Daniela Chapa-Reyes 
Jose Rodriguez/THE RIDER
Sneakers squeaked for the first time in the school year as the UTRGV Men’s Basketball Team returned to practice on Sept. 22. The Vaqueros also welcomed 10 new faces into the drills.
Head coach Kahil Fennell said the first day of practice feels like “a little bit of a holiday.”
“We can get in here for an extended period of time and really do everything we can to get better,” Fennell said.
He said when recruiting the players, they tried focusing on players who have had success winning at other programs and who value winning.
“What we try to do as a team is the most important thing,” Fennell said. “I think the guys that value those things are more successful with us in our program.”
Graduate forward Kwo Agwa is one of three returning players. Agwa said being a returner means leading and showing the expectations of the squad.
“I feel like we’re a long, defensive team,” he said. “Everybody in the roster, from the point guards to the bigs, can shoot. I feel like we can stretch the floor and be there defensively.”
Agwa said an improvement made during the summer and the offseason was being able to finish.
“I feel like, last year, a lot of those games, we led in the first half and kind of fell short in the second half,” he said. “I feel like this year kind of emphasizes finishing and getting better in that aspect.”
Junior guard Koree Cotton previously played with Jacksonville State University and is one of the new faces on the team. Cotton said the experience with UTRGV has “been real good.”
“I feel like coach Fennell recruited a great group of guys,” he said. “From Day One, we’ve just been clicking; it’s been amazing.”
Cotton said the team is looking at winning the Southland Conference Championship.
“A lot of these guys have experienced it before, and I’ve been at the Division I level before; I feel like I could do what it takes to take these guys to that place,” he said.
Throughout practice, Cotton said he has kept the energy up for himself and the team. He said he does the best he can, keeping the energy up and making sure there are no “die downs.”
“When somebody’s got bad energy, it affects the whole team,” Cotton said. “I make sure I’m not that guy, and I make sure I keep my guys’ energy up at all times.”
Another new face on the team is redshirt junior guard Always Wright, who previously played with the University of Rhode Island. Wright said coming onto the team feels like “a breath of fresh air.”
“Getting to meet new people and just collab with the guys,” he said. “I feel like the summer was really great for us, and we have a lot of momentum heading into the season. So, I’m really excited.”
Wright said the team has a big focus this year.
“As long as we focus on the internal factors and not the external, I think we’ll be great just handling any adversity that comes our way,” he said. “We’re not the biggest team, but we’re definitely gonna be the most physical on a day in, day out basis.”
About The Author
