Great Expectations: Troy basketball looks loaded
In an era of rampant transfers, Coach Cross’s team returns 12 (!) players. Plus, “The Amazing Sladek" and The Citizen’s first engagement announcement.
By BILL RICE, JR.
Coach Scott Cross enters his sixth season as Troy University’s basketball coach with sky-high expectations, expectations which shouldn’t be tempered after the Trojans cruised to an 84-74 victory last night over Toledo, a team that’s won four-straight conference championships in the MAC.
Since I’m once again a local sports journalist, I attended the game and was very impressed by the athletes I saw running the court at beautiful Trojan Arena.
This morning I spent two hours researching the Trojans’ roster and viewing pre-season press reports produced by Troy’s excellent Sports Information staff.
Based on my deep dive into the Trojans’ roster and one game’s worth of observations, Troy has talent, depth, outstanding team chemistry and plenty of leaders, including several players with moxie, poise and confidence.
In the Portal era of non-stop transfers, I was flabbergasted to learn Troy lost zero players to the portal and didn’t have to add a single player via the portal.
In fact, Troy returns an unheard of 12 players from last season’s team, which finished 20-12, including going 13-5 in the competitive Sun Belt - Troy’s most wins in conference play since 2008-2009.
Troy did lose two starters - Aamer Muhammad and Christyone Eugene- but returns seven players who started games last season, including Sun Belt “Freshman of the Year” Myles Rigsby and “Sixth Man” of the Year, Tayton Conerway.
Two quality players who were redshirted last year will be playing key minutes this year, plus several proven reserves and talented freshmen.
Against Toledo, 11 Trojans played more than 6:50 minutes. (Troy’s non-starters outscored Toledo’s bench players 35-15 in Monday night’s season-opening victory.)
In a pre-season press conference, Coach Cross didn’t try to hide his opinion he thinks this team has an excellent chance to have a memorable season.
“I feel like we are a lot farther along than we’ve been in years past,” said Cross, adding, “I like where we are .. (This team should be) capable of winning a championship …I like what we have, the togetherness of our team …
“… This team has a chance to win a (conference) championship, go to NCAA Tournament and do some things that have never happened (here.)”
Coach Cross has probably not gotten enough credit for building a consistent winning program at Troy, which has won 20 games for three consecutive seasons - the only league team to reach this win total the past three seasons.
Last year’s team - which had only three returning players - won its first six Sun Belt games and defeated FSU of the ACC 77-72, the team’s first win against an ACC team since the then Division II Trojans upset Georgia Tech in 1981.
Troy also led San Diego State by eight points mid-way through the second half, before ultimately losing by five points. That Aztec team finished as Division I runner-ups to U Conn.
Coach Cross should benefit from a roster that has four seniors, four juniors and one redshirt junior. In the Portal era, Troy has only one player who transferred from another D-I program (Theo “Big Bird” Seng, who previously played at Sacramento State).
Austin Cross will probably be redshirted …
Among the freshmen are Cross’s son, Austin, who was a standout at Pike Liberal Arts for three years and then the AHSAA 5A Player of the Year at CHHS in 2022-23 before playing last year at a Florida prep school.
According to his father, Austin could probably play this year, but Coach Cross would prefer to redshirt his son (which is understandable given the proven depth and talent on this year’s team).
Excellent players throughout the lineup …
Based on last night’s game, it looks like Troy has a bench full of players who can light up the scoreboard on any given night.
Myles Rigsby was a star as a freshman and made the first team of the pre-season Sun Belt All-Conference team.
While Rigsby, a 6-6 forward, can shoot from long range, he might be better known for his ability to drive the ball to the basket. Rigsby is one of the most athletic Troy basketball players in many years.
Dothan native Thomas Dowd (6-8) had an excellent freshman season and has added 10-pounds of muscle his sophomore season. Dowd, one of the team’s hardest workers, plays with moxie and passion and should be a fan favorite.
Tayton Conerway is a guard from Texas (one of several starters from that state) who can shoot, drive, pass and has a knack for making steals on defense.
Jackson Fields has played more games (62) than any Trojan and is another extremely athletic inside player.
Myles Rigsby’s brother, Marcus Rigsby, saw extensive action last year as a reserve and was the starter at point guard last night. At 6-2, he’s not as tall as his brother, but he’s another impressive-looking athlete.
When Marcus took a breather, one of the Trojans who brought the ball up the court was Victor Valdes, who is 6-feet-7 and is listed as a forward but can play point guard as well.
Valdez, from Monterrey Mexico, is Troy’s one international player. (Coach Cross compared Valdez’s “skillset” to that of Dallas Mavericks’ superstar Luka Donic).
Randarius Jones, a thick power forward, shot 60.9 percent from the field last year.
Based on one game and a roster full of players who have been in the program for at least one year, Troy should have a team that can compete for a regular season conference title, a Conference tournament title (which brings with it an automatic berth to the Big Dance) or maybe even an NCAA at-large bid.
