Roadrunners basketball to feature more depth, speed this season

The 2024-2025 Roadrunners basketball team will be a roster filled with 13 new faces to go along with three returners. Head Coach Matt Brown has been pleased with what he has seen from his team so far in the preseason.

"Practices have gone well so far," said Roadrunners Head Coach Matt Brown. "We have another scrimmage on Friday, October 18 where we will play Kansas City Kansas Community College and Ellsworth Community College. We have one last tune up at Northwest High School on October 24, where we'll play Missouri Valley College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. All the proceeds from that event will go to help support the Northwest High School athletic program. We may work on some special situations during that event to go along with a scrimmage. It will be a good opportunity for the community to see what both SFCC and Missouri Valley have to offer.

"I think we have some good post players to go along with some older guards," said Brown. "I believe our speed is probably our team's best asset. I think we will play differently, depending on our match ups which is always good."

Coach Brown expects leadership to come from a variety of different places.

"Alex Gunnels is a returner who has done a good job of providing leadership," said Brown. "Mosa Osagie is another returning player. We added Chin Hanson, who is a bigger guy in the post who has done a good job, along with Donovan Matthews. We also added Donta Davis, a transfer who sat out last year, who has also been good.

"We have a lot of guys who are a year older who will help us," said Brown. "We will need contributions from a lot of guys."

The Roadrunners will be tested early when they open the season with their traditional McDonald's Classic against Missouri Valley College on Friday, Nov. 1. SFCC will take on Iowa Central Community College on Saturday, Nov. 2. Tipoff for both games is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. SFCC will once again face a pair of stern tests in the Missouri/Iowa Challenge when they take on Triton College and Wabash Valley College in Moberly on Nov. 8 and 9.

SFCC will host the State Fair Classic on Nov. 15 - 16 and face Lewis and Clark Community College on Friday, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. and Dodge City Community College on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. SFCC will travel to Moberly once again over the Thanksgiving holiday for games against Marshalltown Community College and Wabash Valley College. SFCC will round out the semester with a pair of December home games. The Roadrunners will return after the holiday break to host Kennedy-King on Jan. 4 with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

"We open with our Classic at home," said Brown. "Then we have a single game before we go to the Missouri/Iowa Challenge which is always a good event for us with really good teams."

SFCC will open Region 16 play on the road against Moberly Area Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The Roadrunners will host Mineral Area College on Saturday, Feb. 22 for Homecoming. SFCC will round out the always tough Region 16 schedule hosting Missouri State University-West Plains on Saturday, March 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Coach Brown expects the Region to be tough as always.

"Moberly will always be good," said Brown. "There will be new coaches at Three Rivers and Mineral Area. There will be some different looks with new coaches at two programs."

Coach Brown has some goals that he would like to see his team accomplish this season.

"We want to make sure we get better every day in practice," said Brown. "I think we are ahead of where we have been in the past at this time of year. It is also a very important to keep everyone healthy. We are also trying to figure out our team chemistry and what combinations of players will play the best together."