SANFORD - Great all-around athletes will be a strength of the Central Carolina Community College men's basketball team for 2016-17.
"I've got really high hopes for this team," said CCCC Coach Doug Connor, who is in his 12th season with the Cougars. "This year's team has bigger size than last year. We have great athletes - all-around athletes."
Coach Connor has three returnees from last year's team -- Jared Gunter of Sanford, Gregg Smith of Clinton, and Tre'von Watson of Sanford.
Other team members are Dashaun Boswell of San Antonio, Texas, Avion Jordan of Durham, Aaron Meredith of Norfolk, Va., Isaiah Monroe of Sanford, Greg Patterson of Rockingham, and Jamal Shuford of Goldsboro.
The Cougars compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III. Coach Connor said the Cougars compete in what he believes is the strongest conference in the country. "Our conference is tough. You've got to bring your A game every night. It's just so competitive," said Coach Connor. The Region X Tournament will be played this year at the CCCC gymnasium in Sanford.
"The biggest test for our guys is to remember to be a student-athlete first and basketball player second."
Among the schedule highlights is a game with the University of North Carolina junior varsity team on Feb. 14 in Chapel Hill.
The schedule:
Nov. 1 -- Fayetteville Tech, 3 -- Guilford Tech, 5 -- at Lenoir CC, 11 - New River CC at Sandhills Classic, 12 - Prince George's CC at Sandhills Classic, 16 - Mt. Olive JV, 17 - Brunswick CC, 19 - at Wake Tech, 21 - Johnston CC, 22 - Mt. Zion Prep, 30 - Lenoir CC.
Dec. 1 - Davidson County CC, 3 - at Cape Fear CC, 4 - at Mt. Olive JV, 7 - at Sandhills CC, 12 - at Guilford Tech, 14 - Wake Tech, 16 - Catawba Valley CC at CVCC Tournament, 17 - Mt. Zion Prep at CVCC Tournament.
Jan. 4 - at Fayetteville Tech, 11 - at Sandhills CC, 14 - Davidson County CC, 18 - at Johnston CC, 23 - at Methodist JV, 25 - at Davidson County CC, 31 - Methodist JV.
Feb. 2 - Mt. Zion Prep, 8 - Sandhills CC, 11 - Johnston CC, 14 - at UNC JV, 25-26 - Region X Tournament in Sanford.
The 2016-2017 Central Carolina Community College men's basketball team.
Coach Doug Connor is in his 12th season with the Central Carolina Community College men's basketball program.