By Zach Davis
Laredo Morning Times
Published: Thursday, November 7, 2013 5:09 AM CST
After a first round exit in last year's Heartland Conference Tournament, the Texas A&M International men's basketball team opens up its 2013 schedule this weekend.
The Dustdevils travel to Anaheim for the three-day Disney's Division II Tip-Off Classic from Nov. 8-11.
"It's the best preseason exempt tournament in the country for Division II," said TAMIU head coach Bryan Weakley, who has competed in the tournament two other times before while at Alaska Anchorage. "My thought process was we have a lot of returners and it has an NCAA Tournament-type feel to it.
"There will be intensity early and great competition. It's going to help us win or lose."
The tournament in Anaheim will give the Dustdevils a giant test to start the year as it features some of the best teams in the country. TAMIU opens on Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. against the nation's sixth-ranked team in Minnesota State–Mankato before taking on No. 2 Seattle Pacific on Nov. 10 at 6:15. In between those two games, they also take on California State, Dominguez Hills on Nov. 9 at 1:30 p.m.
"This is the toughest schedule from what I've seen that we have ever played at TAMIU, getting tested early by such great teams," Weakley said. "It's going to show us exactly where we are at and what we need to work on.
"Win or lose, we have a standard that we have to play at and it is going to be a good thing no matter what happens."
Fortunately for the Dustdevils, the team is bringing back seven players from last season's roster which posted a 15-12 record before losing at conference tournament host and No. 1 seed Arkansas-Fort Smith by three points.
It was a giant leap forward for a team that began the season with a lot of uncertainty losing their top 11 scorers from 2011.
"We have more guys on the team this year that have experienced success last season," Weakley said. "We got to the conference tournament and got to see the intensity of a tournament game and what you need to bring to that competition.
"Guys remember that and the goal is to now play at a level consistently that is March level. If we can do that now then I think we will have a pretty good year."
Among those returning to the roster includes second-team All-Heartland Conference point guard and league Newcomer of the Year Matthew Culliver Jr.
The senior out of Omaha, Neb. led the team in rebounds (5.5), assists (4.1) and steals (2.7) per game while also ranking second in scoring (12.2).
Senior Johnel Gray also returns off a successful year after being recognized receiving a conference honorable mention while leading the team in scoring (12.9) and 3-point percentage (.425).
Classmate Jordan Clark provides a superior athletic presence as the also averaged double figures scoring 10.5 per game with 4.6 rebounds per game.
Also returning are guards Kevin Jefferson Jr. and Danny Rosas as well as centers Damal Donaldson and Curtis Trotter.
Donaldson is expected to start after the senior came off the bench in all 27 appearances last year averaging 8.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game.
Trotter is returning from an ACL tear in the team's only exhibition game before the beginning of last season and Weakley said he doesn't expect him to be back to 100 percent healthy until closer to the end of the season.
With Culliver, Gray and Clark in the frontcourt and Donaldson starting down low, the No. 4 spot has still been up for grabs.
The favorite to start the position right now is junior Vadal Faniel, who has been starting at power forward in the team's scrimmages.
Faniel, a 6-foot-7, 210 pound forward who transferred in from Antelope Valley College, will be returning home for his first games as a Dustdevil as the Los Angeles native will be playing around a half hour away from his hometown at the Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim.
Also entering the program as transfers are guards Deonnte Breedlove (Odessa College), Jesus Fraga (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) and Matthew Pritchett (Eastern Wyoming College/Monmouth University) and forwards Jamie Farrie (Angelina College) and William Wise (University of Maryland-Baltimore).
Fraga is a formerly from the area, last playing at Cigarroa in 2012. He is one of two locals on the team along with Rosas, a United alumnus.
"The new guys they bring an element of toughness and they don't make too many mistakes.
It's been a more competitive atmosphere because people are competing for playing time, we have a deeper bench and they've risen the level of competition."
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E-mail: ZDavis@LMTOnline.com
