Brad is a pretty versatile player and has started quite a few games over the last two seasons. He was our only legitimate three-point threat the second semester and drew a lot of attention defensively as a result. I think he realized that strength and stamina were something he needed to improve on if he wanted to be as effective as he could and as a result he worked hard over the summer in the weight room and his added strength and size could really pay dividends this season. We are looking for Brad to achieve a high level of consistency night in and night out and also provide a level of leadership which he has embraced thus far in practice this year.

Why were personnel changes necessary this season?

     We want to represent the school and our student athletes in the best light possible. The staff evaluated stats and game films from last year very thoroughly and came up with several conclusions. I could have done a much more effective job last year in recruiting players to compliment our core group of guys than I did. We over-evaluated some of our younger players who we counted on last year to be ready to step up and fill the shoes of our senior leaders from the 22 win season the year prior. It was very obvious both statistically and to anyone who saw us play that we had some underclassmen who simply didn't have the skill necessary and who couldn't compete at this level of college basketball. Several chose to either continue their athletic pursuits at levels more accommodating to their level of skill while others decided to shift their focus entirely to school and not attempt to play basketball.
     This evaluation process also included making other roster adjustments. We had to address those who refused to make a commitment to the team and who by selfish acts and poor attitudes fostered negativity and kept the team in constant turmoil. As a teacher you do every thing in your power to mentor and counsel those types of individuals and hope to get through to them to both improve them and the team, however consistently selfish attitudes are like cancers on a team and at some point every program has to either affect change in that individual or remove them for the good of the team. We met with every member of the team and stressed our team first priority that was not going to be wavered from. In the end we took the steps necessary to propel our team forward and that meant moving ahead without anyone who was not capable or willing to make a commitment to the team first. I think for all of those people who were around our team last season and who are committed to the team first concept that the change made was not much of a surprise.

What needs did you fill with this season's recruiting class?

     The first step was to find players who could shoot the basketball at this level. I am optimistic that we have accomplished that goal with the return of Brad Schilder and the addition of Ben Hunt, Tommy Johnson, Kharyi McKinney, Scott Reasoner, just to name a few. The next thing was to find a point guard who was first and foremost a team player and who had the skills, character and leadership qualities to play and succeed at against the quality teams and players we compete against. I believe we have found an outstanding guard in Kharyi McKinney from Midland College that exhibits all of those qualities and will without a doubt make a huge impact on our team this season. We believe Kharyi will be the one of the top guards around this season. We are also pleased with Trey Watts from Brookhaven. He could have a nice upside and he could definitely make an impact this season as he keeps improving and learning the game.
     When we decided to go in a more team-oriented direction at the forward we were very fortunate in signing Tommy Johnson from SW Missouri State. In addition to being one of the top players we have had here in a while he possesses tremendous leadership skills and a team first spirit that has been both infectious and refreshing to the rest of the team and coaching staff.
     The athleticism of Wesley Haynes and David Johnson is something you don't replace very easily. We brought in two inside players who while very different from David Johnson are going to be central figures in our team this year. Vince Williams is a very skilled and proven player from Los Angeles. He has a very good shooting touch and is a legitimate threat inside every time he gets the ball. Vince has a good understanding of how to play the game and is rapidly learning to play in our system, which should compliment him very well. Vince will be a definite factor in the RRAC. Scott Reasoner is a 4-5 combo who is very strong and has a very good shooting touch, good passing ability and is a physical rebounder. Scott is also proven at the highest NAIA level and is a great source for helping all of our players understand what the highest level of NAIA basketball is.
     Another intriguing player is Nino Etienne from Baylor. Nino is possibly the best athlete on the team and is a very strong physical guard with a great upside. As Nino learns the game he could be an outstanding player for us and could be a significant factor this year.
     Other guys that are going to impact the team are Brandon Livingston, an athletic rebounding forward from Weatherford JC, Muhammad Abdullah, a shooting combo guard from Cedar Valley CC, and returning from last year, CJ Higginbotham who earned his way to varsity status in December after a solid junior varsity season last year.

Who will be this year's biggest surprise on the team?

     I think our whole team will be surprising. With nine new players, everyone and everything is a learning process. I am not sure if we have any one surprise as far as individual players go. I think what will surprise a lot of people is our ability to shoot the basketball, our ability to defend and our skill at rebounding the basketball.

You were picked to win the conference at the beginning of last year and picked 7th this pre-season. Do you think that has any affect on the season?

     Polls are usually representative of what you did the year before and whom you have returning that people know. We were picked in the Top 25 in the country and first in the Red River Conference because of the success of the previous year's team and the presence of David Johnson.
     I was really surprised we were picked as high as we were (7th) this season. I don't think many people know anything about our players, and we have a lot of new ones, so it's not surprising to be picked mid-pack. In terms of what our guys think they are probably more amused with the ranking than anything else. We have some very mature players in leadership roles that have competed at pretty high levels. I think they just take it for what its worth and know what happens on the floor for 22 conference games and afterwards is what counts.

