Raiders build depth, versatility for upcoming season

The Three Rivers Raiders men's college basketball team opens the season Friday night against Dyersburg State.

DAR/Mike Buhler

Forty-five years after he helped the Three Rivers College men’s basketball team win its first national championship, Robert Kirby is back to lead the Raiders on the hardwood this season.

“It’s awesome to be back home,” Kirby said. “I’m loving being back in the element. When you coach a lot of different places, some places you go to, you (have to) work your way into knowing what’s going on, the people that surround the program and things like that — and feeling comfortable.

“But we’ve been comfortable from day one here, because I know what this crowd expects and what the people expect. It’s a great feeling to be back home when you’re welcomed at home, to come in and play with a lot of passion, a lot of energy — and we know the fans are going to return that (energy) to us.”

After seeing Three Rivers plagued by injuries the last two seasons — at one point last season, the Raiders had just seven players available — Kirby and assistant coach Brandon Branch put an emphasis on recruiting a deep roster for this season.

“We’ve got some versatile guys and some multiple-position guys,” Kirby said. “We made it a point to recruit those types of guys that played more than one position. … We like the depth that we have one through 15 — 15 guys that can really play multiple positions.”

And having those 15 versatile players gives the Raiders some nice options on the court.

“I can put a defensive unit out there or an offensive unit out there,” Kirby said. “It’s just a question of them growing up as a young team. With all those freshmen, they tend to want to do the same things they did in high school from time to time.”

Leading the way for Three Rivers this season is a quartet of returning sophomores — Demetris “Meechie” White, Robert “Deuce” Alexander, Bryce Wallace and Dexter native Cole Nichols.

“I like the pieces that we have when it comes to personnel,” Kirby said. “Meechie and our sophomores are coming along and they’re getting better and better each day. Meechie’s doing a really good job for us. He’s getting better each day as a player to understand what we want and how to do it.

“Deuce has really been very consistent with his play moving forward and just understanding what we’re trying to get accomplished as a team for us taking care of the ball. They both are shooting the ball really well and at a hot clip.”

Also impressing is Nichols, who is the nephew of Benjy Johnson, a member of TRC’s other national championship team in 1992.

“Cole is really, really good off the bounce,” Kirby said. “He really understands what we’re doing on the floor, knows all the sets and does a really good of shooting the ball. You’ve got to know where to locate him in transition and know where he is because he can really knock down the 3, and he’s really good at getting to the basket and playing off the bounce.”

Kirby also had words of praise for Wallace, who has been hobbled in the preseason.

“Bryce Wallace is one of those guys that can really stretch the floor,” Kirby said. “He’s (6-8) and he’s a returning guy from last year. He’s dealing with an injury right now and trying to get through that, but as soon as he gets back on the floor, he gives us a guy that stretches the floor really well.”

The Raiders’ fifth sophomore is Marial Malek, a transfer from Shorter College in Arkansas who averaged close to 10 points and eight rebounds per game as a freshman.

“Malek is gifted with speed and athleticism, being able to see the floor as well as can defend guys away from the basket,” Kirby said, “then contain them and block shots at the end.”

Leading the freshman class is a trio of guards in Ethan Johnson, Matt Hampton and Deion Wesson. Johnson was a high school teammate of the sons of LeBron James and Scottie Pippen, while Hampton played at SEMO Prep last season and broke the 20-point barrier in a contest at John A. Logan.

Last but not least, Wesson was the point guard on Jonesboro High School’s 2023 Arkansas state championship squad.

“Ethan Johnson is a really exceptional shooter,” Kirby said. “We have a couple of other guys that are shooting the ball (well). Matt Hampton is really a guy that can play off the bounce and catch-and-shoot, which gives you a high-dimensional guy. Deion Wesson has been really skilled guiding (the offense) and can see people (well on the court).”

Playing as a swingman between the backcourt and the front court is 6-8 Turkish freshman Ali Oralkan.

“(He’s a) guard/forward that can really shoot the ball from deep and put it on the deck — and is a great athlete as well,” Kirby said. “He doesn’t always show it, but he is.”

Another impressive freshman is Allen Stoddard, a 6-7 forward from Georgia.

“He is an energy giver,” Kirby said. “He has a big motor when it comes to making plays with athleticism and his intensity level. He is a high-level jumper. …

“He’s a guy that can really shoot it at a high clip from (behind the 3-point line) and can straight-line drive you to the rim — and finish at the rim.”

One of the team’s most-talked about recruits has been 7-2 freshman William Patterson, who was a redshirt at Syracuse University last season. Kirby said the big man has “an ultra-talented skill set.”

“He’s an elite shot-blocker when he’s really locked in, when he’s really tuned in,” Kirby said. “He’s an elite shot blocker and elite scorer. He’s got to continue to grow and mature to that point to where he’s doing it on a consistent basis, every day.”

Also impressing is 6-11 freshman Sikou Diagouraga, who played at Tennessee Prep last season and hails from Mali in western Africa.

“He’s got a great motor,” Kirby said. “We’re trying to get some meat on him and get him a little bigger, but he’s got an oustanding motor. He blocks shots, he runs the floor really well and he takes care of the ball.”

Also playing in the frontcourt is 6-10 freshman Johann Pautsch, who hails from Dusseldorf, Germany and like Hampton, also played at SEMO Prep last season.

“He’s a big, strong forward/center that can bang with anybody in the country,” Kirby said. “He’s a very physical player who rebounds it well, can face up and shoot it — and score in the box as well.”

Another European on the roster is freshman Kevin Peleyron, who is from Zaragoza, Spain.

“Kevin is a strong, powerful, quick and athletic guy that can play (either forward position or center) because he’s big, strong and tough enough to do it,” Kirby said.

One of the first recruits to sign with the Raiders was Antonio Williams, a Hopkinsville, Kentucky product who averaged 26 points and 13.5 rebounds as a senior in high school.

“Antonio Williams is a superb athlete,” Kirby said. “He’s a really high leaper who can really catch it and shoot it. … He puts it on the deck from the corner really well. He’s not really a guy that you play off the bounce, but he can straight line drive it to the rim and do a really good job of finishing at the rim.”

Kirby will coach his first official game Friday night when the Raiders take on Dyersburg State at the Libla Family Sports Complex.

“I’m very excited about opening up (Friday), very excited about it,” Kirby said. “We’ve got a bunch of good young guys — high character guys that work hard and compete. They’re still learning. That’s one thing about youth — they don’t know that they don’t know — so we’re constantly working out and trying to get them to think about what they’re doing.

“But the main thing is we want to play hard, compete and give it everything they got. I think they’re doing that for the most part. We’ve just got to get them playing smarter as we go.”