Golden Bulls’ maturity test against CIAA basketball foes

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Johnson C. Smith forward Javon Floyd is one of five Golden Bulls averaging at least nine points per game. Avery Huggins leads JCSU with 18.5 points per game.

Johnson C. Smith will get a pair of tests of its basketball maturity this week.

The Golden Bulls face a pair of physical opponents in Elizabeth City State on Jan. 11 and Winston-Salem State with an opportunity to move up the CIAA standings. JCSU (8-4, 3-2 CIAA), 2-0 during a four-game home stand, is looking to improve on a 7-1 record at Brayboy Gym.

“Each game and each week is important to our development,” coach Steve Joyner said. “You still see that we are a team that’s getting better each week. We’re gelling together a little bit better. We just want to continue our forward progress.

“For us personally, we’re looking at ourselves in terms of being better. As a group, understanding what it is we’re trying to do, and being better as a defensive group.”

That means playing in tandem with discipline against physical teams like ECSU (4-11, 1-4) and WSSU (11-3, 5-0) that create offense in the paint. The Golden Bulls allow 78.6 points per game on 47.6% shooting and pull down 33.6 rebounds per game while conceding 26.9.

“We’re looking for consistency,” Joyner said. “I think that’s a big message that we tried to send – that we’ve got to be consistent in terms of that attitude and approach to each week and to each game and be a little bit more mentally focused and ready to play. This is still a young bunch that’s trying to come together and gel together as a team.”

The Golden Bulls have no problem scoring at 83.6 points per game. Avery Huggins leads Smith at 18.5 points per game while guard Ezekiel Cannedy averages 12.2, but the Golden Bulls have enough depth to spread points around. Javon Floyd (9.5 ppg), Cedric Patterson (9.3) and Jeremee Bryant (9.1) each average at least nine points per outing.

“Certainly, we know we have the ability to score the basketball,” Joyner said. “But our biggest concern is continuing to be a better defensive team and a better rebounding team.”

The Golden Bulls will get an opportunity to prove it over a compressed schedule that includes a Martin Luther King Day game at St. Augustine’s. The first order of business, however, is to build on their home court success.

“We played a very difficult road schedule last year,” Joyner said. “We were hoping that one of the things that we didn’t have to be concerned with was a lot of travel responsibilities in terms of preparing ourselves and that has worked well for us. But certainly, we got to go on the road. You’ve got to be able to take the show on the road. And after next week, we certainly will be out there.”

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