New players looking to make big impact for Roadrunners

Published 12:02 pm Thursday, November 3, 2016

DALTON, Ga. — Led by two former junior college All-Americans, a crop of 11 newcomers and four returners will look to lead Dalton State College’s basketball team back to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national tournament in Kansas City in March.

The Roadrunners will tip off the 2016-2017 season on Friday at the Kentucky Christian University Knight Classic, a tournament in Grayson, Ky. Dalton State plays Forest Trails Sports University on Friday at 6 p.m. and the host Knights on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Roadrunners’ first home game is Friday, Nov. 25, against Webber International University at 8 p.m.

Among the 11 new faces on the roster are juniors Isaiah Box and Carnillous Simmons, who were both third-team National Junior College Athletic Association Division I All-Americans last season. Box averaged just over 20 points per game for Sauk Valley Community College and led the NJCAA with 134 steals, while Simmons scored 16.7 points per game and led the nation in offensive rebounds at Atlanta Metropolitan State College.

While he didn’t receive the postseason All-American accolades, senior Sayvon Wilson is another addition to the Roadrunners who excelled at junior college. Wilson led the nation with 13.7 rebounds per game and averaged 12.4 points playing for East Georgia State College.

“We have 11 new guys this year but we have some really good players that we think can make a difference for us,” Dalton State coach Tony Ingle said. “(Simmons) is relentless, he plays so hard on the boards and he’s a very versatile player. Isaiah Box led the nation in steals and he has a knack for that but he’s a really good shooter and makes good passes. And I can’t leave out Sayvon Wilson, he led the nation in rebounding. We’re just trying to put all the pieces together.”

Ingle said those players will look to combine with returning junior guards Reed Dungan and Deshawn Ruffin, who are two players Ingle believes will take a step forward from last season.

“I’ve been really impressed with Reed, he’s really stepped up and is working hard in practice,” Ingle said. “He made 100 foul shots in a row in practice one day. So he can really shoot and he gives us some experience. And Deshawn Ruffin is an athletic guard who started a lot for us who is a definite leader for us.”

Dungan said he feels more comfortable at point guard, which he was forced into last year without much experience. But one area where he is focusing the most on is filling a different void left by two of last year’s seniors, Jordan Bowling and Jamaine Burrey.

“I’m definitely more comfortable coming back for another year playing for coach Ingle

and I know the system already,” Dungan said. “With 11 new guys, I’m taking on a whole new role and trying to become more of a leader this year. Kind of the role that Jordan played for us last year. I’m trying to be a captain and a leader any way I can.”

Box will likely play both at the point and off the ball at shooting guard. He said that guard is very deep for this year’s team, but he is enjoying playing against such talented forwards in Simmons and Wilson.

“I think we are going to be pretty good,” Box said. “Our big play is very talented and I think we have six guards that can really play. Everyone brings something different and when one of us is off another guy will be able to step up. … For me, I’ve never had a team like this. On my junior college team the tallest guy was like 6-3, or 6-4. So to have guys like Cody and Sayvon who are 6-7, 6-8 to pass to, I think with the bigs we have we can do something special.”

Simmons knows his role will be to clean up on the boards. He has lofty goals for his rebounding production this season. His single-game high last year was 20, a mark which he hit three times, including once against Wilson and East Georgia State.

“I know how to play my role and help my team and for me that’s rebounding,” Simmons said. “I know I’m a phenomenal rebounder and I want to keep the double-double I had last year. My goal is to average 17 rebounds.”

Ingle said the must first find leaders. He was quick to distinguish between captains and leaders, saying, “I didn’t say captains, that can be political. If no one will follow you, you aren’t a leader.” Ingle said he will look at each of the aforementioned players to see if that can provide that quality.

The next factor will be to find three bench players. Those will rotate throughout the season, but among the players vying for those spots are other junior college transfers in junior guards Mon’Darius Black, Justin Dempsey, Raheem England and Mike Harden. Sophomore guard Cam Boyd transferred from Lee University and J’Quayvon Williams is a senior forward who also came from junior college.

Point Guard Benat Hevia is from Spain, but comes to Dalton State from Cuesta College in California. Junior Center Pawel Jasnos and senior guard Gio Nadiradze are the two other returners on the roster, and Vlad Chiriac is the team’s lone freshman, having signed with Dalton State out of Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn.

“When you put someone in off the bench there are different strategies,” Ingle said. “Sometimes you need a spark or something specific like rebounding. But the base reason is to maintain momentum or improve momentum. We need three or four guys that can do that, identify their role, accept that role and improve upon their roles.”

Regardless of who sees the court, the Roadrunners objective will be to return to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City, Mo., in March. Another milestone which Dalton State has yet to successfully attain is a Southern States Athletic Conference tournament title. The Roadrunners were bounced in the quarterfinals last season and the semifinals in 2015, and Ingle acknowledges that is a point of emphasis this year.

“Any time you win a championship, I’m all for it, and there is a void in the titles we have won,” Ingle said. “We won the national championship and we won the regular season conference championship, but not the conference tournament yet. But I know how hard it is. There’s no doubt I’d like to win it, just like I’d like to win the regular season championship and the national championship.”

For Wilson, he only gets one chance to be successful at Dalton State as he is a senior. He acknowledged the team’s past success was a big reason he chose the Roadrunners.

“They won the national championship two years ago and this is my senior year so I want to get that championship,” Wilson said. “That’s a big goal of ours and we have a lot to live up to. But we are working hard and I feel like we have a chance to win it.”