NORTHEAST BASKETBALL FEELS EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR AS SEASON NEARS

NORFOLK, Neb. – The Northeast Community College men's basketball team has put in a lot of work in the offseason and is ready to have that effort translated to live games during the 2022-2023 season. The Hawks will compete in their first showdown at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Beatrice, Nebraska in a battle with Southeast Community College. The first home game will take place at 7:30 p.m. the following Tuesday against Central Community College at the Cox Activities Center in Norfolk.

Head men's basketball coach Dan Anderson isn't afraid to say that his team has a chance to do something special this year.

"If we buy-in and we do what we are very capable of doing, we can have a very successful season," Anderson said. "I believe that we can be a team that can go a long way in the tournament, but we still have to take care of some issues that we had last season. We brought in some solid players that will help."

There's one attribute that Anderson believes stands out above the rest with this group

"When people come and watch us, I think that they have to walk away and say, 'Boy, they are athletic,'" Anderson said. "I want to make sure that we are using our athleticism, so we will spend a lot of time trying to play fast and trying to press. We can do that in practice, and it gets to be easy in practice when we get everyone talking."

Everything matters to make a squad reach new levels, and the chemistry throughout is something Anderson has been quick to take note of.

"I also like the fact that they are all really good teammates," Anderson said. "They are happy when someone knocks down a three and when someone takes a charge. When we have a good defensive series, the bench is cheering for them."

The anticipation to tip the ball off is something that can be felt throughout the men's basketball program.

"I think it's very high," Anderson said. "Almost every season we are pretty excited about getting going. We have an inside game that can go along with our extremely quick outside game."

Emaniel Alexandre (Nassau, Bahamas) earned Honorable Mention ICCAC All-Region honors during his debut collegiate campaign and is back for year two with the Hawks. He and a number of other returners will be pivotal to improve Northeast's position in the standings this year.

"I look upon Mono (Emaniel Alexandre) to be a leader for us," Anderson said. "Chaz Cullum (Omaha, Neb.) has been a good leader for us. Seed (Saheed Sanusi) (Nassau, Bahamas) has been a good leader for us. Jared Lopez (Lincoln, Neb.) has been an excellent leader for us over the last couple of years that he's been here. Collin Storr (Nassau, Bahamas) has been a good leader. One of the things that makes for a good leader is that they are sophomores and they have been through the battles. They know what to expect. They know what it's going to be like. They all are very helpful. That part excites me. They want to lead and make sure things are done correctly."

When it comes to the fresh faces this season, there are a few who Anderson will lean on to make an immediate impact.

"I really think Ben Hammond (Norfolk, Neb.) will bring a lot to us because he is an excellent outside three-point shooter," Anderson said. "That's an area that we needed to improve on. I think that Jimbo (James Sinclair) (Melbourne, Australia) will really help us with the inside game and he's also a pretty good defender."

Sophomore Amaire Perkins (Sanford, Fla.) joined the Hawks last January from Polk State College in Winter Haven, Florida and has quickly become a big part of what Northeast wants to do on the floor.

"Amaire Perkins will be a big part of what we do," Anderson said. "He came at semester time, so he's been around and knows what to expect. He's done a really good job for us."

By the time March comes around Anderson has a couple of goals that he'd like to see met.

"I'd like to see us have a nice record," Anderson said. "I'd like to see us go deep into the tournament. What would really make me happy is if those guys really felt successful about what they accomplished. It's not about me, it's about them. I get my excitement seeing that they are doing well, progressing and moving on to other schools to finish up their degrees."

When people come to the Cox Activities Center this year, Anderson hopes to put a product on the court that is worth the time of those in the community.

"They'll see something that they don't see in the area," Anderson said. "They'll say, 'Wow, I didn't know that this was all out here.'"

This iteration of the Hawks has brought Anderson a lot of joy, and he's hoping that feeling will carry over to the court in live games.

"It's been a really good group to be around," Anderson said. "It's fun to go to work. It's fun to plan out practice. It's fun to go to practice. It's really good to see how much we've progressed."

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