Team focus: Panola Ponies
Second year head coach Jacob Wonders has his Ponies of Panola College off to a (9-2) start heading into the new year. The Ponies have a lot of sophomores on the roster this season. JucoJunction had a chance to touch base with Coach Wonders on his players.
Papa Oppong: (SO) 6-foot-4 from Toronto. Oppong transferred in from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. The wing player is currently averaging 15.4 ppg and 4.9 rebounds this season for the Ponies.
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"Papa is a talented wing that has good skills and can score in a variety of ways from the floor," said Wonders.
Justin Dennis: (SO) 6-foot-0 from Toronto. Justin was a first team All-region performer last season. Dennis a point guard is currently averaging 10.9 ppg and shooting 47% (17-36) from three-point range. Dennis and Oppong were high school teammates at Mother Teresa High School in Toronto.
Christopher Jones: (SO) 6-foot-0 from Katy, TX. Jones is the twin brother of teammate Christian Jones.
"I feel that Christopher is one of the most underrated guards in the country. He is a pure point guard that knows how to run a team," said Wonders.
Jones is getting 9.3 ppg and dishing out 7.1 assists a night for the Ponies while grabbing 2.7 steals.
Elijah Cotton: (SO) 6-foot-6 from New Orleans, LA. Cotton is getting 9.2 ppg and 6.2 rebounds so far this season after coming off the bench last year.
"Elijah was a Division One signee coming out of high school but played behind some talented players last season," said Wonders.
Wonders is looking for Cotton to contribute with a larger role this season for the
Ponies.
Aamir McCleary: (SO) 6-foot-1 from Philadelphia, PA. McCleary is a third year player. The combo guard is very quick and can create and score on his own. Aamir is currently getting 10.7 ppg and 4.5 rebounds.
Arol Longar: (SO) 6-foot-9 from Rochester, MN. Longar is a third player that transferred in from Arkansas-Fort Smith. Arol started off at Bevill State-Jasper back in the fall of 2005. Longer has a brother who is a senior this season at the University
of Oklahoma. Arol has been hampered by injuries this season.