Photo courtesy of the athletic department/Courtbouillon
Junior guard Malik Amos of Missouri City, Texas, gestures on the court recently. Amos is one of nine new players on the men’s team. The next men’s game is today at home against Carver.

NEW ORLEANS (Nov. 2, 2018) – The start of Dillard University’s basketball season has begun on a positive note, with the men’s team besting Loyola in its season opener Oct. 25, and both the men’s and women’s teams picked as favorites to win their Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championships.

Dillard’s men’s team beat Loyola 87-79 last week and was scheduled to face off against Carver College on Friday and Selma University on Saturday, with both games at home in Dent.

The women’s team beat Jarvis Christian College 105-61 Wednesday and is scheduled to play against the University of Mobile on Tuesday in Dent.

Meanwhile, the GCAC announced the results of its preseason coaches’ poll that predicted a fourth straight GCAC championship for the DU men’s team and a second straight championship for the women’s team.

Men’s team outlook

The men’s team, coached by Mike Newell and assistant Jeremy Jones, had an overall record of 21-10 last season and a conference record of 9-3.

Four players are returning and have been joined by nine new teammates. The returning players include seniors Jessie Ward and Rick Curry and juniors Xavian McKay and Jamerson Roberts.

Six new players are transfers: juniors Jeron Roger of Detroit, Malik Amos of Missouri City, Texas, Anthony Frazier of Washington, D.C., Jefferey Drake Todd of Grand Rapids, Mich., Christian Davis of Dallas and Martavius Wilson of Memphis.

Two are freshmen: Nicholas Carmouche of Lafayette and Dante Sears of New Orleans. And senior Jordan Hamilton is a walk-on from Mount Airy.

Women’s team outlook

The women’s basketball team, led by head coach Norbert Rome and associate head coach Loretta Martin, finished last season with an overall record of 23-6 and a Gulf Coast conference record of 9-3.

Martin said Talladega College is on the team’s radar because they have a strong recruiting class with girls from junior colleges and All-American players, said Martin. Last season the women’s team took a close loss to Talladega with a score of 83-84.

Seven women players are turning, along with 10 new teammates.

Returning are seniors Shaelynn Moore and Adriiana Jackson, both of Houston, Alyssa Washington of Austin, Asia Partlow of Tupelo, Miss., and Asia Powell of Broadview, Ill.; junior Kia Smith of Lithonia, Ga.; sophomore Jaiylan Brown of Shreveport;

Eight players are transfers: juniors Gabrielle Harrison of Erath, Rylie James of Basile, Taylor Grant of Newport News, Va., Sydney Malone of Memphis and Paige Williams of New Orleans, and sophomores Ki’Anna Hall of Houston, Jaquanna Hunter of Vacherie and Rosie Davis of Lancaster, Texas.

Bianca Ihetu of Hampton, Ga., is a freshman recruit, and junior Tristan Cojoe of Cedar Hill, Texas, is a walk-on.

Both teams have a busy month ahead: The men’s team has seven home games and two away games in November while the woman’s team has three home games and six away games. The first conference games, for both men and women, are at home Jan. 8, 2019, against Southern University of New Orleans.