Spring Hill College Men's Basketball 2016-17

2016-17 MEN’S BASKETBALL

MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2016-17

Spring Hill College men’s basketball head coach Aaron Niven begins his fourth year with the Badgers with more than half of his team consisting of newcomers to the program, but he is confident that this crop of young Badgers is ready to make an immediate impact. “In my 18 years of collegiate coaching there have only been a few freshmen who just knew how to do it,” he says. “And by that, I mean they understand the importance of preparation, conditioning and teamwork. Just about all of our freshmen simply know how to do it. They are fantastic kids and great workers.”

The preseasons workouts and conditioning have been exciting for Niven as he has watched his team develop. “People say practice isn’t fun, but it’s fun to go to practice,” he says. “We have a long way to go, don’t get me wrong, but it’s been a great start. When you don’t have to teach effort, half the battle is done and these kids are just wired that way.”

Niven also sees his returning veterans picking up the challenge from the youngsters. “Our older guys are hungry,” he says. “The team chemistry off the court and at workouts is very good.”

The Badgers return most of their experience on the perimeter where juniors Jack Morrissey of Evanston, Ill., Matevz Rojc from Slovenia and Walter Massey of Eight Mile, Ala., return to their haunts while guard Deandre Lacy of Greenwood, Miss., comes to The Hill from Bishop State Community College. Senior Chris Hamilton of Pensacola, Fla., is also back at forward slot. The returning sophomore class includes guard Jared Holland out of Mobile’s Baker High School, forward Chase Shellman of Louisville, Ky., and Quinn Sutton of Arlington, Texas. Niven has also added guard Andrew Dotson who transferred from the University of New Hampshire and Brandon Fischer of Buford, Ga., who joined SHC after a season at LeMoyne College in New York.

Six freshmen also have been added to the mix for the 2016-17 season. Guards Shawn Moore of Indianapolis, Ind., Adnan Bajrami of Houston, Texas, and Gresyn Rogers of Casa Grande, Ariz., join forwards William Loyd of Baton Rouge, La., Jeffrey Pharr of New Braunfels, Texas, and Ryan Littel from Enterprise, Ala., as the latest crop of Badgers.

“It was our objective to add some physical size this year,” said Niven. “Most of the newcomers have solid frames and they look for contact. We needed to increase our toughness. We needed the ability to take contact and keep going for the entire game.”

Niven sees his squad as a team that will enjoy a fast paced game, but warns fans to not expect too many fireworks right away. “We’ll maintain our style of play, to be sure,” he says. “But for the first few games we will keep things slowed down a little for their own good. Sure, we want to run, but we want to learn to do it better.”

As for the upcoming Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) schedule, Niven knows what awaits his newer, younger Badger team. “This conference is tough, there’s no doubt about that,” he says. “Claflin, Tuskegee, Benedict, you name it and they are tough. Central State plays about as hard as the game can be played. There is just a lot of athletic talent here and we have to step it up. You have to guard well in the SIAC and now we have the athletes and strength to do it.”

Niven is eager to get the year underway and showcase his new edition of the Badgers to Spring Hill fans. “People will enjoy supporting this team,” he says. “They are just fun to be around. They are going to represent Spring Hill College very, very well on the court, in the classroom and around the region. They have energy and play hard. I want our fans to stick around after games and talk to them and find out how great a bunch of guys they really are.”

COACHING STAFF

Aaron Niven – Head Coach, 4th Season

Niven joined SHC as the Badger head coach in 2013 after spending the previous six seasons as the assistant basketball coach at John Brown University (JBU) in Siloam Springs, Ark., where he helped build the JBU men’s program into one of the top programs in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). During his time at JBU, Niven was instrumental in signing six SAC All-Conference selections, two SAC Freshman of the Year winners, a 2nd team NAIA All-America selection, three NAIA honorable mention All-America winners and a Capital One Academic All-America Award recipient.

