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By Ryan Schlehuber, MCC Sportswriter

If there is one new feature that stands out with this year鈥檚 Montcalm 免费福利一区二区 Centurions men鈥檚 basketball team in Year 2,听it鈥檚听depth.听

After finishing with a 12-17 overall record in its inaugural season last year, the Centurions return eight players听鈥斕齣ncluding its听leading scorer from last season,听point guard Taylen Carver (Louisville, Ky.),听and听have added another nine, with eight freshmen, including one from Serbia听鈥斕齎lada听Djordjijevic听鈥斕齩ne sophomore transfer听鈥斕齔hian Briggs (Augusta, Ga.)听鈥斕齛nd听two key members of Greenville High School鈥檚 22-win varsity team from last season听鈥斕齔eke Robinet (Greenville, Mich.) and听Jaxon Ingles (Greenville, Mich.).听

The听loaded roster听鈥斕齱hich went from听11听last year to 17 this year听鈥斕齱as intentional,听said听Zach Ingles, whose returning coaching staff includes Lenny Starck and Asher Vissman.听

鈥淲e did this on purpose because听we got a little thin last year,鈥� Ingles said. 鈥淭hese seasons are long, and we already have one player down, so we wanted to pad our roster.鈥�听

Currently, Imlay City, Mich. sophomore guard Andrew Badder is out with an injury.听

According to Ingles, a junior community college team can have as many players as it wants but, he said, the biggest challenge with so many players is getting each of them minutes on the floor. And though MCC is only in its second year as a program,听it鈥檚听in 鈥渨in now鈥� mode, which Ingles believes his team is talented enough to win the MCCAA Northern Conference, meaning the players proving themselves in practice will get more of the spotlight during game time.听

鈥淲e听don鈥檛听bring in anyone who听can鈥檛听play. I tell my guys every day that each one of them can play,鈥� Ingles said. 鈥淓veryone wants to play but not everyone can. So,听it鈥檚听a tricky scenario.鈥�听

What Ingles has set up is a competitive roster, not just against the rest of the conference but听within听his own team, where each player is trying to carve out a role on the team, be it a starter or playing a vital role coming off the bench. With the听new players听he has on hand, Ingles鈥� team has plenty of new firepower to add to his offense, which is why he said depth may be the team鈥檚 biggest asset this season.听Having a plethora of firepower coming off the bench, he said, is a game changer.听

Last year鈥檚 team relied heavily on the scoring output of Carver, who, many times, produced. However, if opponents were able to shut him down, the Centurions oftentimes struggled.听MCC's offense听still听intends to听goes听through听Carver听this season,听however, Ingles is hoping he has more teammates stepping up offensively, giving the team multiple sources of scorers听and providing more support for Carver on offense.听

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have firepower coming off the bench that we didn鈥檛 have last year,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith a deep bench, it provides an overall strength that is significantly advanced compared to a year ago. I think, because of our depth and with other players being able to score other than just Taylen,听we鈥檙e听going to be听a very difficult听matchup for many opponents.鈥�听

So far, Carver was the leading scorer in two of MCC鈥檚 first four games, scoring 16 points in its loss to Owens 免费福利一区二区 and听scoring听24 points in the Centurions鈥� most recent听home听game, a win against Kuyper College, Nov. 11. Sophomore Mason Dunn (Big Rapids, Mich.) and听freshman听Trevor Zamarron (Greenville, Mich.) were the leading scorers in the other two games for MCC, scoring 14 and 21 points, respectively.听

Ingles said Carver鈥檚 role stays pretty much the same as last year, however, he will be expected to be more of a vocal leader now that he is a sophomore with plenty of experience both on the court and off the court,听now in his third year of being on MCC鈥檚 campus.听

鈥淗e has to听guide with听his voice now,鈥� Ingles听said. 鈥淭he players look up to him.听He鈥檚听had to grow into a听vocal role听because听it鈥檚听not natural for him.听But you have a lot of kids who are away from home, even one from Serbia, and Tay has been here for three听years,听so he knows how to settle in here. His role on the court听doesn鈥檛听change, but off the court, he听has to听do a little more. He听has to听start doing the听little things听to help guide his teammates, on the court and just living away from home.鈥�听

Ingles said the players have been impressive听on and off the court,听bonding well with each other quickly, and now it is about gelling together on the court, which, early in the season, it seems they are, posting a 3-2听record in the month of November,听so far. The Centurions won their season opener听rather convincingly, beating Washtenaw 免费福利一区二区, 103-49, Nov. 1, but then fell short against Owens 免费福利一区二区, losing 81-77, Nov. 3.听听

鈥淭hey shot 37 free throws to our 11, so that鈥檚 all I have to say about that,鈥� Ingles听said. 鈥淲e were still figuring things听out听and听I鈥檇听rather be doing that now than during conference play.听We鈥檒l听see them again (Nov. 29) and听we鈥檙e听looking forward to it.鈥�听

The Centurions rebounded, however, clinching two home wins back-to-back, an 87-54 win against Alma College (junior varsity), Nov. 5, and, most recently, an impressive 105-59 win over Kuyper College听(junior varsity), Nov. 11.听MCC lost a close road game, with Lake Michigan College squeaking out an 82-79 win, Saturday, Nov. 15.听

For听the next 10 games, MCC will be more challenged as Ingles and company will face several ranked teams, including No. 4-ranked Macomb 免费福利一区二区 (at home, Nov. 30), which, he said, 鈥渋s both exciting and terrifying.鈥�听

鈥淲e take things game by game,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t the end of the year,听we鈥檙e听capable of winning the North,听I鈥檒l听buy that. But we could also end in the middle.听It鈥檚听a brutal schedule.听We鈥檒l听see how we progress, especially early in the season.听We鈥檒l听see what we take in and what we听don鈥檛听and go from there.鈥�听

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UP NEXT: The Centurions will take on Jackson College听(0-4 overall)听at听the Raider听Showcase,听hosted by Grand Rapids 免费福利一区二区 on听Saturday, Nov. 22.听Game听time is听2听p.m.听