Ottumwa -- With the official start of preseason practice now less than two weeks away, Indian Hills basketball coach Hank Plona is busy preparing for his third year at the helm, and looking to lead the Warriors to another NJCAA national tournament berth. This year's edition, however, will be different from Plona's first two Warrior teams in one key way:  he will begin the season with five returning players, which is two more than the combined total from his first two years. 

In sophomores Ivan Aurrecoechea, Antonio Williams, Richardson Maitre, Jamel Allen, and Javier Valeiras, IHCC brings back 44% of the points and 47% of the rebounds from the 2016-17 squad that went 29-5, won the regular season and postseason Region 11 championships, captured the district title, and made the school's fourth consecutive national tourney appearance.  "It is great to have a core group returning for the first time since I have been here," Plona said.  "And we have added some very talented players that are tough, high character kids."

Among the players that will compete for playing time with the veteran Warriors are five others who have previous college basketball experience.  That group includes Robert Montgomery (St. Francis in New York), Shane Gatling (Niagara), Kevin Dorsey (who has been at both Minnesota and Colorado State), Corey Manigault (Pittsburgh) and Connor Murrell (who redshirted last year at Minnesota State-Mankato).  "These are guys that need an opportunity to play," Plona said of the newcomers.  "They're hungry to get on the court and we have enjoyed getting to know them and coaching them so far."

The IHCC head coach offered a brief description of each of the five:

Robert Montgomery: "Rob had a successful freshman season at St. Francis and we hope he builds on that.  He brings it every single day and will do the little things to help us win.  He is tough and athletic and will find a way to score and rebound every night."

Shane Gatling: "Shane can really make shots.  He had some huge games as a freshman at Niagara and can get hot fast.  His scoring and shooting ability are things we were looking for."

Kevin Dorsey: " Kevin is one of the best on-ball defenders that I have seen.  He's quick, tough, and fearless and will cause havoc on the defensive end of the floor.  He can also score in a lot of different ways and makes his teammates better."

Corey Manigault: "Corey is a great kid and is oozing with potential.  He is 6-9 and has all the tools to be a big time player.  I'm looking forward to seeing Corey develop because he has the ability to do it all.  He runs, rebounds, and scores in a lot of different ways."

Connor Murrell: "Connor has grown a lot physically since his high school career.  He is taller and has gained quite a bit of weight.  He is a very high level shooter that will add some scoring to our team.  He can play multiple positions and will be a mismatch problem for other teams."

The Warriors will complement the returners and transfers with four talented freshmen:  Devontae Lane, James Jean-Marie, Jalen Hawkins, and Tomas Woldetensae.

Plona commented on this group which he says is "more than ready to contribute right from the start and that is what we look for":

Devontae Lane: "Devontae was one of the best players in the state of Iowa as a senior, and he is a winner.  He will bring that winning mentality and some excitement to our team."

James Jean-Marie: "James is an athletic forward that can shoot the ball.  He's a very hard-working kid that will get better fast."

Jalen Hawkins: "Jalen has a chance to be a very special player.  He has a knack for scoring the ball and rebounding it from the guard position and that is tough to teach."

Tomas Woldetensae: "Tomas is a do-it-all guard that brings size to our backcourt.  He can defend every position and will score in a vareity of different ways."

"This group should be able to play a very exciting style of basketball," Plona said about the 2017-18 Warriors.  "I think we will be able to get out and play fast, score in transition, and knock down shots.  At the same time, we have the toughness and athleticism to be very good on defense, and that will be important too."

The Warriors have a very ambitious preseason schedule with games against eight other junior college teams in a pair of jamborees, along with a scrimmage against William Penn University, one of the top NAIA teams in the country.

The regular season slate begins with a home tourney the first weekend in November with Indian Hills hosting Johnson County (Kans.) and Mesa (Ariz.) on back-to-back nights.