Last year Ed Jones wasn’t exactly blessed with a lot of size or depth.
This year at Maine Central Institute (Maine), it should be different.
``It’s night and day from last year,” Jones said. “Last year’s team wasn’t that bad, but this year we have a lot more size and more bodies.”
Sure, Jones loses a big-time player in Memphis-bound versatile guard, Antonio Anderson, who landed at Laurinburg Institute (N.C.). However, he replaces him with another tough, versatile player in Nebraska-bound Will Harris.
Harris is a 6-6, 220-pound New York native who played at Redemption Christian Academy a year ago. He’ll be joined by 6-5, 220-pound Ernest Jones, a workhorse from New Orleans who is active on both ends of the court.
Bryson Graham is a strong 6-2, 190-pound shooting guard from San Antonio, Texas, who is getting interest from the likes of Columbia, Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.
``Outside of Will Harris, our leadership and scoring could change any night,” Jones added. “We don’t need Will to be the man. It’ll be a team effort.”
Jones will have 6-4, 190-pound New Yorker Junior Bernal, who is getting looks from Maine, Binghamton, Iona and Toledo, in the rotation. Athletic 6-6, 180-pound Fayetteville (N.C.) native Kintrell Biddle is wiry and should see time, along with guards Maso Hamilton (6-3, 205), Kenneth Hasbrouck (6-3, 190), Chuckie Ivey (6-1, 180), Owen Maxwell (6-2, 170) and Raphael Mitchell (6-2, 185).
MCI will have a few bodies to use up front – 6-8, 240-pound Michael Harry (Marlton, N.J.), 6-9, 260-pound Isaac Heremaia (Christchurch, New Zealand) and 6-7, 215-pound Vincent Tourville (Los Angeles).
Harry is a widebody who takes up space and has good footwork while Heremaia also has bulk and runs the floor well for someone his size. Tourville is a combo forward who can really shoot the ball, but missed last season with an injury.
``I love our strength,” Jones said. “We’ll be very physical and very deep.”