7 minute read
Wayland Men
Galyean has high hopes for Pioneers
By KEVIN LEWIS
Advertisement
A promising season that has second-year coach Clint Galyean talking championships begins with the Wayland Baptist Pioneers picked to win the Sooner Athletic Conference title – with even more good news hopefully around the corner.
“I believe we have a team that is capable of not only competing for a SAC championship, but a team that can compete for a national championship,” Galyean said. “We are looking forward to the season ahead.”
Galyean enters his second year with a Wayland team that returns most of last season’s key players bolstered by an enviable infusion of transfer talent.
“This offseason, our primary focus was to add more experience and scoring. Based on the guys we signed, I believe we hit the nail on the head in addressing those needs from last year,” he said.
Despite some challenges last season, the Pioneers still produced almost 20 wins and advanced to the SAC Tournament championship where, after knocking off 10th-ranked Science & Arts of Oklahoma in the semifinals, they lost to. No. 24 Southwestern Assemblies of God University by two, 58-56. The Pioneers kept their fingers crossed that they would earn an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championships, but they just missed out.
“Last year was a rough year for us as I got the job really late, so the guys had to try and adjust on the fly. We also dealt with COVID like a lot of our teams in our league,” Galyean said. “We finished the year 19-13 with two COVID forfeits and two other losses with the majority of our varsity players out with COVID. I thought we finished really strong as we finished the year winning 11 out of 14 and making it to the SAC Tournament final.”
Defense was good last year
Wayland relied heavily on defense last year, winding up in the top 10 in the NAIA in points per game (63.2) and defensive field goal percentage (39.4 percent). Those efforts were led by shot-
Wayland Baptist Pioneers Roster Name, Ht., Pos., Class, Hometown
Tedrick Wolfe, 6-5, G/F, Sr., DeWitt, Arkansas Reese Spencer, 6-5, G, Soph., Porter, Texas Parrish Hewitt, 6-3, G, Sr., Memphis, Tennessee RJ Mason, 6-0, G, Sr., DeSoto, Texas William Luther, 6-4, G, Fr., Texline, Texas BJ Simmons, 6-3, G, Jr., Cedar Hill, Texas Josh Servantez, 6-0, G, Jr., Shallowater, Texas Kade Cleavinger, 6-8, F, Fr., Nazareth, Texas Bonny Udoh, 6-5, F, Jr., Amarillo, Texas William Washington, 6-2, G, Jr., Peachtree City, Georgia Jaxon Recer, 6-8, F, Soph., Pottsboro, Texas Dylan McDougal, 6-4, G, Soph., Moore, Oklahoma Thad Udoh, 6-5, F, Soph., Amarillo, Texas D’Michael Bellfield, 6-9, P, Jr., Palestine, Texas
Coach: Clint Galyean
Asst. Coaches: Tony Stennett, Jibrael Washington 2021-2022 record: 19-13, 13-9
Thad Udoh, a Wayland Baptist Pioneer from Amarillo Palo Duro, is a 6-5 sophomore who figures to boost the team this year. He was honorable mention All-SAC last season, averaging 10.7 points and 4.5 rebounds. (Photo by WBU Sports Information)
blocking extraordinaire Jibrael Washington, the SAC Defensive Player of the Year now serving as a graduate assistant coach. Washington finished second in the NAIA with 3.2 blocks per game and became the Pioneers’ all-time leader in blocks with 185.
Washington was one of four Pioneers to earn conference postseason honors, and the other three are back, led by RJ Mason, a 6-0 senior guard from DeSoto by way of Northwestern Oklahoma State who earned second-team All-SAC honors after averaging 14.1 points per game, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Thad Udoh, a 6-5 sophomore forward from Amarillo Palo Duro, was honorable mention All-SAC for his 10.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 59 percent shooting. Dylan McDougal, a 6-3 sophomore guard from Moore, Oklahoma, averaged 7.1 points and made the SAC All-Freshman Team.
Another veteran, although after transferring from Northwestern Oklahoma State, appeared in just six games last season in order to redshirt, is Parrish Hewitt, a 6-3 senior guard from Memphis, Tennessee, who topped WBU in scoring at 17.3 points while also getting 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Other experience returns in 6-8 sophomore forward Jaxon Recer of Pottsboro, who averaged 6.7 points and 7.1 boards, and 6-0 junior guard Josh Servantez from Shallowater, who was good for 8.4 ppg.
(Continued from previous page)
There’s no shortage of incoming talent for Galyean’s crew, one of whom – Tederick Wolfe – played for the coach at his previous stop at Central Baptist College in Arkansas. A 6-5 senior forward, Wolfe was an honorable mention all-American two years ago at CBC where he shot 56 percent and averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals. “Ted is a freak athlete who can score in a variety of ways,” Galyean said.
