Men's Basketball 10/24/2019 2:40:00 PM

OCU sets sights on SAC crown

Stars tip off season in Northern New Mexico Ohkay Owingeh Classic

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University men's basketball will look to compete for a Sooner Athletic Conference title this season while returning two starters from an SAC Tournament-winning squad.
The Stars consist of six returners from their 25th-ranked team a season ago that finished 22-11 (13-9 SAC) as well as seven newcomers.
OCU will take the court for the first time this year at 6 p.m. CDT (5 p.m. MDT) Friday in a neutral-site game vs. University of the Southwest (N.M.) in Espanola, N.M. The Stars' home opener will take place at 3 p.m. Nov. 2 against Manhattan Christian (Kan.) at Abe Lemons Arena.
Head coach Stan Holt will coach his first season at Oklahoma City. He spent his last five years at Langston, leading the Lions to a 107-50 with three national-tournament appearances.
"We have a great group of returners, and we have added a great group of newcomers," Holt said. "Right now, it is really early so they are still trying to blend and create some chemistry. It is all new for them and new for me. I have a new assistant coach. I did not have the same coach that I had at Langston. At this point, we are still trying to get to know each other, but the excitement is really high, as it should be. I think we will have something that the fans and the alums can all be really proud of."

TOP RETURNERS

• Trae Bryant, a 6-foot-1 senior from Wilmington, N.C., returns after being a key reserve for the Stars in 2018-19. Bryant averaged 9.6 points per game and recorded four 20-plus point performances throughout the season. He was also named to the SAC Tournament all-tournament team and hit the game-winning layup for the Stars in the SAC Tournament championship. OCU won 74-73 vs. John Brown (Ark.)
• Also back for his senior season is Anthony Davis, a 6-7 forward from Lewisville, Texas. Davis made third-team all-SAC a year ago after averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Stars. "He gives a great post presence, but can also stretch the floor as a stretch-4 with his ability to shoot the ball," Holt said. "He is a really dangerous player."
• Eric Wattree, a 6-3 senior from Port Orchard, Wash., is the other returning starter for Oklahoma City. He averaged 7.0 points per game a year ago while starting 28 of 33 games for the Stars. "I absolutely love coaching [Wattree]," Holt said. "He is an absolutely great guy on and off the court. He does a lot of the little things that you do not necessarily see in the box score but really, really affects winning."

NEW FACES

• P.J. Grooms will look to impact the Stars this season. Grooms, a 6-4 sophomore from Birmingham, Ala., averaged 12 points, six rebounds and six assists per game during 2018-19
• Elie Ghomsi, a 6-7 sophomore from Bafoussam, Cameroon, averaged 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds at Antelope Valley College last season. Ghomsi received all-conference honors for his play. "He has a great sense of humor," Holt said. "He will make you laugh. An inside-outside threat we believe, as well. He will give us some great depth at the forward position."
• Signed out of high school by a Division I team, 6-8 forward A.J. Cockrell should also bring some added size to the roster. Cockrell, a senior from Tulsa, Okla., last played at Delta State (Miss.). Holt believes Cockrell can be a dominant 5-man in the paint

PRESEASON BUZZ

• OCU stands fifth in the preseason Sooner Athletic Conference men's basketball poll as voted on by the conference coaches. The Stars earned 72 total points in the poll, including one second-place vote
• Oklahoma City is ranked just outside of the men's basketball coaches' preseason Top 25 poll. One of nine teams receiving votes, the Stars totaled five points to find an inclusion

MEET THE COACH

• Holt comes to OCU after five seasons at fellow SAC school Langston. He directed the Lions to national prominence, putting together four consecutive 20-win seasons. During his time there, Holt also won a conference tournament title in 2016 and reached the NAIA Division I Championship Tournament quarterfinals in 2017
• Prior to his days at Langston, Holt spent time on the coaching staff at the University of Southern California. The Trojans appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments during his tenure

MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR

• OCU will kick off its home slate vs. Manhattan Christian (Kan.) at 3 p.m. Nov. 2. The game will mark one of four chances to see the Stars play a non-conference foe in Oklahoma City
• The first home conference game will be played Nov. 21 against Panhandle State
• Three SAC schools were found in the coaches' preseason Top 25 poll. There will be opportunities to see the Stars face off against all three schools at Abe Lemons Arena. No. 3 Wayland Baptist (Texas) come to town Nov. 23, No. 18 Mid-America Christian on Jan. 25 and 13th-ranked Science & Arts of Oklahoma on Feb. 22

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Players Mentioned

#3 Trae Bryant: G; 6' 1"; Senior

#23 Anthony Davis: F; 6' 7"; Senior

#22 Eric Wattree: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#5 P.J. Grooms: G; 6' 4"; Sophomore

#15 Elie Ghomsi: F; 6' 7"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#3 Trae Bryant
: 6' 1"; Senior
: G

#23 Anthony Davis
: 6' 7"; Senior
: F

#22 Eric Wattree
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#5 P.J. Grooms
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: G

#15 Elie Ghomsi
: 6' 7"; Sophomore
: F