CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Lee University men's basketball team will have three key players returning from last year's team that posted a 21-9 record and placed third in the Gulf South Conference regular season. The Flames lost to the University of Alabama in Huntsville in a five-overtime thriller in the finals of the GSC Tournament. Lee was awarded an at-large berth in the NCAA DII Tournament and traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. before being eliminated by conference rival West Georgia.

Coach Bubba Smith will lead the Flames for the ninth season and points to post-grad students Tariq Daughton and Noah Boler and junior Tim Vaughn as key returnees as his team heads into a Homecoming exhibition test against the University of Sewanee on Saturday (2 p.m.) and then open the regular season on Nov. 9, hosting University of Tennessee-Southern (4 p.m.).

Looking Forward to Homecoming
"We are looking forward to kicking off the season with our Homecoming game. It is always a great environment, and it is a great time to welcome back our former players and alumni," commented the Lee coach.

"Daughton, Boler and Vaughn have logged heavy starter minutes in their careers," pointed out Coach Smith. "All three are elite defenders and know what we do and how we want it done. Their leadership is invaluable to our team's success, and they have done a great job all preseason of setting the tone for the new additions as well as our returning players. They have the best understanding of what makes us good offensively and I expect their offensive contributions to continue to improve this season."

Boler is coming off his best season to date, averaging 10.8 ppg and 6.3 rpg. He shot a staggering 69% from the field and 47% from 3-point range. Vaughn had a breakout sophomore season, averaging 10 ppg and 4.4 rpg, shooting 50% from the field and 35% from long range, all improvements from his freshman season. Daughton appeared in all 30 games (averaged 25 per game) and has become one of our best defenders, while also shooting over 41% of his 3-point attempts.

Coach Smith and his staff have added four transfers to the roster. Marlon Smith and GianCarlo Valdez are grad students from the University of West Georgia and Stetson University, (Fla.). Brent Bowman is a sophomore from Shorter and Nick Liakonis a red-shirt sophomore from Tusculum. "These three will add depth at the guard/forward positions," noted the Lee coach. "Smith had a significant role on UWG's GSC Championship team and NCAA Tournament run last year. He was third in scoring (11.7 ppg) for the Wolves and first in blocked shots. His skill set and versatility will be really good in how we play, and I love his ability to defend multiple positions. He also has shot-making ability and uses his size and physicality well."

"Valdez brings us a veteran point guard 6-foot-3) with size and experience. He is also coming off a championship run and NCAA appearance with Stetson last season. Valdez will be reunited with former high school teammate Noah Boler. They won a state championship together their senior season at Decatur Heritage Christian Academy."

"Bowman brings GSC experience and the ability to play the point as well as playing off the ball. He averaged 22 minutes per game at Shorter last season and shot 42% from 3-point range. Liakonis is recovering from an ACL injury and will be working within our program in different capacities throughout the season."

No Shortage of Younger Players
The Flames have plenty of firepower returning in their younger players who gained significant experience and minutes in their freshman or red-shirt freshman seasons. Redshirt sophomore Willie Walton was a big part of last year's success, averaging 17 minutes per game and shooting over 43% from behind the 3-point circle. "An elite shooter with deep range, we expect Willie to take a big jump in his sophomore season," said Coach Smith.
Redshirt sophomore Hayden Moseley battled injuries last season and is returning healthy, providing depth and athleticism at the guard spot. True sophomores (6-foot-8) Zach Gray, JaMarcus Wilkins (6-foot-8) and guard Tylon Chatman all gained valuable experience from their rookie seasons and are expected to be on the floor in increased roles this year.
The coach noted that red-shirt freshman Ben Ritger will be looking to make an impact this season. "A versatile threat and a three-level scorer, Ritger (6-foot-7) had a great redshirt season and has been a big part of our pre-season so far," stressed Coach Smith. "He also presents some matchup challenges and can play multiple positions for us." 

Four Freshmen Join Flames
Along with three transfers, the Flames welcome four freshmen to the team in guards Nyziah Whaley, Nic Hyche, Trevor Maruska, and (6-foot-10, center) Josiah Hubbard.

Defense is Key
"I do think the strength of our team will continue to be on the defensive end. That has been our identity over my time here, and that will be no different this season," said the coach in a serious tone. "We will only be as good as our defense allows us to be. We have some new additions that we will be counted on to take some big steps in learning our levels of communication and making consistent efforts." 

Consistent Backcourt Play
The Flames will be searching for consistent backcourt play, especially during the early season. "With the loss of All-GSC point guard Beyuan Hendricks and graduate transfer JJ Barnes, finding consistent and steady play in our backcourt will be a big part of our team's early success," confessed Coach Smith. "Offensively, we have always been a team that prides itself on unselfish play, ball movement, and great spacing. We have a way to go offensively at this point in the season, but I like the pieces we have. We must trust each other and keep seeking growth each day."

Looking at the Schedule
Lee has two SIAC teams on the non-conference schedule (Clark Atlanta and Lane) as well as two non-DII games, giving the team two South Region games along with 22 GSC contests. "This should be a challenging schedule and prepare us for conference play in early December," Coach Smith said as he looked at the overall slate.

Solid Assistant Coaches
Former Flame Alex Kelehear was added to the coaching staff during the off-season. He will be working with the guards this season and assisting Coach Jason Laatsch in all facets of the program. Laatsch, who returns for his third season, will be coaching the post players, directing the recruiting efforts, and be managing scouting and game-day preparations. "Both coaches are great role models for our student-athletes and care deeply about their personal, spiritual, and physical development," praised Coach Smith.

High Expectations
"We obviously have high expectations for this team, but our main goal is to improve each day, play for each other, and put a product on the floor our fans will be proud of," remarked the veteran coach in closing.