucs will be at Winthrop on Nov. 17. The SoCon and Big South play some intriguing matchups in the non-conference in 2018-19, and this is one of them. Winthrop is a program that will once again, along with Radford, which most are expecting to compete for a regular-season Big South regular-season title and be a major contender to represent the league in the NCAA Tournament come March.
The Eagles were 19-12 last season, which included some impressive non-conference wins against teams in the Southern Conference, handing Furman one of its 11 losses last season, drilling the Paladins 93-74 at Timmons Arena in late November.
The Bucs and Eagles will be meeting for just the third time and first time since the Bucs claimed a 69-64 road win over the Eagles back in the 2014-15 season. Winthrop will be rebuilding a little this season, with the addition of some new pieces into the fold after losing three starters to graduation.
The Bucs return to Freedom Hall on Nov. 19 to begin play in the Cayman Island Classic, facing Chicago State on Nov. 19 and then turning around to take on North Dakota State on Nov. 24 at Freedom Hall. The Bucs will be facing off against Chicago State for the first time in program history. The Cougars finished just 3-29 last season, including just 1-13 in the WAC. Lance Irvin will be in his first season as the head coach at CSU, where he will be looking to turn the fortunes around for the down-trodden program.
The Bucs will face off against North Dakota State out of the Summit League. The Bison, which are most noted for their high-powered football program on the FCS gridiron, have also sported a high-quality mid-major hoops program over the past 10-15 years. Few will soon forget the Bison upset of nationally-ranked Wisconsin back in the 2005-06 season.
Last season, North Dakota State finished 15-17 and 5-9 in conference play, and have been picked around the middle of the back in the Summit this season. Two starters return for fifth-year head coach Dave Richman, as the Bison welcome the return of junior guard Tyson Ward (11.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.6 APG) and sophomore guard Cameron Hunter (9.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.4 APG), so the strength of this team appears to be its backcourt. The Nov. 24th meeting between the Bucs and Bison will mark the first-ever meeting on the college basketball hardwood.
The Bucs will be on the road in the unfriendly surroundings of Hanner Fieldhouse on Nov. 27 to battle with another Peach State program, when the Bucs will do battle with the Georgia Southern Eagles.
The Eagles have flourished in the Sun Belt under former College of Charleston assistant and interim head coach Mark Byington since leaving the SoCon for the Sun Belt. The Cougars cast-off ended up being a great hire for the Eagle basketball program, as Byington has consistently had them as an upper-echelon contender in the SBC.
Byington, who enters his sixth season at the helm of the Eagle basketball program, helped Georgia Southern to a 21-12 overall record last season to go along with an 11-7 mark in league play, which was good enough for a third-place finish in the Sun Belt.
Byington will hve the luxury of having three starters back, led by senior guard Tookie Brown (18.9 PPG, 4.3 APG, 4.1 RPG). The Bucs and Eagles met just before Christmas last season, with ETSU taking a convincing 79-59 win at Freedom Hall. The meeting will mark the 31st all-time meeting between the two programs, with the Eagles holding a slight 17-13 series edge.
From one former SoCon member to a current one, as the Bucs open the month of December with one of the most appetizing early league games, when the Bucs face perennial league power Wofford on Dec. 1 at the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium.
The two teams split the season series a year ago, with each winning on the other’s floor. ETSU made the most of its first-ever trip to the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, grabbing a 75-62 victory over the Terriers in their late-January clash last season. The Terriers return the favor on the second-to-last day of the regular-season last year, as they posted a 75-71 win at Freedom Hall.
The Wofford-ETSU rivalry has become one of those to keep an eye on around the league, and when the two meet on Dec. 1, it promises to be no different. The two will be meeting on the college basketball hardwood for the 47th time on the college basketball hardwood, with the Bucs holding a commanding 35-11 all-time series edge.
One of the more interesting matchups for the month of December involves a trip to Champaigne, Illinois on Dec. 15 for Steve Forbes’ Bucs. We saw Chattanooga score an impressive early-season win at Illinois back in the 2015-16 season, and the Bucs could well do the same this season.
The Illini are under the direction of second-year head coach Brad Underwood, who led the Illinois to a 14-18 record in his first season at the helm. The Illini have two starters returning, led by sophomore guard Trent Frazier (12.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.8 RPG).
The Bucs will close out the month with the Sun Bowl Classic in El Paso, taking on Wyoming in a tournament at UTEP on Dec. 21.
Final Outlook:
The million dollar question under Steve Forbes each season seems to be how good are the Bucs? The answer each time is very good. It would be hard for me to think anything other than that this team either. The one different thing about each Forbes team has been its identity. Last season, success was very much attributed to ETSU’s play on the defensive end.
Two years ago it was offensively. This team will be more perimeter oriented and probably end up being the best perimeter shooting team Forbes has had in now his fourth season at the helm. Will it be good enough to make a run at defensive-minded UNCG? We shall see.
Probable Starting Five:
G--Patrick Good
G--Bo Hodges
G--Isaiah Tisdale
F--Jeromy Rodriguez
F/C--Mladen Armus
First off the Bench:
G--Kevon Tucker
G--Tray Boyd III
Will See Good Minutes:
G--Carlos Curtis
C--Octavion Corley
F--D'Andre Bernard
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