excerpt from a preseason preview:
THE SCOOP
Last year was hardly what Ray Harper and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks imagined. In an incredibly competitive ASUN, injuries and inconsistency buried the Gamecocks, resulting in a disappointing 13-18 (6-12 in league play) finish. JSU did not even qualify for the 10-team ASUN Tournament.
Do not expect a Harper team to stay down for long. Two years ago, JSU went 13-19 (8-10). A year later, the Gamecocks rebounded with an 18-9 (13-6) campaign in the COVID-shortened season. In his other four seasons in Alabama, Harper has won 20+ games.
He recruited well this offseason, landing a potential star from Xavier, two top 100 JUCO players and three other D1 pieces. As a result, a revamped roster will undertake JSU’s transition to Conference USA.
“This will be our third conference since I’ve been here,” sighed Harper. “It’s never easy, I went through it at Western Kentucky too…We know what is ahead of us. We’re not going to fear anyone.”
ROAD TO SUCCESS
The best Harper teams typically have a consistent identity. They have immense size and depth in the frontcourt and use that to smash foes on the glass and in the post. That leads to a slower pace offensively, allowing his behemoth bigs to get inside and engage Hulk mode...
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