Hood basketball eager to play games again

By Delaney Crawford//

The 2021-22 Hood basketball season will begin games on Nov. 1. The coaches and players of both the men’s and women’s teams are ready to make this season count since last year the teams were only allowed to host practices.

“I am excited just to actually get a chance to play. With us not playing any games because of COVID last year, it feels like we haven’t played in forever,” men’s basketball head coach Chad Dickman said. “We have a lot of new faces and probably the toughest schedule we’ve ever had, including games against two Division I programs and a potential game versus the No. 1 team in the nation, so I’m also excited about the challenges ahead and how this group will grow throughout the season.”

Both teams have a large roster this winter. The men have 21 players and the women have 20. While those are large numbers for a basketball team, only six players on the women’s side have ever played in a collegiate-level game and half of the men’s side haven’t.

“We have a lot of new faces but it’s a talented group,” Dickman said.

The men’s season will begin Monday, Nov. 1, with an away game against George Washington University. The women’s first game is Saturday, Nov. 6, at home against St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

The six returning players for the women’s team include senior Morgan Anderson and juniors Marlise Newson, Pippa Clouse, Destini Kelley, Breanna Smith and Destiny Galloway. Morgan Anderson is the lone senior this year and is eager to lead the team.

“The girls and I are excited for the opportunity to play and compete this season, and our expectation going in is to make the conference playoff,” women’s head coach Jack Mehl said.

In past years, the Wang twins, Mason and Evan Wang, have been two dominating players on the men’s team. The rest of the team is excited to have them return this season as they take advantage of their extra year of eligibility granted to them because of COVID-19.

“Obviously, we will lean on the Wang twins a lot, but we are probably a deeper team than we have been in the past, so we probably won’t have to wear them out with too many minutes each game like before,” Dickman said.  

Check out hoodathletics.com to see this year’s schedule for both the men and women basketball teams and come out to the BB&T Arena to cheer the Blazers on.