The ETSU men’s basketball team will open their season on Saturday facing non-conference rival UVA-Wise at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Center.
Saturday’s opener will not necessarily be a reality check for the Bucs as they face a young NAIA team.
If that’s not the worst part the Cavaliers are not even ready to play in the NAIA, according to their coach Lee Clark.
“It’s going to be ugly,” Clark said, laughing. “We are young and not very good. My team is not even really ready to play in the NAIA yet.”
The Cavaliers have already dropped their first two games as they enter more conference play coming to Johnson City. The only positive side for the Cavs is that experience could be gained. Since Clark’s team is so young that may not be the case.
“If this were an experienced team this would be good for us,” Clark said. “Having such a young team this is not very helpful. The only positive this has is that we bring in more money for the program.
“We are about two years from seriously competing in the NAIA.”
After dropping their second game 70-59 to King College this will be a season for survival for Wise. Ten freshmen with just a sprinkling of upperclassmen will give the Bucs the definite advantage.
Size-wise the Cavs have two big men coming in at 6-8, one a freshman. The Bucs will bring in a height advantage as well with Brad Nuckles (6-9), Andrew Reed (6-8) and Dillion Sneed (6-7). The power in the paint should go the Bucs with an agile Sneed and a confident Nuckles after his double-double in exhibition play.
“We just hope too many people won’t leave at halftime,” Clark said of his expectations of Saturdays game.
Last year the Bucs defeated Wise, 81-55, at home with Nuckles leading in scoring on 16 points.
The opening game is the first of three to be played against NAIA teams. ETSU plays host to the King College Tornado on Nov. 29.
Their last game against an NAIA opponent will be on Dec. 21 when Union College travels to Johnson City, but all the NAIA teams the Bucs play have yet to put up a decent game.
Last season the closest any NAIA school came to the Bucs was Wise’s 81-55 loss.

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