UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL READY FOR UNUSUAL 2020-21 CAMPAIGN

Photo by: UT Martin University Relations

UT MARTIN MEN’S BASKETBALL READY FOR UNUSUAL 2020-21 CAMPAIGN

11/25/2020 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

2020-21 Media Guide

MARTIN, Tenn. – After an offseason that presented many unforeseen challenges along the way, the opportunity for the University of Tennessee at Martin men's basketball program to return to its familiar setting of the hardwood is near.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a plethora of virtual recruiting as the Skyhawk coaching staff worked hard to compile a roster for the 2020-21 season. Limitations followed once the student-athletes returned to campus in August before the NCAA approved to push the season back to a Nov. 25 start date, intending to create a more controlled and less populated campus environment.

UT Martin officially opened its practice schedule on Oct. 20 as a sense of normalcy started to return to the program. However, nearly one month into its season preparation the Skyhawk community was stunned by the unexpected passing of Anthony Stewart, who was entering his fifth season as head coach.

Montez Robinson, who was tabbed as UT Martin's interim head coach on Nov. 17, plus returning assistant coaches DeAndre Walker and Zach Carpenter have helped steer the program through this unfortunate transitional period.

"It's been tough on the players and staff," said Robinson, who was hired as a Skyhawk assistant in September after spending the last five seasons as head coach at Alcorn State University. "Coach Stewart was a really good coach but he was a better man and a better friend to all of us – he touched a lot of people's lives. Coach Stewart is going to be with us throughout this process – our players want to get back out on the court and play for him."

With dozens of cancellations and postponements happening daily around the college basketball world, the feeling of uncertainty has ultimately seeped into the scheduling phase. UT Martin will tentatively host the Evansville Purple Aces in the season opener on Dec. 2, as the two squads will meet for the first time since the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament semifinals.

Only one other nonconference outing has been finalized as the Skyhawks will travel to Ole Miss on Dec. 22. It will be the first matchup between the two squads since Nov. 11, 2016 when UT Martin nearly upset the Rebels before falling by a slim 86-83 margin.

The Skyhawk coaching staff has been working the phones to add more games as the NCAA reduced its maximum number of regular season games to 25 if such team is not participating in a multiple-team event.

"Scheduling is always a challenge but during this pandemic, it's been even harder due to all of the restrictions," Robinson said. "In an effort to minimize unnecessary contact with masses of crowds, we've focused on scheduling games that are more regional."

Once the 2020-21 UT Martin squad officially takes the court, one will notice a roster full of talent. Leading the way is Preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference honoree Parker Stewart, who was the only player in NCAA Division I to post at least 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 three-point field goals made per game last season. The redshirt junior, who returns to the Skyhawks after testing the NBA Draft waters over the summer, piled up a dozen games of at least 20 points and went off for over 30 points four times in 2019-20.

Robinson has been impressed by Stewart's work ethic and focus throughout the duration of the preseason.

"Staying healthy, staying locked-in and being able to get easier shots are the keys for Parker's improvement this season," Robinson said. "With the work that he's put in to improve defensively, that is certainly going to help our team, as well as himself."

In addition to Stewart, UT Martin's returnees include Eman Sertovic, Hannes Polla, Eric Rustin and Ajani Kennedy. Sertovic started 10 games as a true freshman last season, leading the team with a .929 free throw percentage while scoring in double figures four times in league play. The only senior on the roster, the 6-11, 270-pound Polla made seven starts a year ago while connecting on 52.3 percent of his field goal tries. Rustin logged five starts in 2019-20 as the 7-1 center ranked sixth in the OVC with 1.2 blocked shots per outing. The Skyhawk frontcourt is also set to get a boost from Kennedy, a sharpshooting 6-9, 225-pound southpaw who redshirted last season after playing 44 career games at UC Riverside.

Robinson's projected strength of the squad is at the wing position, which will feature a pair of top-70 ranked junior college products from the Sunshine State. Cameron Holden led the entire state of Florida in scoring last season with 23.4 points per game in conference play at Gulf Coast State College. Jaron Williams averaged 11.3 points per outing for a College of Central Florida program who won its conference championship in 2019-20.

A trio of backcourt transfers enter the season with high expectations in Eden Holt, Vinnie Viana and Jonte Coleman. The speedy Holt led his conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8) while supplying 18.8 points per game and 93 trifectas on a .431 three-point field goal percentage as a true freshman at Williston State College. Viana was one of the most lethal scorers in the junior college ranks in 2019-20 at Albany Technical College, pouring in a league-best 23.2 points per contest while knocking down 167 free throws during his sophomore campaign. Coleman shot 44.9 percent from three-point range, draining 111 three-pointers – a Kankakee Community College single-season record – to rank fifth in the country as a sophomore.

La-Quiem Walker became UT Martin's eighth and final junior college signee during the offseason as the 6-9, 240-pounder was a frontcourt monster at Kaskaskia College. He hauled in a dozen double-doubles on his way to All-Region accolades after averaging 15.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per outing last season.

Pacing the highly acclaimed Skyhawk freshman signing class is center K'suan Casey and guard Anthony Thomas. Casey was ranked by ESPN as the fourth-best Class of 2020 prospect in the state of Kentucky and the 46^th ranked center in the nation after tallying 1,897 points and 1,213 over a remarkable career at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School. Bringing good length (6-7) to the guard position is Thomas, who was listed as the 50^th best player at his position in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports.com on his way to all-state honors at Olympus Preparatory Academy in New Jersey.

Six walk-ons grace UT Martin's roster in 2020-21 as junior guard Kenton Eskridge boasts previous Division I experience after playing his freshman campaign at Southern Utah. He helped Ranger College tally a 28-3 record and earn an at-large berth into the NJCAA Tournament last season. Malik Mooving is a junior guard who averaged 11.3 points at New Mexico Junior College in 2018-19 after registering all-league honors thanks in large part to a 19.3-points-per-game scoring average at Central Community College as a freshman. Junior forward Jeremiah Harris averaged 12.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest last season at Gadsden State Community College, scoring at least 20 points on six different occasions. Trey Fort, a freshman guard, prepped at DME Sports Academy after reaching the Mississippi state championship game in back-to-back seasons at Florence High School and Madison-Ridgeland Academy. Junior swingman Zavon Godwin (8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds per game at Schoolcraft College in 2019-20) and sophomore guard Dante Gonzales (4.9 points, 2.5 assists per contest last season at Mesa Community College) were added to the roster shortly before the start of official practice.

An increased number of student-athletes on the Skyhawk roster has led to a spirited environment each day in practice, intensifying each rep and drill.

"I think it has made practice very competitive and it has heightened the guys' focus at every position because they know there is somebody, who is working just as hard, waiting to take their spot," Robinson said.

The end result has brought forth a promising evaluation from Robinson, who was the 2017 Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year and has been a three-time finalist for a pair of National Coach of the Year Awards.

"We have a lot of versatility and depth at every position," Robinson said. "Our identity is going to be toughness and the ability to have flexibility. We will give 110-percent on and off the court in Coach Stewart's memory and make the UT Martin community proud of this program."