Emotions ran high as another season of Longwood’s men’s basketball came to end. Three-year head coach Jayson Gee and two of his most impactful players, seniors Lotanna Nwogbo and Shaquille Johnson, sat in the post-game press conference after their quarterfinals finale, falling 89-78 to top-seeded High Point.
Tears welled in Gee’s eyes as he spoke on the senior pair’s praise of his coaching and recruiting, and then flowed discussing the sacrifice they made by transferring to Longwood “before anyone knew about Longwood” with their caliber of talent. In those moments, the conversation turned away from the game or season statistics, landing on the relationship Gee develops with his players.
“I’m probably the worst coach in the league, but I’m probably number one at loving our players and getting them to love us,” he said in the press conference. He noted how the graduating class of Nwogbo, Johnson and Tra’Vaughn White paved the way for the program, allowing Longwood to draw in recruits like incoming freshmen Juan Munoz and JaShaun Smith.
In a November press release by Longwood athletics, Gee called the combination of Munoz and Smith “the perfect storm” for Longwood men’s basketball. He felt Smith could have joined BCS programs, but chose Longwood instead, and Munoz was ranked as the No. 6 point guard in North Carolina when he signed on Nov. 5.
After having over a week to take a step back and let the emotions plateau, the head coach viewed the season ending 10-23 overall and 5-13 in the Big South positively.
“We obviously want to win more games,” said Gee. “(We) know that our program is in a much better position today, than it was last year and certainly when we first took over.”
The Lancers hit program milestones as they achieved their highest finish in the conference standings as the eighth-seed and landed their first All-Big South First team selection in Nwogbo since being a part of the Big South.
“It’s only people around our campus that aren’t amazed at what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Gee, commenting on the positive feedback he’s received from other recruiters. “We feel good about where we’re at and what we’ve been able to accomplish, and we’re striving to do better every day.”
They also faced external criticism as Johnson and former teammate Jason Pimental faced initial charges dealing with marijuana and indefinite suspensions before the season began.
More scrutiny arose mid-season when freshman forward Chris Shields and senior guard Leron Fisher sat out, ultimately missing the final two thirds of the season on a coach’s decision.
“We still had everything we needed, you know even with injuries, even with disciplinary issues, I think we just allowed those things to affect us too much,” said redshirt-sophomore Khris Lane. Lane played in all 33 games, averaging 6.2 boards and 8.2 points per game, and will return next season with three years under his belt with Longwood, including his redshirt year when he sat out due to NCAA transfer rule.
According to Lane, the team had trouble with keeping a stable emotional climate. “I think a lot of times what hurt us was when we had bumps in the road or had injuries, we let that take us down. And when we had a win or were feeling good, we let that get us too high. We just fluctuated too much,” he said.
Moving forward to next season, Gee cited depth and experience as important factors from this season that will continue to play a role in the future. Lane felt although “the senior leadership” provided by Nwogbo, Johnson, White and Fisher will leave, the rising true senior duo of Darrion Allen and Isaac Belton, alongside himself and future redshirt-junior Damarion Geter will fill their shoes as they each have at least three years of experience in the program.
“We’re losing a lot of rebounding, a lot of scoring, so obviously on the outside of it we’re losing a big part of last year,” said Lane. “I think along with me, Geter, D. J. (Allen) and Ike (Belton) will be basically the leaders of the team and be able to take up that leadership role and basically pick up what Shaq (Johnson) and them left off.”
Emotions ran high as another season of Longwood’s men’s basketball came to end. Three-year head coach Jayson Gee and two of his most impactful players, seniors Lotanna Nwogbo and Shaquille Johnson, sat in the post-game press conference after their quarterfinals finale, falling 89-78 to top-seeded High Point.
Tears welled in Gee’s eyes as he spoke on the senior pair’s praise of his coaching and recruiting, and then flowed discussing the sacrifice they made by transferring to Longwood “before anyone knew about Longwood” with their caliber of talent. In those moments, the conversation turned away from the game or season statistics, landing on the relationship Gee develops with his players.
“I’m probably the worst coach in the league, but I’m probably number one at loving our players and getting them to love us,” he said in the press conference. He noted how the graduating class of Nwogbo, Johnson and Tra’Vaughn White paved the way for the program, allowing Longwood to draw in recruits like incoming freshmen Juan Munoz and JaShaun Smith.
In a November press release by Longwood athletics, Gee called the combination of Munoz and Smith “the perfect storm” for Longwood men’s basketball. He felt Smith could have joined BCS programs, but chose Longwood instead, and Munoz was ranked as the No. 6 point guard in North Carolina when he signed on Nov. 5.
After having over a week to take a step back and let the emotions plateau, the head coach viewed the season ending 10-23 overall and 5-13 in the Big South positively.
“We obviously want to win more games,” said Gee. “(We) know that our program is in a much better position today, than it was last year and certainly when we first took over.”
The Lancers hit program milestones as they achieved their highest finish in the conference standings as the eighth-seed and landed their first All-Big South First team selection in Nwogbo since being a part of the Big South.
“It’s only people around our campus that aren’t amazed at what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Gee, commenting on the positive feedback he’s received from other recruiters. “We feel good about where we’re at and what we’ve been able to accomplish, and we’re striving to do better every day.”
They also faced external criticism as Johnson and former teammate Jason Pimental faced initial charges dealing with marijuana and indefinite suspensions before the season began.
More scrutiny arose mid-season when freshman forward Chris Shields and senior guard Leron Fisher sat out, ultimately missing the final two thirds of the season on a coach’s decision.
“We still had everything we needed, you know even with injuries, even with disciplinary issues, I think we just allowed those things to affect us too much,” said redshirt-sophomore Khris Lane. Lane played in all 33 games, averaging 6.2 boards and 8.2 points per game, and will return next season with three years under his belt with Longwood, including his redshirt year when he sat out due to NCAA transfer rule.
According to Lane, the team had trouble with keeping a stable emotional climate. “I think a lot of times what hurt us was when we had bumps in the road or had injuries, we let that take us down. And when we had a win or were feeling good, we let that get us too high. We just fluctuated too much,” he said.
Moving forward to next season, Gee cited depth and experience as important factors from this season that will continue to play a role in the future. Lane felt although “the senior leadership” provided by Nwogbo, Johnson, White and Fisher will leave, the rising true senior duo of Darrion Allen and Isaac Belton, alongside himself and future redshirt-junior Damarion Geter will fill their shoes as they each have at least three years of experience in the program.
“We’re losing a lot of rebounding, a lot of scoring, so obviously on the outside of it we’re losing a big part of last year,” said Lane. “I think along with me, Geter, D. J. (Allen) and Ike (Belton) will be basically the leaders of the team and be able to take up that leadership role and basically pick up what Shaq (Johnson) and them left off.”
