‘We Playing Basketball…’
Winter is here and with the winter season comes Bluefield University men’s basketball. With a pre-season ranking of seventh (out of 13 teams) in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, expectations and excitement are high with coaches, players and fans.
The men’s basketball team will enter the 2022-2023 season under the leadership of head coach Richard Morgan, who is now in his 14th season with the Rams. During his 14 years, Coach Morgan has achieved a lot of accomplishments, including securing 200 wins as head coach at BU. He said he’s excited to see what this year’s team can accomplish.
“I can’t wait to see what we can do,” Coach Morgan said about the 2022-2023 Rams. “We have a good group of guys, and they seem ready to go. I think the quicker we gel as a team, the quicker our success will come.”
Coach Morgan added that much will be expected from the newcomers on the team.
“We have a good group of freshmen, and they’re going to play a big role for our team,” Coach Morgan said. “So the quicker they get comfortable, the quicker we click as a team, and once that happens, the sky’s the limit for this group of guys.”
Another important piece of the team is the players, and one player that will make a big difference in this team’s success is Christian Bullock, better known as “Bull” by players and fans. Bullock played a significant role in the team’s success last year, but with a lot of players now gone, he will be expected to be the team leader.
“We have a good group,” Bullock said about this year’s team. “We all can ball, and we all bring something different to the game. Once we all get on the same page, we can be scary good.”
Bullock added that his personal goals for the season are more about the team.
“I want to lead this team to a championship,” he said. “Whatever I have to do to get us there, that’s the goal.”
Another key part of the Rams’ success are the BU fans, who say they’re excited and can’t wait to join the action this season. One fan in particular is Karon Smith, who said he loves BU basketball.
“I just really miss BU basketball (when it’s not in season),” Smith said. “Winter is my favorite season for that reason. Vee (Volante Carroll), Bull (Bullock) and Sage (Sage McLellan) — I can’t wait to see them guys play. When I graduate and have kids, I hope they go to BU and play basketball.”
The Rams began the season on October 30 and are 4-6 overall in the first month of action. Catch the team’s home action inside the Dome Gymnasium, and follow the team on the road at bcrams.com.
Photos by student Rampage photographer Nathan LePere.