Fresh faces for Lincoln men's basketball

The Lincoln men's basketball team didn't spend much time in the win column last season, but head coach John Moseley believes the Blue Tigers have the talent to avoid a repeat in 2015-16.

The Blue Tigers tip off their season today in the Southwest Baptist Classic against Arkansas Monticello.

In Moseley's first season at the helm, the Blue Tigers went 4-24.

The Blue Tigers were picked to finish last (14th) in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association preseason coaches' poll.

The last-place projection didn't surprise Moseley.

"By no means do I expect to finish there but if you look at our body of work for the past year, that's probably where we belong," Moseley said. "This team's got to carry a chip on their shoulder to earn respect every night out."

Moseley, who was named interim athletics director this summer, has brought in nine fresh faces to go along with his four returners.

The Blue Tigers were last in the MIAA in team scoring last season, but Moseley's additions have shown at the junior college level they could improve on that.

"We've got two dynamic guards in Anthony Virdure and Jaylon Smith," Moseley said. "They're more than capable offensively. If they want to be considered All-MIAA players than they're going to have to make the effort on the defensive end to balance out their games."

Junior college transfers Virdure and Smith have proven they can score.

Virdure, a second team JUCO All-American and unanimous Region 16 player of the year, scored 14 points a game while playing under now-Missouri assistant Corey Tate at Mineral Area College

"He's an extremely unselfish star," Moseley said. "He has the accolades. He's done it at the junior college level in a very tough Region 16. ... The biggest challenge for him is that understanding not only does he have to be a great player, but he has to be a great leader. He's a guy when the lights come on, you don't have to ask yourself if he's ready or not to compete.""

Smith, a junior, earned first team all-region honors at Southwestern Community College while averaging 17.3 points per game.

"He can really shoot the basketball, he's really smooth. He can get to the cup, he doesn't always settle for jump shots," Moseley said.

Moseley thinks the two can be something special.

"I think those two are going to be a dynamic duo," said Moseley, who also thinks they're more concerned about winning.

The focus in the preseason, however, has been on the defensive side of the ball, as the Blue Tigers were last in the MIAA in scoring defense and turnover margin.

"We know we can't allow teams to shoot 50 percent on us, put teams on the free throw lines, and give them other changes," Moseley said. "We feel like if we emphasize defense that we should show tremendous improvements in those areas.

"My challenge is getting this group to buy in defensively and understand the importance of getting stops to allow you to get out in transition and go have fun on offense."

The Blue Tigers feature three forwards; 6-5 juniors Aaron Spudich and JUCO transfer Rod Ollison, and 6-8 JUCO transfer Taccourrus Mattox.

The Blue Tigers attempt to use being undersized to their advantage.

"We've got to push the ball up and down the floor," Moseley said. "We got to win the battle of transition points every night."

New rules across college basketball will take time for teams to get used to. With the shot clock being shortened from 35 to 30 seconds, Moseley thinks that could play into their favor.

"We've got to use technique and we'll probably play even faster than the new 30-second shot clock," he said. "I try to use speed to negate a lack of size.

"You'll see the defensive pressure increase over what it was a year ago. I would expect across the college game and at Lincoln, you'll see a little bit more pressing try and use clock in the backcourt."

Moseley said it will be interesting to see how it'll play out.

"I think it's going to make the game ugly early," he said. "With the number of fouls that could be called early in games, it'll be interesting across college basketball to see how fans enjoy it."

The Blue Tigers return Spudich, along with senior guard Jeremy Jackson and sophomore guard Alexander Nailes. Nailes started in seven games last season and averaged 17 minutes per contest and 2 points. Jackson averaged 16 minutes a game and 4.5 points.

"We have a lot of pieces and if they take to buy in to what we're trying to do, I think this group can be the group that turns the corner for Lincoln basketball," Moseley said.