It reads like a Final Four lineup ? Arizona State, Ohio State, Indiana and Marquette.
Toss in Dayton and Missouri, and Coppin State has an extremely difficult non-conference road trip after the Eagles host cross-town rival Morgan State on Dec. 1.
“I?ve always believed [these trips] are good for us,” longtime Coppin State coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell said. “It teaches us a little adversity. I?m trying to build up and play these schools a little more than in the past.”
With four freshmen and two sophomores, the early-season challenge should toughen up the Eagles for play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, where they went 9-9 (12-20 overall) last season.
Mitchell is hopeful senior guard Tywain McKee (sprained ankle) will return in time for the tough road stretch. McKee, a preseason first-team MEAC and Mid-Major All-America selection, was second in the conference in scoring-average last season with 17.4 points per game.
Mitchell calls the 6-foot-2 Philadelphia native the “heart and soul” of the Eagles.
“It would be difficult without him,” Mitchell said. “He?s our best outside shooter and our best penetrator. He plays hard, and he plays to win. That?s one thing I hope our team catches on to.”
Junior power forward Brian Chestnut, who joins McKee as co-captains, calls the early non-conference test “an opportunity to evaluate ourselves and grow.”
“The biggest challenge for us as a team is to stay focused,” he added. “We have quite a few new people. [We need to] stay focused and take it day by day.”
EAGLES AT A GLANCE
» Coach: Ron “Fang” Mitchell (21st season, 342-281)
» Last Year: 12-20 overall, 9-9 MEAC; lost to Delaware State, 68-49, in second round of conference tournament.
» Returning players: PG Tywain McKee, Sr., 6-2, 17.4 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.1 apg.; SF Antwan Harrison, Sr., 6-3, 9.2 ppg., 2.9 rpg., 2.0 apg.; PF Robert Pressey, Sr., 6-7, 6.7 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 0.2 apg.; PG Britt Ruben, So., 6-3, 4.9 ppg., 2.1 rpg., 1.7 apg.; PF Ethan Kennedy, So., 6-7, 4.1 ppg., 1.8 rpg., 0.1 apg.; PF Brian Chestnut, Jr., 6-7, 3.8 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 0.3 apg.; SF Julian Conyers, Sr., 6-6, 3.6 ppg., 1.4 rpg., 0.5 apg.; SG Mike Miller, Sr., 6-2, 2.2 ppg., 1.4 rpg., 0.4 apg.
» Top Newcomer: Vince Goldsbury. The 6-foot freshman guard could start at point guard and form a quick backcourt with McKee.
» Big Game: Dec. 10 at Ohio State. Coach Fang Mitchell?s road tour takes the Eagles to face a squad that lost to Florida in the national championship game last winter. Last season, Coppin State fell to the Buckeyes, 91-54.
» Key to the Season: Cohesiveness. The Eagles enter the season with four freshmen and two sophomores likely to receive considerable playing time and complement a veteran core thta went .500 in conference play last season. A tough early schedule should force the group to gel quickly, just in time for the conference season.
» Tickets: Free.
» Key number: 10. Years since Coppin State?s last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
?Sean Welsh
