Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
New faces having big impact on Blue Raider hoops
1/31/2017 4:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Several pieces from Middle Tennessee's magical run into the NCAA Tournament in the 2015-16 season were lost due to graduation. What head coach Kermit Davis has gotten from some key additions this year have more than filled the void, though.
With the likes of Perrin Buford, Darnell Harris and Jaqawn Raymond gone from last year's squad, the Blue Raiders had to call upon new faces to step up.
Those new faces – JaCorey Williams, Tyrik Dixon, Brandon Walters and Antwain Johnson – have certainly done their part. They've been key cogs in guiding MT to a 19-3 overall record and perfect start (9-0) in Conference USA play.
"We lost three really good players and three really good leaders," Davis said. "All three of them were great students and did everything right off the floor.
"To be a good program and to have sustainability, you have to have good players who develop within the program. Those four guys have really been a huge part of that."
The four, which combine to score 30.5 of the team's 74 points per game, have helped Middle Tennessee in different ways. Williams is the team's leading scorer (17.3 points per game) and rebounder (7.3 per game), Dixon has stepped into the starting point guard role as a true freshman, and Walters and Johnson are routinely among the first players off the bench.
No matter their role, each has contributed in some way to the success of the team. According to Williams, having teammates who have been in the system for multiple years, like Reggie Upshaw, Giddy Potts, Xavier Habersham and Aldonis Foote, to learn from has been the secret to their success.
"Reggie and Giddy did a good job of leading us," Williams said. "Especially with me last year when I was sitting out, they helped me through and get affiliated with the program. I think that was the same with Tyrik, Brandon and Antwain."
While all four are new to the lineup this season, Williams and Walters aren't new to MTSU. They were on campus last year during redshirt seasons after transferring from Arkansas and Walters State Community College, respectively.
Their redshirt years were a key part of their development, Davis said, even though they couldn't see game action.
"With any player in college athletics, college basketball in particular, if you can redshirt and have a full year to practice, it helps you tremendously. I think JaCorey's biggest improvement is he's become such a good teammate and really involved as a great leader … and Brandon transformed his body and the academic center was incredible for him."
Dixon and Johnson, on the other hand, arrived on campus this year. Dixon is a true freshman from Bentonville, Arkansas, and Johnson transferred after playing one season at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.
Neither was able to get a year to get to know the team like Williams and Walters, but both have found a way to gel and succeed.
"They've been able to come in and make an impact on our team so early just by being comfortable with us," Upshaw said. "It started over the summer in pickup when we were playing different games and throwing out different lineups to see how each other would play off one another."
With the help of the older guys, the four newcomers this season have solidified the lineup and made Middle Tennessee a very dangerous team with the NCAA Tournament inching closer. The real barometer to see if Davis' program is up to the sustainability level he wants it to be at, though, will be in the coming years.
Upshaw, Williams, Foote and Habersham will all be gone next season, creating another need for new faces to come in and step up.
"This year we'll lose four more good players who have meant a lot to us winning games," Davis said. "You hope the leadership kind of spreads itself to the core coming back and the new guys coming in can see how they carry their business. It's a process you have to go through every year."
If the group of new guys next season can even come close to replicating what this year's has done, Middle Tennessee may be well on its way to the type of sustainability its head coach is looking for.
With the likes of Perrin Buford, Darnell Harris and Jaqawn Raymond gone from last year's squad, the Blue Raiders had to call upon new faces to step up.
Those new faces – JaCorey Williams, Tyrik Dixon, Brandon Walters and Antwain Johnson – have certainly done their part. They've been key cogs in guiding MT to a 19-3 overall record and perfect start (9-0) in Conference USA play.
"We lost three really good players and three really good leaders," Davis said. "All three of them were great students and did everything right off the floor.
"To be a good program and to have sustainability, you have to have good players who develop within the program. Those four guys have really been a huge part of that."
The four, which combine to score 30.5 of the team's 74 points per game, have helped Middle Tennessee in different ways. Williams is the team's leading scorer (17.3 points per game) and rebounder (7.3 per game), Dixon has stepped into the starting point guard role as a true freshman, and Walters and Johnson are routinely among the first players off the bench.
No matter their role, each has contributed in some way to the success of the team. According to Williams, having teammates who have been in the system for multiple years, like Reggie Upshaw, Giddy Potts, Xavier Habersham and Aldonis Foote, to learn from has been the secret to their success.
"Reggie and Giddy did a good job of leading us," Williams said. "Especially with me last year when I was sitting out, they helped me through and get affiliated with the program. I think that was the same with Tyrik, Brandon and Antwain."
While all four are new to the lineup this season, Williams and Walters aren't new to MTSU. They were on campus last year during redshirt seasons after transferring from Arkansas and Walters State Community College, respectively.
Their redshirt years were a key part of their development, Davis said, even though they couldn't see game action.
"With any player in college athletics, college basketball in particular, if you can redshirt and have a full year to practice, it helps you tremendously. I think JaCorey's biggest improvement is he's become such a good teammate and really involved as a great leader … and Brandon transformed his body and the academic center was incredible for him."
Dixon and Johnson, on the other hand, arrived on campus this year. Dixon is a true freshman from Bentonville, Arkansas, and Johnson transferred after playing one season at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida.
Neither was able to get a year to get to know the team like Williams and Walters, but both have found a way to gel and succeed.
"They've been able to come in and make an impact on our team so early just by being comfortable with us," Upshaw said. "It started over the summer in pickup when we were playing different games and throwing out different lineups to see how each other would play off one another."
With the help of the older guys, the four newcomers this season have solidified the lineup and made Middle Tennessee a very dangerous team with the NCAA Tournament inching closer. The real barometer to see if Davis' program is up to the sustainability level he wants it to be at, though, will be in the coming years.
Upshaw, Williams, Foote and Habersham will all be gone next season, creating another need for new faces to come in and step up.
"This year we'll lose four more good players who have meant a lot to us winning games," Davis said. "You hope the leadership kind of spreads itself to the core coming back and the new guys coming in can see how they carry their business. It's a process you have to go through every year."
If the group of new guys next season can even come close to replicating what this year's has done, Middle Tennessee may be well on its way to the type of sustainability its head coach is looking for.
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