Two other transfers who can fill it up are BJ Simmons and Reece Spencer. Simmons is a 6-3 junior point guard who comes to Wayland from Division I UT-Rio Grande Valley, where he averaged 7.1 ppg and previously from Clarendon Junior College, where he was good for 17.5 ppg and 4.1 assists. “BJ is electric in the open floor as he can fill it up quickly. He is also a tremendous passer,” Galyean said. Spencer arrived from Houston Baptist and Weatherford College, where the 6-5 sophomore guard averaged 16.3 ppg on 44 percent 3-point shooting. “Reece is the best shooter I have coached. He is our most talented offensive player as he can score it efficiently on all three levels,” Galyean said.
Another Udoh returns
Joining the squad from Weatherford Junior College and Oklahoma Baptist is 6-9 junior forward D’Michael Bellfield. “D’Mike is a skilled big that eats up space and can dominate the paint,” Galyean said of Bellfield, who at Weatherford averaged 14.5 ppg on over 60 percent shooting along with 7.1 rpg. Others beefing up the Pioneers inside will be junior forwards Manny Crump from Sam Houston State and Bol Tong from the University of New Orleans and Hill College. The 6-8 Crump, who averaged 4.0 ppg on 56.3 percent shooting and
2.4 rpg, “is a versatile player who can play the 4 or the 5. With his length and athleticism, he should be able to make an immediate impact,” Galyean said. The 6-9 Tong, who at Hill averaged 8.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg and shot 41 percent from distance, “will be a tough matchup with his size and ability to shoot from deep.” Returning to Wayland’s lineup will be Bonny Udoh, a 6-5 junior forward from Amarillo Palo Duro who played for the Pioneers in 2019-20, averaging 6.8 ppg. The older brother of Thad, Bonny went on to Howard College, where he averaged 13.2 ppg on 61.2 percent shooting and 5.8 rpg, plus recorded 43 blocks. “Bonny is an elite athlete who is physical inside,” Galyean said. “He brings a lot of toughness to our team.” Coach Clint Galyean Galyean’s sophomore season gets underway Nov. 4 when the Pioneers host University of the Southwest. Wayland is scheduled to play just three nonconference games plus an exhibition Nov. 14 at West Texas A&M before opening SAC play Nov. 17 at the University of North Texas at Dallas.
WAYLAND BAPTIST PIONEERS SCHEDULE
Date Opponent
Time
Oct. 29 Dallas Christian College 4 p.m. Nov. 4 University of the Southwest New Mexico 7 p.m. Nov. 11 Huston-Tillotson University 4 p.m. Nov. 12 Our Lady of the Lake University 4 p.m. Nov. 14 West Texas A&M University @ Canyon 7 p.m. Nov. 17 University of North Texas @ Dallas 8 p.m. Nov. 19 Southwestern Assemblies of God University @ 4 p.m. Waxahachie Nov. 22 Randall University 7 p.m. Dec. 1 Southwestern Christian University 8 p.m. Dec. 3 Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma 4 p.m. Dec. 10 Central Christian College @ McPherson, KS 8 p.m. Dec. 12 @ Langston, Oklahoma 4 p.m. Dec. 15 Oklahoma Panhandle State University @ 8 p.m. Goodwell, Oklahoma Dec. 30 University of the Southwest @ Hobbs, N.M. 3 p.m. Jan. 5 John Brown University Arkansas 8 p.m. Jan. 7 Oklahoma City University 4 p.m. Jan. 12 Texas Wesleyan University @ Fort Worth 8 p.m. Jan. 14 University of Science and Arts @ Chickasha, OK 4 p.m. Jan. 19 Southwestern Assemblies of God University 8 p.m. Jan. 21 University of North Texas at Dallas4 p.m. Jan. 26 Mid-America Christian University Oklahoma 8 p.m. Jan. 28 Southwestern Christian University @ Bethany, OK 4 p.m. Jan. 31 Oklahoma Panhandle State University 8 p.m. Feb. 2 Central Christian College Kansas 8 p.m. Feb. 4 Langston 4 p.m. Feb. 9 @ Oklahoma City University 8 p.m. Feb. 11 John Brown University @ Siloam Springs, AR 4 p.m. Feb. 16 University of Science and Arts Oklahoma 8 p.m. Feb. 18 Texas Wesleyan University 4 p.m.
Jaxon Recer of Pottsboro, a 6-8 sophomore forward, averaged 6.7 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers in 2021-22.
