OKLAHOMA CITY – When first-year Oklahoma City men's basketball coach Sam Kohnke was hired in July, there wasn't much in the cupboard. By March, the Stars might well have blossomed into a contender if the cornucopia of talented newcomers can gel.
 
With a roster he could count on one hand and no staff, Kohnke got busy quickly.
 
"I was hired at the end of July and there were only five players on the roster at that time," Kohnke recalled. "Building basically an entire team in less than a month was a grind and required a lot of long days and nights, but I am happy with the way it turned out."
 
He also brought on board assistant coaches Quentre Roberts and Mikey Malone and video coordinator Dustin Pham. John Roby continues as an assistant and student assistant Devin Anthony Ellington returns as well.
 
Welcome Back
Beau Tranter and James Cloud combined for 30 starts last season and return this year along with Jack McWilliams, Lawrence Taylor Jr. and Dylan Bower.
 
Cloud, a 6-5 junior, averaged 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds last season while Tranter, a 6-4 junior, averaged 5.5 points and 1.9 assists. McWilliams, a 7-1 junior, and sophomore guards Taylor and Bower look to contribute as well.
 
"I think all of them can, potentially, play a significant role," Kohnke said. "We will see as the season plays out."
 
Newcomers
 
Kohnke imported four players from his roster at CBC and added six other newcomers to the OCU hand.
 
The CBC converts are seniors Jonas Carlisle, a 6-4 guard, and Hykeem Hancock, a 6-4 forward, and juniors Brian Alexander, a 6-3 guard, and SaVaughn Smith, a 6-2 guard. They'll join senior transfer Destin Jenkins and juniors Peyton Ackerman, Alphonse Muteba, JD Gross, Jackson Hopps and Omel Occeus as first-year Stars.
 
Jenkins, a 6-6 guard-forward combo, averaged 14 points at Central Methodist last season. Ackerman is a 5-11 guard coming in from Northern Illinois, Muteba is a 6-7 forward from Highland Community College, Gross is a 6-3 guard from Millersville, Hopps is a 6-4 forward from Fullerton and Occeus is a 5-9 guard from North Platte Community College.
 
Carlisle was a two-time All-Conference selection at CBC, earning Defensive Player of the Year. Alexander was the league's Sixth Man of the Year, Hancock averaged 9.6 points and Smith made the All-Freshman team.
 
The four players from CBC have a leg up on their teammates, having played for Kohnke before.
 
"Jonas Carlisle, Brian Alexander, Savaughn Smith, and Hykeem Hancock have all played for me at Central Baptist College and understand my system and expectations, so they naturally have been leading in that regard," Kohnke said. "Everyone on the team has been coachable and working hard thus far. I think all of the newcomers can, potentially, play a big role this season. We will see as the season plays out."
 
Expectations
 
Kohnke hasn't had a great deal of time with this year's version of the Stars, but he expects to bring out a team that raises the bar at OCU.
 
"It seems to me that this school is hungry to have a competitive basketball program again," said Kohnke. "I'm excited for these guys to get going and hopefully make the OCU community proud. OCU fans are going to see a hard-working, gritty, tough, and defensive-minded team."
 
The key, Kohnke said, will be how the group becomes a team.
 
"The goal for this group is to get better and become more connected as a team every single day," Kohnke said. "If we can do that, the sky is the limit."
 
The Opponents
 
The Stars square off against a strong schedule this season that includes non-conference games against some demanding opponents.
 
"It is a very competitive non-conference schedule highlighted by two games (both away from home) against NAIA powerhouses; LSU-Shreveport and Concordia University," said Kohnke. "Hopefully, these games against very talented opponents will prepare us for conference play."
 
The Sooner Athletic Conference is again expected to be one of the NAIA's best.
 
"It's an incredibly deep and talented conference," Kohnke said. "Possibly the best conference in the nation. It will be a battle every single night with no days off."
 
The season launches at home on Friday, Oct. 24, with Randall visiting the Freede Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.