A tough non-conference schedule …
According to Coach Cross, “five or six”of the Sun Belt’s 14 teams have a chance to win the league championship. (Troy was picked third in the pre-season poll behind Arkansas State and James Madison.)
Troy is also playing the most-demanding non-conference schedule in Cross’s tenure with upcoming games at Arkansas (now coached by John Caliperi) on November 13, recent Division-I power Houston and Oregon (Nov. 17th), which advanced to the Final 32 last year.
While victories against any of of these teams would be major upsets, these games should prepare Troy for its challenging 18-game Sun Belt schedule.
Troy returns to the court Saturday at 4 p.m. on the road at New Orleans.
The Trojans’ next home game is Saturday, November 25 at 7 p.m. against UTSA, which Cross said has 11 Division I transfers.
In Troy’s next home game, a roster full of D-I transfers will face a modern anomaly, a Trojan team full of veteran players who have chosen to stay in Troy … no doubt because these athletes think this year’s team could be very special.
If you haven’t been to a Troy University basketball game in a while, this might be a good year to purchase season tickets.
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“The Amazing Sladek,” 64, lived up to his billing
At halftime of Monday night’s basketball game, acrobat extraordinaire Gary Sladek wowed spectators at Trojan Arena by balancing 25 feet in the air on six chairs.
After watching this amazing feat, I did some research on Mr. Sladek, who became famous doing the same routine on “America’s Got Talent” eight years ago and entertains college and NBA fans throughout the country.
According to this feature story, each year, Sladek “travels 50,000 miles per season bringing his acts of daring on the road, traveling from coast to coast in his Chrysler Town and Country.”
The former gymnast and ballet performer, now 64, said - knock on wood - he has never fallen in 44 years.
On "America's Got Talent,” Simon Cowell asked him if he'd add more chairs to the teetering pile of six.
"I told him, 'My chairs don't stack together. This is not magic. It's an old school, daredevil act. I'm a human Jenga,but the laws of physics won't allow me to go any higher. Even for a master hand-balancer, that would be a death sentence.”
In 2015, he was voted the "Best NBA Halftime Act.”
Sladek said “90 percent of circus performers and acrobats in show business are done at the age of 35, either becoming clowns or training dogs for dog shows. I'm a special case because I was a champion gymnast and I had ballet training. Flexibility is the key to longevity. That's my motto.”
"I risk my life for my living," he said. "I don't get rich, but I'm a gypsy on the road performing — and I love it."
Some days, there have been hair-raising close calls.
"I pray about it. I thank God for keeping me safe.”
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Ellis, McWhorter announce engagement
Alexandra Lynn (Ali) Ellis and Cole Thomas McWhorter happily announce their recent engagement and forthcoming marriage.
Ali is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Emory Ellis, and the late Mrs. Tonia Rogers Ellis. Cole is the son of Mr. Rod McWhorter and the late Mrs. Sabrina Stephens McWhorter .
Ali grew up in Decatur where she attended Decatur city schools until 10th grade when her family moved to Troy. Ali attended Charles Henderson High and is a Class of 2018 graduate. Cole also attended Charles Henderson High and is a Class of 2020 graduate.
Ali is currently attending Wallace College of Dothan and will earn her nursing degree in May. Cole attended Lurleen B. Wallace Community College and AUM on a baseball scholarship, earning a degree in Business. Cole co-owns and runs Olde Magnolia Bakery of Luverne.
Ali and Cole have one daughter, Vivian Lynn, who is 5. A January 2025 wedding is planned and the family will reside in Troy.
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Editor’s note: Families may email engagement notices to Bill Rice, Jr. at: wjricejunior@gmail.com
See today’s Reader Comment section for more information about engagement announcements and, possibly, obituary notices to be published in future on-line editions of The Troy Citizen.
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UPDATE: Since its debut 10 days ago, The Troy Citizen has generated more than 7,500 page views. Readers can subscribe for Free, $6/month or $55/year. All subscribers will receive Troy Citizen content every day via their email or a Substack ap).
I just learned Rick Hendrick of 95.1 FM The Fox and long-time P.A. announcer for the Montgomery Biscuits was the p.a. announcer at last night's game. I thought that voice sounded familiar. I got to know Rick when I sold radio commercials for Cumulus in Montgomery about 17 years ago. He's a very nice guy.
Reader feedback is appreciated .... I hadn't thought about running engagement announcements (or obituary notices) until my friend Emily Ellis sent me today's engagement announcement.
My first thought is readers might appreciate these notices. However, I probably will have to charge a nominal fee since I don't want to fill up my email dispatches largely with these notices.
In the future, I might do engagement announcements on a weekly or semi-monthly basis. It's worth considering as The Citizen is already averaging almost 1,000 Page Views per day, a figure I hope will continue to grow. That is, local residents would reach many of their neighbors.
Thoughts on running engagement and obituary notices in the future are appreciated!