During the 2012-2013 season, Niven helped John Brown achieve its highest ranking (No. 3) in program history and notched a program-record 28 victories as the Golden Eagles captured their first-ever SAC regular season championship. The 2013 JBU senior class compiled a 100-35 (.741) career record – the highest four-year win total in program history. Under Golden Eagles head coach Clark Sheehy, Niven built a 133-66 (.668) cumulative record.

Prior to his time at John Brown, Niven served the men’s assistant basketball coach at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) in Magnolia, Ark., from 2000-2007 where he signed All-Gulf South Conference (GSC) performers Kenny Langhorne and Brandon Williams. Before SAU, Niven spent two years (1998-2000) working as men’s assistant coach at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) under former head men’s basketball coach of the University of Nebraska Doc Sadler. .

Niven, a native of Rogers, Ark., played two seasons at Arkansas Tech where he was part of an NAIA Final Four team during the 1994-1995 season. He then transferred to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1998 before completing his Masters of Education in 2000. He is a third generation head coach, following in the footsteps of his father Bill Niven, head coach of girls’ basketball at Decatur High School (Ark.).

Niven and his wife, Shannon, have a daughter, Madalyn, and two sons, Will and Boston.

Brian Murphy – Assistant Coach, 5th season

Born in Mobile, Brian Murphy grew up in Pelham and graduated from John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham in 2005. He played at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn., as a freshman and transferred to Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa as sophomore. Brian graduated with B.B.A. in Management in 2010 from the University of West Alabama in Livingston.

Corbin Maynard – Graduate Assistant Coach

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Corbin Maynard graduated from St. Francis DeSales High School in 2011. He played all four years at Bellarmine University in Louisville. Corbin graduated with his Bachelor’s Degree in Communications in 2015. During his four years, he played in two Division II NCAA final fours (2012, 2015) and made the NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament team his senior year. Corbin joined the Badger staff in 2016 as a graduate assistant.

GENERAL FACTS

Institution: Spring Hill College

City/State/Zip: Mobile, AL 36608

President: Christopher Puto, Ph.D.

Founded: 1830

Enrollment: 1,496

Nickname: Badgers

School Colors: Purple, white

School website: shc.edu/about

Home Facility: Arthur R. Outlaw

Recreation Center

Capacity: 1,500

Affiliation: NCAA Division II Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Division: West

Athletic Director: Jim Hall

Alma Mater: Grinnell College, 1995

Compliance: Chad LeBlanc

Faculty Athletic Representative: Dr. Steve Almquist

Athletic Department Phone: 251-380-3485

Athletic Department Fax: 251-460-2196

Sports Information Director: Jim Stennett

Alma Mater: Mississippi State, 1990

SID Phone: (251) 380-4468

SID Email: jstennett@shc.edu

Athletic Web Site: www.shcbadgers.com

Facebook: SHCBADGERS

Twitter: SHCBADGERS

Instagram: SHCBADGERS

COACHING STAFF

Head Coach: Aaron Niven

Alma Mater: Arkansas, 1998

Record at school/years: 26-59/3 seasons

Career record/years: 26-59/3 seasons

Assistant Coach: Brian Murphy

Graduate Assistant Coach: Corbin Maynard

Office Phone: (251) 380-4460

Head Athletic Trainer: Brian Gronewold, ATC

Office Phone: 251-380-3493

TEAM INFORMATION

Overall Record Last Year: 9-19

Conference/Finish: 7-11/8th of 8 (SIAC West)

