2023-24 Season Preview: Men's Basketball

Erik Holth, CBC Sports Information Director

            Conway, Ark. – Coming off a 21-10 season and a trip to the American Midwest Conference tournament championship game, Central Baptist College men's basketball begins the 2023-24 season tomorrow night at home against Philander Smith. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and live coverage can be found on cbcmustangs.com.

            "I've been very pleased with practice so far," said head coach Sam Kohnke, who enters year three at the helm of the Mustangs. "We have a lot of depth this year and that's made it competitive at every position. No one is solidified in their spot and they have to go earn it every day and they have been doing that."

            CBC returns eight players from last year's team, but only two who played in more than five contests, led by Devin Foster, who was an AMC All-Freshman Team selection last season and Tomas Mikyska, who was a huge contributor to the Mustangs toward the end of the year. The other returners include Deshawn Corprew, Tonje Durham, Devon Jefferson, Victor Chukwueke, Jarvis Leigh, Hykeem Hancock and Christian White, who returns after two years away.

            "Devin is an incredibly hard worker and he's been getting better and better. Tomas really came on late for us last year and he's been working hard and will be a very important piece for us, too. Deshawn is close to being fully back. He's very tough, very versatile and very competitive. Tonje is going to be a leader for us and Devon is coming back from an injury."

            The group of newcomers spans transfers and high school ranks. Sage Borbon is a transfer from Fresno City College in California, Kyle Harding is a Division I transfer from Prairie View A&M, and Brayden Lyons is a transfer from SAU Tech and a native of Malvern. Joining those three are Fort Smith native Ike Moore who comes in from Division II Pittsburg State, Little Rock Central's SaVaughn Smith, a two-time all-conference selection for the Tigers, Montrez' Ward, who comes to CBC from Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa, Jonas Carlisle, who also transfers from a Division II school in West Texas A&M, White Hall native ZaVian Jackson, who comes to CBC from Ouachita Baptist, Wade Williams, a JuCO transfer from Ranger College in Texas, Dalton Alexander III, a native of La., Ronnie Stapp, a transfer from Division I Idaho State and E.J. Anderson, a former Williams Baptist Eagle that spent last season at South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado.

            "I really like this group," added Kohnke. "They're good people, they're competitive, they're acting the right way. I'm excited for them."

            The non-conference schedule is stack with good opponents, including three teams that won 20-or-more games outside the AMC last year. The first two CBC opens with, Philander and Blue Mountain, both won 20 and Nov., opponent Texas A&M-Texarkana also won over 20 games last year.

            "We have a pretty tough schedule I think. We have a lot of road games, which I think will help us, because we have a good home record the last couple of years. Everything is building toward conference play and going and winning a championship!" added Kohnke.

            The Mustangs were picked to finish fourth in the AMC Preseason Poll, which was released earlier today. CBC finished third in the AMC in the regular season last year at 11-5, one game behind co-champions Columbia and Missouri Baptist. "I believe this will be the toughest the AMC has ever been," added Kohnke. "Columbia returns everyone minus one person, William Woods will be very good, Mo Bap is always competitive and Williams Baptist has everyone back. Preseason, whether we're picked first or last, doesn't matter, we have to go win games and win a championship, and that's the goal this year!"