Written By Carrie Johnson, Writer
The Austin College men’s basketball team has started seasonal practice with tipoff taking place here at home on Tuesday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. The ‘Roos will be competing against Hendrix College.
Coach Rodney Wecker and returning players welcome seven new ‘Roos– six freshmen and one transfer.
Nathan Williams is from Cave Creek, Arizona and graduated from Cactus Shadows High School. He is majoring in Business Admin, but plans to pursue entrepreneurship after college. He was a two-year varsity captain and all district his senior year. He also graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and a certificate of biliteracy in Spanish.
“I transferred to AC because of a connection with Coach Wecker and the high academics offered at AC.”
Jordan Hudgins is a forward from Wylie, Texas who graduated from Wylie High School, a 6A school about an hour away from Sherman. He is a biology major pursuing the pre-med route with aspirations to become an orthopedic surgeon. His accomplishments include being first Team All District twice, first Team Academic All State, Top ten percent of his class, DECA State Champion and national qualifier and a 2020 UIL basketball State Champion.
“Athletically, I chose AC because when I visited, I felt welcomed by both Coach and by the team. I saw how banded together they were and how much fun it seemed they were having, and it was something I wanted to be a part of. Academically, the pre-med track at AC is very prestigious and I felt I would be challenged to do my best, especially in the small class sizes.”
T’Cory James is a transfer who was born and raised in Houston, Texas and graduated from Lutheran High North High School. He is majoring in Kinesiology and plans on continuing his career path by going to PT school. When asked why he transferred to Austin College, he said “I chose AC for academics and athletically because of the surrounding culture. Everyone here is willing to help you to reach your full potential.”
Bryce Andrews is a guard from Denver, Colorado and graduated from Fort Lupton Highschool. He was a 2x All State Team Selection, 3x District MVP, 4x Team MVP, and School record holder.
“I plan on majoring in Psychology and using this to become a therapist or counselor,” he shared. “I chose AC because not only is it an hour away from where I was born and lots of family, but also because of its psychology program and ability to tailor a degree to your needs. Athletically, I love the team’s playstyle and had a good relationship with Coach Wecker!
Other freshmen include Tristan Armas who is a guard from Hinesville, Ethan Pearce, a forward from Meridian, Idaho and guard Kidus Getenet from Allen, Texas.
