AUGUSTA. GA. - Now that we've reached the month of October, the start of the college basketball season is not far away. For the Augusta men, the season starts Nov. 1, and the intensity level in practice ramps up. 

For coach Dip Metress, this is year number 22 with the Jaguar program. Every year is different, and there have already been a number of challenges for Metress and the team.

"There's a lot of question marks, a lot of injuries, and three of our top four returning players haven't really practiced," said Metress. 



With the first game only a few weeks down the road, Metress has had to make a few adjustments to make sure the Jags are ready to go.

"We've got to be conscious of our days off because there are NCAA rules we have to work around. We scrimmage the earliest we've ever scrimmaged, and we'll have guys not playing in those scrimmages due to injuries, but that's okay," added Metress.  

Injuries bring chances for other guys, and with several new faces on the roster, they'll get a shot right out of the gate.

The one constant is Evan Joyner. The lone senior on the team is having to take a different role, that of being a leader. A year ago, Joyner played in all but three contests and averaged over six points a game. He's being leaned upon more this year.  

"He's done a great job, and he needs to continue to lead with us," said Metress. "It's a big challenge because everyone's roles are different but they've done a good job of picking things up." 

Metress said that right now, four freshmen will likely play double-figure minutes. They've had a chance to impress in workouts to this point, and some have stepped up quickly. One that has stood out so far is Charlie McBeath. 

"He's got a great work ethic, a very good player. He has a desire to be good, so we're counting on him. He's shown the ability to separate himself from our freshmen class that is going to play," said Metress.

Augusta starts the season in Florida at the Small College Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Fl. Nov 1-2 when they take on Washburn University and Lubbock Christian University. 

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