Chipola could be nations top team

Last year, Greg Heiar's Chipola Indians won 33 games and lost in the national semifinals. By listening to the coach, it's obvious the expectation level has not dropped.

"Last year we got to the Final Four, got beat by Moberly who played a great game," Heiar said. "That is our goal is to win the national championship. It takes a lot of luck, hard work, discipline. I really like my group of kids. They're going to buy in, going to work hard, gonna sacrifice. Now we just have to see if we get a little lucky."

And why wouldn't Heiar like his kids? His squad is so loaded that he has a walk-on he thinks could be a Division One player. Chipola returns four starters from last year's 33-win team. Three of those players were named all-conference as freshmen.

"Stefhan Hannah, my point guard who's back, he's the playmaker, the general, I expect big things out of as far as leadership," Heiar said. As a freshman he won 33 games and we started four freshmen so he's got to be doing something right. I judge point guards on how many games they win."

Hannah will have plenty of options in dishing out the rock this season.

"JaMarcus Ellis signed at Texas A&M out of high school, I expect big things out of him," Heiar said. "Michael Taylor, another returner, Ryne Hamblet, another returner. Other than Ryne, they were all all-conference as freshmen."

"Then Gerrard Jackson, he's getting recruited by mid to highs. He was my starting four man, he's back."

Easy to see why expectations are so high. College recruiters will be making regular stops at Chipola.

"Mostly next month," Heiar said when asked when the recruiting will really heat up. "There have been a lot in during the summer time with some of the returners, I'm sure it will heat up in September when programs get serious about who they want to target and who they want to get."

Heiar thinks he has 13 potential Division One players, including "five or six" who could go mid-major plus or higher. The sophomore class is impressive, but the freshmen may be just as good.

Heiar just landed DeAndre Thomas, a power forward out of Chicago who signed with Missouri. Sean Taylor transferred in after playing 17 games at Alabama as a freshman and will be eligible at semester. Jeremiah Bryant committed to Louisville out of high school according to Heiar, but did not qualify. The roster is so loaded that Akeem Hemingway, one of the top players in the land, transferred to Connors State "so he could get more playing time."

Expect Chipola to be knocking on the door of a national title once again.

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