Basketball

22 Apr

Posted at 19:34h in Basketball, FRONT PAGE
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Navarro College hired Grant McMillan as its new head men’s basketball coach. “We are so excited to have Grant on board with the Bulldog basketball program. He has experienced great success as a head coach and in Region XIV. He has been involved with highly successful programs at each stop in his coaching career,” said Athletic Director Michael Landers. McMillan, a native of Van, TX, comes to Navarro from Panola College where he has been the head men’s basketball coach for the last four years. He compiled an impressive 93-39 record and transformed the Ponies’ basketball into a recognized, ranked Region XIV and NJCAA Tournament contender. With a school-record 50 wins during McMillan’s first two seasons, Panola played in consecutive Region XIV Championship games. His 26-9 East Zone champions, ranked No. 13 nationally, advanced to the second round of the 2016-17 NJCAA Tournament at Hutchinson, Ks. – Panola’s first appearance there since 1979. He recruited, coached and graduated 18 players who signed NCAA Division I scholarships. His Panola program developed the third-highest winning percentage in Region XIV, defeated 12 NJCAA-ranked opponents and lost only seven home games. Before the first head-coaching job at Panola, he had opportunities to work for some of the best,...

18 Apr

Posted at 15:05h in Basketball, FRONT PAGE
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Five sophomore members of Navarro's 25-7 Region XIV Basketball Tournament Finalists signed national letters of intent Wednesday to attend four-year universities and continue their athletic careers. Transfers Shakem Johnson, Gavin Kensmil and James Jean-Marie, two-year Bulldog Trey Pulliam and trainer/manager Jarad Hollis all made it official by signing letters during a ceremony at The Wolens Special Events Center. Johnson, a Youngstown, Ohio, product who transferred from Southwest Tennessee, signed with the Tennessee State University Tigers and coach Brian 'Penny' Collins. Kensmil, from Suriname, inked with coach Kyle Keller's Stephen F. Austin State University's Lumberjacks of the Southland Conference. Jean-Marie signed with coach Sam Scholl's University of San Diego Toreros of the West Coast Athletic Conference, while Pulliam signed with the crosstown San Diego State University Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference. Hollis plans to attend The University of North Texas and continue to work as a Mean Green manager for coaches Grant McCasland and Ross Hodge. SHAKEM JOHNSON Johnson averaged 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs. Johnson, with 65.7 percent field-goal-shooting last season, had 19 double-figure scoring games and led the club in rebounding in five games. Johnson had high-scoring games of 28, 26 and 25 during the season, and fashioned a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double against...

19 Mar

Posted at 16:22h in Basketball, FRONT PAGE
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Navarro College began its nationwide search for a new men’s head basketball coach after Michael Landers relinquished the position Monday to focus his attention toward his Athletic Director responsibilities. Landers was named Athletic Director in October 2018, but continued to serve additionally as the head basketball coach throughout the season. “You have no idea how excited I am about this next chapter, mainly because of the people in our department that I have the opportunity to work alongside,” Landers told athletic staff members Monday. “Roark (Montgomery) helped to build and shape this department for 30 years and I will do my best each day to help not only maintain, but work tirelessly to continue building on the successes, reputation and expectations for all Bulldog sports. We are in a very exciting time for our department with Dr. Fegan as District President at Navarro and we have the best possible individuals leading each of our athletic programs.” Over his six years with Navarro College Landers served as Head Basketball Coach, Kinesiology Department Chair, Interim Athletic Director and Athletic Director. His 2018-19 basketball team (25-7) reached the Region XIV Tournament finals after winning the East Zone and the tournament’s No. 1 seed, thanks to...

12 Mar

Posted at 13:13h in Basketball, FRONT PAGE
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Region XIV finalist Navarro's 25-7 run concluded Saturday in its championship-game loss to TVCC, but six members of the Bulldogs' basketball team were accorded seven post-season honors for their banner season. Two players were named to the league's all-tournament team.  Two more players were named All-Region XIV East Zone second-teamers.  Another pair was selected as honorable mentions. And their head coach, Michael Landers, was chosen as the Region XIV East Zone "Coach Of The Year" for guiding Navarro to a 25-win season, a league-best 13-5 mark, top-seeding in the tournament and a No. 24 ranking in the final regular-season NJCAA D-I Men's Basketball Poll.  The 2018-19 Preseason Coaches Poll picked Navarro to finish fourth in its zone. Landers led the Bulldogs to their seventh appearance in a Region XIV Tournament Championship game and their first since the 2012-13 season when Navarro played Lee in a final played at The Herrington Patriot Center at UT-Tyler. Sophomores drew other honors for the NC program. Trey Pulliam and Xavier Davenport were selected All-Tournament.  Pulliam and James Jean-Marie joined a group of All-East Zone honorable-mention picks, while Gavin Kensmil and Shakem Johnson claimed All-East second-team honors.       ...