5 minute read
Wayland Men
New coach, young team optimistic
By KEVIN LEWIS
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Clint Galyean knows there will be growing pains as he sets out as head coach of the Wayland Baptist Pioneers. Not only is Galyean a first-year coach at Wayland who is in his fourth year as a collegiate head coach, but the majority of his roster will be young, too. That’s a tough proposition for a team playing in one of the toughest small college conferences in the country, the Sooner Athletic Conference. Still, it’s a challenge that Galyean is very much embracing. “We are excited about the group of guys we have. We are really young. We have nine true/COVID freshmen. We know there will be an adjustment period for these guys, not only with a new staff, but how physical the college game is,” said Galyean, who took the reins from Ty Harrelson after he resigned following a six-year stint that produced a 115-59 record (.661) plus a Sooner Athletic Coach Clint Galyean Conference regular season and SAC Tournament title. Harrelson’s teams qualified for NAIA Nationals four years, including a run to the quarterfinals in 2018.
A native of Eastland, where his father Doug is considered a legend in the high school coaching ranks, Clint Galyean came to Wayland from Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas, where he spent the past three years as head coach, helping the Mustangs to the American Midwest Conference regular season or tournament title and into the NAIA National Championships every season. Galyean’s teams, ranked as high as No. 18 in the NAIA, produced a combined win-loss record of 63-27, a winning percentage of .700.
“I am looking forward to building off the success this program has established over the years,” Galyean said shortly after being hired at Wayland. “Our vision is to help our student athletes be
Wayland Baptist Pioneers Roster Name, Ht., Pos., Class, Hometown
Bryan Rector, 6-3, G, Soph., Lubbock, Texas Javorian Miller, 6-02, G, Soph., Odessa, Texas Brady Bailey, 6-4, G, Fr., Wheeler, Texas Kenyon Williams, 6-5, G, Fr., Bedford, Texas Amine Bouarifi, 6-5, G, Fr., Algiers, Algeria Amine Bensaleh, 6-7, F, Fr., Tipaza, Algeria Josh Servantez, 6-0, G, Soph., Shallowater, Texas Jordan Brannon, 6-3, G, Soph., Lubbock, Texas Kade Cleavinger, 6-7, F, Fr., Nazareth, Texas Gage Hulse, 6-1, G, Soph., Huffman, Texas Jaxon Recer, 6-7, G/F, Fr., Pottsboro, Texas Dylan McDougal, 6-2, G, Fr., Moore, Oklahoma Thad Udoh, 6-5, G/F, Fr., Amarillo, Texas Deng Bol Yol, 6-11, P, Sr., Kampala, Uganda Jibrael Washington, 6-8, P, Sr., Waco, Texas
Wayland Pioneer Jibrael Washington goes high for a rebound last season at home at the Hutcherson Center. (Photo by Claudia Lusk/WBU Sports Information)
successful on and off the court, grow in their faith, assist them in getting their diplomas and then propel them to successful careers in whatever they might choose to do, while also competing for conference and national championships.”
The Pioneers last season went 7-5 overall and 6-3 in the SAC in a COVID-reduced schedule. The top three scorers from that team aren’t back, including graduated Tre Fillmore of Amarillo Palo Duro. Two players who averaged just under 8 ppg do return:
Jordan Brannon Gage Hulse
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Javorian Miller
(Continued from previous page) Jordan Brannon, a 6-foot-3 junior guard from Lubbock Trinity Christian, and Gage Hulse, a 6-1 junior guard from Huffman. Also back are 6-foot-2 junior guard Javorian Miller of Odessa Permian (6.1 ppg) and 6-5 sophomore guard/forward Thad Udoh of Amarillo Palo Duro (4.7 ppg.)
Size comes in the form of 6-8 Jibrael Washington, the team’s second-leading rebounder last year at 6.3 per game who also averaged 2.8 blocks, and 6-11 Deng Bol Yol of Uganda. Rounding out the veterans are 6-4 sophomore guard Brady Bailey of Wheeler, 6-0 junior Josh Servantez of Shallowater and 6-7 sophomore Jaxon Reecer of Pottsboro.
“We have a chance to be really good defensively,” Galyean said. “Our guys are tough and work extremely hard. Offensively, we have a lot of unique pieces that can all do different things. Our guys are really unselfish, so it should be a fun group to watch develop and come together.”
WAYLAND BAPTIST PIONEERS SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
Oct. 21 Randall University @ Goodwell, OK 6 p.m. Oc. 22 Bethany College @ Goodwell, OK 12 p.m. Nov. 2 Dallas Christian College 6 p.m. Nov. 9 University of the Southwest @ Hobbs, NM 8 p.m. Nov. 12 Our Lady of the Lake University @ San Antonio TBA Nov. 13 Huston-Tillotson University @ San Antonio TBA Nov. 18 Southwestern Christian University 7:45 p.m. Nov. 20 Mid-America Christian University 3:45 p.m. Dec. 2 @ Langston, OK 7:45 p.m. Dec. 4 Central Christian College @ McPherson, KS 3:45 p.m Dec. 7 Oklahoma Panhandle State @ Goodwell, OK 7:45 p.m. Dec. 11 University of the Southwest 3 p.m. Dec. 14 Calvary Bible 6 p.m. Dec. 18 Champion Christian College 3 p.m. Dec. 30 Hardin-Simmons University 6 p.m. Jan. 1 @ Oklahoma City University 3:45 p.m. Jan. 3 John Brown University @ Siloam Springs, AR 3:45 p.m. Jan. 6 University of Science and Arts 7:45 p.m. Jan. 8 Texas Wesleyan University 3:45 p.m. Jan. 13 @ University of North Texas @ Dallas 3:45 p.m. Jan. 15 Southwestern Assemblies of God University 3:45 p.m. @ Waxahachie Jan. 20 Mid-America Christian University @ Oklahoma 7:45 p.m. City, OK Jan. 22 Southwestern Christian University, Bethany, OK 7:45 p.m. Jan. 27 Central Christian College 7:45 p.m. Jan. 29 Langston 3:45 p.m. Feb. 3 John Brown University 7:45 p.m. Feb. 5 Oklahoma City University 3:45 p.m. Feb. 10 Texas Wesleyan University @ Fort Worth 7:45 p.m. Feb. 12 University of Science and Arts, Chickasha, OK 3:45 p.m. Feb. 17 Southwestern Assemblies of God University 7:45 p.m. Feb. 19 University of North Texas at Dallas3:45 p.m. Feb. 22 Sooner Athletic Conference TBA
Gage Hulse of Wayland Baptist goes to the basket last season against John Brown University of Arkansas at the Hutcherson Center in Plainview. (Photo by Claudia Lusk/WBU Sports Information)
Wayland’s Jordan Brannon drives toward the basket in a home game last season. (Photo by Claudia Lusk/WBU Sports Information)
