CLEVELAND, Tenn. - After thrilling the Homecoming fans with an exhibition game victory over Dalton State College, the Lee University men's basketball team will officially begin the 2025-26 season by hosting Lindsey Wilson College this evening at 7 p.m. inside Walker Arena.
An NAIA program, the Blue Raiders have already played six games and are off to a 5-1 start. Lee Coach Bubba Smith says this may be Coach Chris Sparks' best team, who is in his fifth season of leading the talented squad from London, Kentucky. "They have pair of really good guards (Julian Cunningham and Kenyatta Carbon)" noted Smith. Both are averaging 15 points per game.
The Blue Raiders also get inside production from Lual Lual (10 points and 6.5 rebounds) and Victory Naboya (10 points and 6 rebounds). Lindsey Wilson is coming off a 76-55 road win at Tennessee Southern.
Coach Smith took time to preview his own Flames after Willie Walton hit the 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the exhibition affair. Junior Zach Gray heated up in the second half and tallied 21 points in the contest. The Lee coach pointed out that he has only one true senior, Tim Vaughn, who is returning to lead his team, alongside a talented and deep junior class. "Tim has had a great pre-season, and we look for him to bring us consistency and leadership at the forward spots. Tim's versatility and ability to defend multiple positions makes him extremely valuable to our team," said Smith, who is in his ninth year of leading Flames.
"Our returning junior class is talented and deep with Tylon Chatman, Walton, Gray, Jamarcus Wilkins, and Brent Bowman. These guys have all played significant minutes and will need to take a big step in their contributions and leadership. Redshirt sophomore Ben Ritger has had a good pre-season as well and should bring us depth at the forward position. We like the improvement we have seen in these guys. They complement each other well and bring a variety of strengths to our team."
Coach Smith will be taking a close look at his newcomers through the year. Dayveun Anderson, a junior transfer from Itawamba CC (Tupelo, Mississippi), recorded 20 points against Dalton has captured the eyes of the staff. "Dayveun brings us a physical guard who can defend, score, and handle pressure. He allows us to play two point guards together, which has been our best offensive lineups over the years."
The coach feels Dylan Holt (6-foot-9) will give the team depth at the post position. "We hope Dylan will add athleticism at the post position, rim protector, someone who can rebound outside his area, run the floor, and be disruptive in ball screen defense."
Smith said Eli Stapler is a smart and crafty point guard who can make the team better. "He understands the game, spacing, and knows how to make those around him better. We are excited about Eli's future as a Lee Flame."
The coach added that "Reese Frazier brings an unbelievable amount of competitiveness and toughness to our team. He has found ways to contribute each time he steps on the floor this pre-season. We are excited about his development and future." He allowed that Garrett Giles (6-foot-6) brings size and athleticism at the forward position.
Over the years defensive focus has been the team staple. "We must continue to make that a priority if we want to be competitive in the GSC. We finished the season last year defending as well as anyone in the league," Coach Smith stressed. "We need to pick up where we left off if we want to have a better start to the season than we did last year."
Scoring wise the coach says, "I believe we have guys that can score it, and make shots. I like the unselfishness of this team so far. They share the ball well and I believe we have a team that can have four or five guys in double-figure points each night. If no-one cares who receives the credit, we have a group that can have multiple players step up each night and lead us offensively."
While the staff will be pushing for strong defense and consistent scoring, the coaches will be striving to see the team improve in rebounding margins, free throw differential, and ball security. "We will be challenged right out of the gate with a trip to Lenoir-Rhyne with a tournament the second weekend of the season. Lenoir-Rhyne University is ranked pre-season No.18 (nationally) and picked to win the SAC," related Smith.
The team has set consistent goals. "We want to reach our potential and to do so we must be committed to building consistent habits each day. If we give our best effort daily, we believe we have a team that can compete at the top of the GSC. Our program has been built on defending and rebounding. Those have given our teams a chance each night to win, and we will continue to focus on the things we can control," said the sincere Smith.
Said Coach Smith about assistants; "I am excited about the staff we have this season. Alex (Kelehear) is returning for his seventh season at Lee, second as an assistant. Alex knows Lee and our standards better than anyone. He is developing into an excellent young assistant coach. We are seeing his impact in recruiting already with the commitments we have so far this fall. Alex understands the game and is committed to the development of our student-athletes, both on and off the court.
"Micka (Stout) joined us this spring and has made an immediate impact on our program. I love his passion for leading and developing young men. Micka is working with our post players, but his reach is far beyond his position group. He has an offensive mind that was developed and mentored under Dwaine Osborne while at DII University of Charleston. Micka will be involved in all aspects of our program, from practice and game preparation, scouting, player development, and primarily as our recruiting coordinator. I'm looking forward to sharing a sideline with these guys. They make coming to work fun and enjoyable each day!"
