Posted: Oct 14, 2022
MT CARMEL, ILL. - The Wabash Valley College men's basketball team has been hard at work since arriving on campus the second weekend of August. The 2022-23 Warriors have a fair balance of returners, transfers, and freshman that will look to build off of last season's 19-win campaign.
There isn't anyone more familiar with WVC and new head coach Isaac Wodajo, like Deshaun Nettles is. Wodajo has known Nettles since recruiting the 6-8 forward out of Cleveland, Ohio in early 2020. Nettles is now in his third season (COVID season and one full season) in Mount Carmel and is looking to improve on the All-Conference and All-Region selections he garnered last season, after averaging a double-double with points and rebounds.
Nettles on this upcoming season, "Individually, I want to be more of a leader and let my actions speak louder than my words. As a team we have something to prove and we are working to achieve our goals every day. With this being my third season here at Wabash Valley, I know what it takes and how things work to win games." Nettles continued. "This is my third season with Coach Isaac and he's helped me with my skill development and he always says, "Board man gets paid" and that's what I try to do to the best of my abilities."
Coach Wodajo on Nettles, "He's a great kid that I've been able to build a really good relationship with. He was my first ever recruit as a college coach and we're glad he's back for one more season. Deshaun has gotten a lot stronger, understands the game more, and is an outstanding rebounder. A lot of Division 1 coaches have called and inquired about him. Excited to see him continue to grow on and off the court."
The Warriors return five players from last season's squad that lost in the semifinals of the Region 24 Tournament. The team officially begins play at home on November 2nd as they will have a homestand of five games in a row, before heading to Chicago, Illinois, on November 18th and 19th for the Harry S. Truman Classic.
The returners are headlined by All-Region & All-Conference selection as mentioned above, Deshaun Nettles (6'8 Forward), and just one of two true freshmen selected last season as an All-GRAC performer, Jakobi Heady (6'6 Guard). Both attended the invite-only All-American JUCO Showcase in Atlanta, Georgia over the summer, and were noticed by some 4-year coaches at the event.
Heady stated, "I'm striving to be the best teammate I can be and take more of a leadership role this season, and with Coach Isaac he demands accountability, execution, and details to prepare us to reach our own expectations. Personally, I believe that I can and Coach needs me to take that next step and be one of the best players in this region."
Wodajo on Heady and his improvements, "Kobi just keeps getting better. He had a good freshman season where he really came on in January and February, but he isn't satisfied and wants more. We want more as a group. He is one of the leaders on our team and guys will listen and follow his example. We're all excited to see him take it to another level."
The other three returners from last season are Gary Clay (6'3 Guard), Kenton "KD" Wright (5'11 Guard), and Simon Wilson (6'4 Guard). All three played significant roles at different points last season and even started at times for the Warriors.
The incoming transfers are Ksuan Casey (6'9 Forward/Center), Jaylen Boyd (6'1 Guard), Trayton Trice (6'6 Forward), and Malik Madison (6'9 Forward).
The freshman coming in to WVC are TJ Pangonas (6'6 Guard), Brandon Rayzer-Moore (6'5 Guard), Donovan Jones (6'1 Guard), and Tremear Fraley (6'9 Forward).
The full schedule for the 2022-2023 season has been released. The first regular season game will be November 2nd at home against Greenville College JV at 6:00pm.
For news and updates on WVC Athletics or Warriors Men's Basketball please follow:
Twitter - @WabashValleyMBB & @WVCAthletics
Facebook - Wabash Valley Athletics
Instagram - @wvcbasketball