Wilmington, N.C. - Sweat dripped from the faces of each Cape Fear Community College men's basketball player. Some put their hands on their head, trying to catch a breath. Others leaned against the gym wall, hoping head coach Ryan Mantlo wouldn't catch them in a moment of exhaustion.
Mantlo had started practice Monday afternoon with intense combinations of defensive slides and sprints. He knew they were tired. Success doesn't come easy, though, and they needed to be disciplined.
He stopped practice to ask a simple question: "Who wants to win a championship?" Mantlo said, catching eyes with his panting players. No one spoke. Instead, every Sea Devil raised a hand in unison.
That's how the upcoming CFCC season will be judged. If the numbers "2011-12" aren't added to the men's basketball championship banner in the Schwartz Center, it will be a disappointment.
"The program has continued to go up and up and up," the fifth-year Sea Devil coach said before practice. "Even this year, we're still on that climb." The eighth-place finish in last season's NJCAA National Tournament raised expectations. CFCC had its best season in program history with 26 wins, including Region X regular season and tournament championships.
Yet Mantlo wants to top that success this year, which he admits will be difficult. "Sometimes people don't understand how hard it is to win a championship," he said. "The good thing is we have one heck of a recruiting class, and I think the kids we brought in are the right pieces."
Mantlo spoke highly of his roster, one that has only four returnees from last season. The Sea Devils are using the preseason to learn each other's abilities. "We're so talented this year that if these guys understand and get a feel for where everyone is going to be," he said, "I think the preseason is going to be a huge success."
Emmanuel Andrews, one of the 12 newcomers, will join returning starting point guard Rakeem Wilson in the backcourt. Andrews transferred to CFCC from Northwest Florida State College where he was the team's second-leading scorer with 12.3 points per game.
"I came here because I like the way coach Mantlo coaches," the 6-foot shooting guard said. "He's young, plus he's been through what I've been through as a player. It's easier to play for a coach that has played instead of playing for a coach that just thinks they know."
Andrews and the Sea Devils play a challenging schedule this season, highlighted by a trip to play perennial powerhouse College of Southern Idaho, Dec. 10. CFCC's run in the national tournament caught the eye of Southern Idaho boosters, who offered to pay for the Sea Devils to take a trip out west. It was an offer Mantlo couldn't refuse.
"That road trip to Southern Idaho is huge for us, not only because we're playing the defending national champion, but it gives our guys a chance to get on a plane and kinda just mimics what the national tournament would be like," Mantlo said. That matchup is one of 17 road games on the regular season schedule.
The abundance of away games is meant to prepare for the postseason. The Region X tournament will be held in Spartanburg, S.C. and the NJCAA nationals is in Hutchinson, Kan.
Andrews hasn't played a regular season game yet, but his mentality already aligns with his coach. "Win Hutch, period," Andrews said. "Get there, win Hutch."
It's a simple statement. Mantlo likes to ask simple questions.
By Tyler Heffernan, Sea Devil Sports Journalist