Discuss the leadership role and its importance in relation to being successful:

     If your upperclassmen and players you count on are not involved in the leadership and establishing work habits then it is difficult to have any sustainable success in your program. The biggest factor in success is that if your best players are not your hardest workers then there is a limit on how successful any team or organization can be. Thus far we have had outstanding leadership from Tommy Johnson, Kharyi McKinney, Ben Hunt and Brad Schilder just to name a few. With a couple of other key players like Vince Williams, Scott Reasoner and Nino Ettiene also making major contributions in our practices and have been consistently competitive. There is a work ethic on this team that is very strong. I also like the fact that the commitment is very strong academically as Tommy Johnson and Vince Williams, our only two seniors should both graduate this spring or early summer. This sends a message to our younger players on the value placed on education by our two older guys.

After two seasons in Red River Conference, has that changed your style any or the type of players you want to recruit?

     We renewed our focus on quality people with character and proven basketball skill that could commit to both academic and athletic success. An overriding factor was finding students that truly wanted to be at Texas Wesleyan University and be part of the basketball program. In shaping and refining that philosophy we ended up turning down quite a few talented individual players who simply didn't fit into what we were trying to accomplish. Ironically, in many instances we will see them on the rosters of quite a few of our opponents.

Comment on the play in the Red River Conference:

     The upper echelon teams in the RRAC can compete with anyone at the NAIA level on any given night. I think the league overall is competitive nationally and appears to be up this season from what I have been told. I thought the overall strength of the league was down last year as compared to our initial year (2002-03), but like many levels of college basketball in the country it can tremendously vary from year to year depending on the talent levels of the various programs. A player like Rod Nealy (Houston Baptist), Skip Jackson (Langston) can literally put your team at another level. If you those type players who are truly talented and willing to lead, and add some team oriented guys willing to do what it takes to win you have a chance to make a run in March. I think a great example of that was our women's team last season and it certainly showed with the success they achieved.

Comment on the dominance of Houston Baptist:

     With anything it is easier to get to the top of the mountain than it is to stay there. In our league Houston Baptist is that mountain. They are what you measure yourself against every year. I think the simplicity in the HBU program is a biggest reason why it is so successful. They get several really good players and surround them with team oriented role players and they are exceptionally deep. They crush opponents on the glass and they shoot a high percentage from the field. This is a recipe for success and Coach Cottrell has done a phenomenal job in being able to sustain that and dominate an improving league every year. I have nothing but respect and admiration for him and his program.
     This is our third year in the league and back in the NAIA. In just our third year I think the overall league is improving. We have added Texas A&M-International, UT-Permian Basin. Both those programs are well coached with quality players and are going to be factors this year in the race along with the perennial powers. I think the strengthening of the league will only help all of the schools as they prepare for a run in the national tournament. Hopefully the gap between HBU and everyone else is narrowing and realistically this would help all schools, including HBU in getting ready to make a nationals run.

Comment on the strengths of this year's team:

     We are a throwback to our teams a couple years ago in which biggest strengths on the court are going to be shooting the basketball and rebounding. I think we have several proven players who can shoot the basketball, and our inside presence, in terms of the ability to score on the box, will be a definite strength for our team. We also feel that our work ethic in rebounding the basketball could pay huge dividends as the season progresses. If we take care of business in these areas we could get the attention of quite a few of our opponents.

Comment on the weaknesses of this year's team:

     We are a basketball team with only two seniors. We have nine new players out of 11. Everyone is new to each other and the system we are running, so it will be a building process for us as a team. Just last week we finally were able to know everyone's last name.
     Our goal is to build slowly and consistently as a team and peak during the second half of conference and postseason. We are keeping our players focused on the big picture and each game along the way is a step in that process. Our schedule is very challenging and we are playing some very good teams. This will test us and provide us the challenges we need to take on conference opponents when it counts.
I think the biggest single factor on our team will be our ability to defend. We have began stressing team defense. The last couple years we were fortunate to have the nations leading shot blocker in David Johnson. As a result of David we were ranked in the Top 5 or so nationally in FG% defense. We no longer have that luxury, so we are going to have to really focus on stopping our opponents. This will be a major litmus test for this year's team and could determine more than any other factor how successful we can be.

How far do you see this team going this season?

     When we came to Wesleyan six years ago we had a goal of having our program play games in February and March that meant something. We have accomplished that goal pretty much every season and I see no reason to change that objective. I will tell you I am more excited about this team than any we have had here in a while. I really like the character and skill of the men that we have brought in. Coach Shingleton and I have worked relentlessly to put together a team that the Wesleyan family could be proud of. I think we both agree, and I think the players feel that there could be something about this group that will surprise a lot of people. We are very much looking forward to the season.