The 2020-21 UTM men’s basketball team took the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center floor for the first time as the squad’s official practice began this afternoon.
Head coach Anthony Stewart enters his fifth season in charge of the Skyhawk program as he returns five players (including a redshirt transfer) and welcomes in 14 newcomers in 2020-21. UTM’s returning starters include All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) redshirt junior guard Parker Stewart (19.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game) and sophomore guard Eman Sertovic (4.8 points in 21.9 minutes per game, .347 three-point field goal percentage, .929 free throw percentage).
“It’s always great to be out here with your team and coaching staff doing the things that you love to do and doing it together,” Stewart said. “Today gives us a sense of normalcy. It’s a very fragile and volatile environment with the COVID-19 virus going on – there are a lot of unknowns. But when we get together as a team trying to accomplish our goals, that’s always a great feeling.”
The NCAA Division I Council announced on Sept. 16 that the 2020-21 college basketball season can begin as early as Nov. 25, shifting back from its original Nov. 10 start date to create a more controlled and less populated campus environment that may reduce the risk of COVID-19.
UTM’s full 2020-21 schedule – including an abbreviated non-conference schedule along with a full OVC slate – will be released in the coming weeks.
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