HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College men's basketball team will travel to The Citadel on Friday (Nov. 3) for an afternoon exhibition starting at 3 p.m. Live stats for the game will be available at www.cokercobras.com.
The Cobras boast a 29-man roster, made up of ten returners and 19 newcomers. Although the newcomers outweigh the returners, the Cobras will look for veteran leadership from seniors Jake Barrett, Donte Samuels, and Nathan Lemke to achieve success this season.
Last year, Samuels was named to the preseason All-SAC team for the second-straight season, marking his fourth-consecutive All-SAC honor. Unfortunately, Samuels was unable to compete last season due to injury.
In the absence of Samuel, Lemke stepped up for the Navy and Gold and had a breakout season. On the court, he averaged 9.5 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game, with his best performance coming against Brevard where he scored 21 points. Off the court, Lemke was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, being just one of four members from the SAC to earn the accolade.
While coach Samuel acknowledges the importance of his veterans, he is also excited about some of his new players.
"We brought in a great class this year," said Samuel. "Khalil Halls, Zachary Mack, Dakota Jennings, and Ra Anderson, just to name a few, should make an impact this year. The new guys came in with a humble spirit and are meshing well with the returning players."
The Citadel enters tomorrow's exhibition coming off a 12-21 record in their 2016-17 campaign. The Bulldogs return Zane Najdawi, a 2016-17 All-SoCon Team selection.