When Kevin Nickelberry was named the head men's basketball Coach three years ago, he had envisioned a plan to develop a program that was both successful and exciting. As he began to implement the new system, his plans were foiled by a combination of inherited players whose skills were not suited for that style and a rash of injuries over that period.

Fast forward and that has all changed. Nickelberry, who is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country, has assembled a team that will fulfill his theme for the 2013-14 season:

"Frantic 40 Has Arrived."

"When I got here, we wanted to play an up-tempo style, but we had a number of untimely injuries and we did not have the depth that we needed to employ the Frantic 40 style," said Nickelberry. "We have now been able to transform the roster, upgrade the talent and change the mentality of the program by bringing in 10 new players."

The players that he has added bring a variety of skills and abilities that fit the style of the play that Nickelberry says is predicated on 94 feet for 40 minutes.

"I'm very excited about this team," admits Nickelberry. "We are going to be very young, but we have more depth and athleticism than we have had in the past."

The Bison return only three players with playing experience: Junior forward/guard Prince Okoroh, junior guard Brandon Ford and red-shirt sophomore center/forward Oliver Ellison. However, even that is reduced as Ford will miss the early part of the season rehabilitating a knee injury and Ellison is returning after missing all of last season following an injury, leaving Okoroh as the leading returning rebounder and scorer.

"This is an ideal situation for Prince," said Nickelberry. "He is built for what we want to do on and off the court. His athletic skills are tailor made for Frantic 40. And he brings leadership that we'll need for this team on the court and in the classroom."

Okoroh, a 6-5 native of Greenbelt, MD was fourth on the team in scoring with 7.0 per game, second in steals and blocks and third in rebounding.

The Bison have had problems at the point guard position over the past few years due to injuries and lack of depth. To that end, Nickelberry went out and addressed the problem by bringing in three point guards to share time at the all-important position.

Keon Hill is a 5-9, 170-pound red-shirt freshman form Riverdale Baptist, who sat out last season rehabilitating his knee.

"Keon has the speed and scoring ability to put pressure on the defense," explained Nickelberry. "He comes from an outstanding basketball program and that is always a plus.'

Then there is James Daniel, a 5-11, 165-pound freshman Hampton, VA.

"He is an explosive talent," says Nickelberry. "He has great speed from baseline to baseline."

The third part of the triumvirate is Ausar Madison, a 5-9, 150-pound freshman from Whitney Young High School in Chicago.

"Ausar has speed and quickness and he is also our best true playmaker," explains Nickelberry. "He is a pass first point guard. His skills will allow flexibility for James Daniel to play some at the shooting guard position."

Nickelberry is impressed with the talent of James "JT" Miller, a 6-4 freshman from Mt. Zion Academy. "He plays above the rim. He's a scorer and he has a nice mid-range game. He brings a lot of versatility to the team."

Also expected to make an impact is Kofi Andoh, a 6-4, 185-pound freshman from Largo, MD. "Kofi is by far the most explosive player on the team. He's old fashioned, in-your-face type of player. He reminds me a lot of Prince in how he can get up and down the floor."

Ford, a 6-2, 195-pound junior from Largo, MD, should be a very valuable asset when he returns to the team. He brings much needed experience to the team, having started 13 games over the past two seasons.

In Okoroh, the Bison have one of the top players in the MEAC. He has proven himself over the past two years and is now primed to become one of the elite players in the league.

"He represents resiliency, the ability to fight through adversity," said Nickelberry of his team captain. "He is the hardest worker on the team and without question the leader. He represents our past, present and our future."

Damon Collins is still another of the talented young recruits expected to make his presence felt this season. The 6-5 freshman played his prep ball at Prime Prep in Dallas, TX, one of the top basketball programs in the country.

"He is a perfect complement to Prince. He has a very smooth game and is multitalented."

The frontcourt will feature James Carlton, a 6-8 senior transfer from the College of Charleston who has all-conference potential.

"He is a next level athlete," Nickelberry commented. "He has the rare ability to shoot the three at his size. Once his gets acclimated after sitting out and his daily effort catches up to his talent level, he is going to be a key player for us."

Carlton will be joined in the frontcourt by Tyler Stone and Solomon Mangham. Stone is a 6-7, 205-pound freshman from Toronto, Canada who Nickelberry says will bring toughness and a rugged style of play, adding a different dimension to the team's versatility. Mangham is a 6-7, 210-pound freshman Atlanta, GA who Nickelberry says could be a sleeper in time because of his high basketball IQ and his ability to make the outside shot.

Emmanuel Okoro, who saw limited playing time last season, could also get into the mix as a utility player.

The post should be more than stable with the return of Ellison and the addition of newcomer Marcel Boyd.
Ellison started 16 games as a freshman two years ago and was primed to have a fine season until he suffered a pre-season leg injury that forced him to miss all of last season.

"He's the anchor," says Nickelberry of his 6-9, 220-pound red-shirt sophomore. "He is one of the leaders of the team. He calls the defensive signals. He is tough and very tenacious, and he should be much improved offensively."

Boyd is a talented 6-10, 230-pound freshman from Accokeek, MD who will be relied upon heavily, especially on the defense.

"The sky is the limit," says Nickelberry. "He has a big body and long arms. He runs the floor well. He will be a factor defensively because of his ability to block shots."

Nickelberry admits that he expects a learning curve for such a young team. That is why he says he prepared one of the program's most challenging schedules in recent years. The Bison will play at Pitt, at USC, at Houston and at Harvard.

"We will find out who we are early," he says. "We play three of the Top 30 teams, all on the road and in November. We will use the games as teaching tools. We play a Harvard team which is very structured and disciplined in what they want to do. Then we play a Houston team that is athletic and likes to get up and down. And then in Pitt, their style is very physical, inside out. These experiences will help prepare us for the MEAC (regular season) and the four days of the tournament in March."