Starters returning/lost: 3/2

2016-17 ROSTER

Pharr FWD Fr. 6-7 HS New Braunfels, Texas/Canyon HS

30 Ryan Littel FWD Fr. 6-8 HS Enterprise, Ala./Enterprise HS

2015-16 RESULTS

SIAC-GSC Challenge; Mobile, Ala., November 13-14, 2015

Nov. 13 Shorter University Home L; 74-89

Nov. 14 Union University Home L; 67-82

Nov. 17 Mississippi College Home W; 70-63

Nov. 19 at Loyola University New Orleans, La. L; 66-84

Nov. 23 at University of West Florida Pensacola, Fla. L; 73-78

Nov. 28 at William Carey University Hattiesburg, Miss. L; 74-97

Nov. 30 at University of South Alabama (Exhibition) USA Mitchell Cntr. L; 50-79

Dec. 3 *Tuskegee University Home L; 48-53

Dec. 14 *Miles College Home L; 58-73

Dec. 16 Alice Lloyd College Home L; 83-84 (2ot)

Dec. 30 at University of Louisiana (Exhibition) Lafayette, La. L; 54-74

Jan. 4 *at Paine College Augusta, Ga. W; 72-69

Jan. 7 *Fort Valley State University Home W; 71-59

Jan. 9 *Albany State University Home W; 85-62

Jan. 14 *at Benedict College Columbia, S.C. L; 64-72

Jan. 16 *at Claflin University Orangeburg, S.C. L; 60-63

Jan. 18 *at Clark Atlanta University Atlanta, Ga. W; 73-64

Jan. 21 *at Morehouse University Atlanta, Ga. L; 58-63

Jan. 23 *Stillman College Home L; 78-83

Jan. 25 University of Mobile Home L; 47-55

Jan. 28 *Lane College Home W; 80-78

Feb. 1 *at LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis, Tenn. W; 74-67

Feb. 4 *at Central State University Wilberforce, Ohio L; 50-57

Feb. 6 *at Kentucky State University Frankfurt, Ky. L; 70-80

Feb. 8 *at Lane College Jackson, Tenn. L; 72-82

Feb. 15 *LeMoyne-Owen College Home L; 75-77

Feb. 18 *Central State University Home L; 59-61

Feb. 20 *Kentucky State University Home W; 65-64

Feb. 22 at University of Mobile Univ. of Mobile W; 63-60

Feb. 24 University of West Florida Home L; 69-81 *SIAC game

2015-16 SIAC FINAL STANDINGS

2016-17 SCHEDULE

Nov. 3 at Jacksonville State University (Exhibition) Jacksonville, Ala. 7 p.m. SIAC-GSC Challenge; Jackson, Tenn., November 11-12, 2016

Nov. 11 at Union University Jackson, Tenn. 3 p.m.

Nov. 12 vs. Shorter University Jackson, Tenn. 2 p.m.

Nov. 14 University of Mobile

Nov. 17 Loyola University (La.)

7:30 p.m.

Nov. 19 at University of West Alabama Livingston, Ala. 4 p.m.

Nov. 22 at University of West Florida Pensacola, Fla. 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 26 at Mississippi College Clinton, Miss. 7 p.m.

Nov. 28 University of West Alabama Home 7 p.m.

Nov. 30 University of West Florida Home 7 p.m.

Dec. 10 at University of Mobile Univ. of Mobile 7 p.m.

Dec. 17 Williams Baptist College

Dec. 19 at University of South Alabama (Exhibition) USA Mitchell Center 7:35 p.m.

Dec. 28 at Nicholls State University (Exhibition) Thibodaux, La. 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 2 *Paine College

Jan. 5 *at Fort Valley State University Fort Valley, Ga. 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Jan. 7

Jan. 12 *at Tuskegee University Tuskegee, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 14 *Benedict College

Jan.

Jan.

Jan. 26 *at Miles College Fairfield, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 28 *at Lane College Jackson, Tenn. 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 30 *LeMoyne-Owen College

Feb.

Feb. 6

Feb.

Feb. 18 *at Central State University Wilberforce, Ohio 3:30 p.m. (EST)

Feb. 20 *at Kentucky State University Frankfort, Ky. 7:30 p.m. (EST)

Feb. 23 *Lane College

*SIAC game

7:30 p.m.