“Nowhere to go but up,” said Everett Hartman, Linn-Benton Community College’s (LBCC) Interim Men’s basketball coach.
LBCC Men’s basketball team finished their 2015-16 regular season 9-18 overall, and under the new interim head coach are expecting to improve on their record from last season. Hartman has coached two different schools for nine years as a high school freshman coach and two different schools for eight years as a junior varsity coach. He spent four years as West Albany’s varsity coach (1999-2003) and lead assistant at LBCC from 2003 to 2005, where he helped lead the team to the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) tournament for the first time in school history.
This year’s team starts with four returning players: Brodie Marchant, Kendrick Abraham, Kai Bansen, and Trevor Herrold.
“We’re really expecting a lot out of Brodie Marchant. He’s done some really good things for us,” said Hartman.
The staff also recruited 10 new players: Trent Pihas, JJ Stewart, Tanner Autencio, Trey Ecker, Isaac Garber, Jessie Marchant, Kyle Meyers, Cooper Getsfrid, Brady Ford, and Carter Flora.
One of the aspects that Hartman was most happy with was that eight out of the 14 players are from high schools in either Linn or Benton county.
“My belief is that if we could get the absolute best players from all the high schools in Linn and Benton county we could really be a great team,” Hartman stated.
The team’s first game is a home game against Tacoma Community College on Friday, Nov. 18.
“Tacoma Community College is a very strong program, they’re traditionally in the top four of the entire NWAC. It’s a chance for us to host a really quality team and program at home and see where we’re at,” said Hartman.
Overall, Coach Hartman always wants his players to prioritize being a student first.
“Our first thing was to get them acclimated on campus, get their schedule set for them, show them where the learning center and library are,” said Hartman.
He also takes pride in helping his players grow up.
“We want to hold them accountable, make them become more mature. I think 18 and 19 years of age is really a time of growing up.”
by Nick Fields