BLINN MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information
The Blinn College men’s basketball team wants to take the next step this season, and they want to do it quickly.
With an emphasis on defense and a speed-fueled offense, the Buccaneers hope to maximize the skill set of their roster and ascend the Region 14 ranks.
“We’re athletic and we’re fast, and we’re going to have to use that to our advantage every time we take the court,” 14th-year Blinn head coach Scott Schumacher said. “We’re going to rely on speed and our guard play to get up and down the court.”
The Bucs open play at home against Dallas College Eastfield at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3, at the Kruse Center in Brenham, Texas. When they do, Blinn will deploy a 16-man roster with just three players who stand 6-foot-8 or taller. That means the Bucs will focus on maximizing their rebounding on both sides of the floor, including a grab-and-go approach on defense that prioritizes quick passes off the rebound and fast transition up the floor for easy buckets.
“Right now, I believe our defense is our best asset. We get after it,” said sophomore big man Nolan Aigberadion, who checks in at 6-foot-11. “We have some really talented guards, so getting them the basketball as quickly as possible and letting them go to work in transition is going to be key for us.”
Aigberadion and sophomore guard Deshawn Ceaser are Blinn’s lone returners from a 2024-25 Bucs team that finished 17-14 overall and in fourth place in the region with a 13-9 mark. Blinn reached the Region 14 Tournament but bowed out in the first round.
Arriving as reinforcements this season are four transfer guards and 10 freshmen.
Sophomore guard Tyson Mobley arrives from State Fair Community College, while sophomore forwards Rollings Kamanda, Kenaz Ochogwu, and Vejas Matekonis transferred in from Ellsworth Community College, Vincennes University, and Florida National University, respectively.
Freshman guards Elijah Ferguson (Brenham), Kendarius Johnson (Cypress, Texas), Desmeon Jones (Dallas), Connor Sprattley (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Anthony Williams (Windsor, Conn.), Derrick Baines (Houston), Brandon Hatcher (Dayton, Ohio), and Christian Umana (Houston), and freshman guard-forwards Ian Sedah (Mansfield, Texas) and Trey Falcon (Alvin, Texas) round out Blinn’s roster.
“We like what we’ve added, it’s just going to come down to how all of the pieces fit and how long it takes to make it all work,” Ceasar said. “We all come from different places and bring different playstyles and skill sets, but the great thing about coach Schumacher is he makes sure we all play the game the same way in his system. When we all come together, I think we’ll be at our best.”
Ceaser averaged 8.8 points and two assists as a freshman, while Aigberadion was largely relied on for his strong defensive and rebounding abilities. That means minutes and opportunity are at a premium for the Bucs.
Schumacher said the message to his team has been straightforward.
“Rebound and you’ll earn playing time,” the coach said. “We tell our guys that all the time, but this season it’s going to be especially important for what we’re trying to do.”
Blinn will play eight non-region games before a visit to Coastal Bend College on Dec. 3 kicks off its region slate.
The region is in year two of its round-robin format, in which all 12 teams play each other twice. Prior to the 2024-25 season, the region was divided into North and South divisions, and teams from opposite divisions would only face off once during the regular season.
Region 14 continues to be one of the toughest leagues in NJCAA Division I men’s basketball, fortified by Trinity Valley Community College’s national championship last season. Ten of the region’s 12 teams won at least 14 games with eight or more region victories. Entering this season, Trinity Valley is atop the NJCAA Division I top 25 poll as the unanimous No. 1, while Angelina College checks in at No. 16, and Panola College and Kilgore College round out the rankings at No. 24 and No. 25, respectively.
“I think the biggest lesson we learned last season was that there are no off nights in our region,” Aigberadion said. “You have to come to play every night, or someone might get you. We learned that the hard way at times last year, and I think that’s the message Deshawn and I will stress to our new guys.”