The Blue team beat the Gold team 10-7 in Saturday’s Blue & Gold Game at Farrington Field.

“Overall, I was happy with how we played and competed,” head coach Joe Prud’homme said.

The game allowed the coaches to get a better understanding of the players’ abilities, Prud’homme said.

“It definitely will have an impact on the depth chart and helped us evaluate our players,” he said.

The team is assigned workouts over the summer before they return to campus for the 2018 season, he said.

“There are workouts that need to be completed in order for us to get where we want to be next year,” he said.

There were several players that impressed Prud’homme, he said.

“Chiijioke Iwuagwu, Colby Moffett, Erik Richards, Cole Maxwell, Kendrick Anderson and Jermarcus Jones all had strong games,” he said.

The crowd of around 150 people saw the Rams scrimmage for two quarters and then play two regulation quarters.  Richards threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Maxwell for the Blue team for the first score, according to ramsports.net. Bryce Nye kicked the extra point. Nye kicked a 27-yard field goal for the next score to put the Blue team up 10-0. The Gold team’s only touchdown was a 55-yard pass from Avery Childs to Rodney Cooper, which was set up by a Diamond Williams interception.

Incoming freshman Tanner Polley said he will continue to power lift and run over the summer.

“Also, I will be adding the Wesleyan workout routine to ensure that I am prepared for the start of football practice,” he said.

Polley said the game was a great experience.

“I got the opportunity to meet my future teammates and it made me want to suit up and play in the game,” he said. “I am ready for the next season to start.”

Polley said he is most looking forward to meeting the players and coaches.

“I have an awesome opportunity to play college football ahead of me,” Polley said, “and I am looking to make the most of it.” 

Linebacker Vincent Stephenson said he thought the team played very well.

“Offense has been working on an up-tempo and no-huddle style,” he said.  “It was good to see everyone still on the same page. On defense I think we look good playing as a lot more of a single unit than last fall.”

Some of the players will be staying on campus during the summer to work out together, Stephenson said.

“I have to go back home to Kansas City,” Stephenson said. “I’ll work out with a strength and agility trainer.”

The players will also be watching film of Texas A&M Kingsville to prepare for the first game of the 2018 season, which is Sept. 8 in Kingsville.

“Fall camp and moving in for all returners and incoming freshman starts about the first week of August,” Stephenson said.  

 

 

In 1961, the men’s golf team set a record of 267 at the Abilene Intercollegiate.

The 2018 team broke the record March 19 with a score of 266 at Battle at the Primm, according to ramsports.net.

“I didn’t realize we broke [the record] until we got back and our head coach told us that it was a new record,” Rowan Lester said. “But it was pretty cool to break a record that has been held for such a long time.”

Lester said he didn’t feel like Primm Valley was significant because it was just another tournament, and the team tries to win them all.

As of March 2, the Rams were ranked second in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll, according to ramsports.net.

The golf team doesn’t have any scheduled practices, but everyone practices almost every day Lester said.

“I believe we have good players but we work pretty hard, some more than others,” Lester said. “But to be honest I thinks it’s a combination of [hard work and talent] then all of us just playing well on the one day, which always helps.”

The best thing about the golf team is that everyone gets along, Lester said, who also noted that the team’s two coaches, Bobby Cornett and Shaun Hensley, are amazing.

“The weather at Prime Valley was very dry so, it makes the ball fly and roll further than usual,” Futa Yamagishi said. “It was hard to judge how far it flies.”

Yamagishi said it didn’t seem like he was playing well until the end of the round because of how relaxed he was.

“My mentality was different,” Yamagishi said. “I was very relaxed and calm; that made me break the record.”

Golf is a very individual sport, Yamagishi said. The golf team is successful because each member is talented and works hard.

“We don’t have any particular practice, but we have to qualify for the team before the tournament,” Yamagishi said.

The best part of the golf team is the comradery and the drive for perfection the team has, Janco Maritz said.

“The golf team practices almost every day of the week,” Maritz said, “most of the time six or seven days a week because we are very dedicated to the sport.”

The team has been so successful because of the amount of hard work the players put in, Maritz said.

“What has made the team so successful is the amount of talent and hard work we have,” Maritz said. “The team has an enormous amount of both talent and hard work, which is the best combination.”

The men’s golf team will compete in the Sooner Athletic Conference’s championship April 23-24 in Oklahoma City. For more information, go to ramsports.net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The men’s basketball team didn’t keep their national title but still enjoyed their winning season, guard Demarcus Emanuel said.

“I think the season was a little successful because we won conference and had a winning season,” Emanuel said, “but not successful because we didn’t win nationals.”

The team (22-11, 14-6 SAC) was disappointed about losing so early in the national tournament, Emanuel said. The Rams lost 61-70 to Graceland University on March 15 in the first round of the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Tournament, according to ramsports.net. Graceland went on to win the tournament.

The loss came 13 days after the Rams lost to Southwestern Assemblies of God University in the semi-final game of the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament, according to ramsports.net. The Rams won the regular-season SAC title for the third year in a row.

“I feel we just got out rebounded and didn’t hit shots,” he said of the Graceland game.

The best part about being a Ram is that the team is really a family, guard Rob Thomas said.

“My favorite thing about this team was that we were a family,” Thomas said. “Even through rough times we knew we had our brothers, for example when we had a little scuffle with Wayland at home.” 

The team wouldn’t want to change anything about this season, Thomas said.

“Overall, I think this season went how God planned it to go,” he said. “I don’t know if that was to win a national championship or to win conference, but I know it went as God planned it to go.”

The most important thing Texas Wesleyan basketball teaches its players is how to win on and off the court.

“Coach (Brennen Shingleton) really does a fantastic job of relating a lot of things that take place on the basketball court to the real world,” Thomas said. “He molds us to be great men for our future families; it’s bigger than basketball.”

Guard Chris Alexander said that Wesleyan’s basketball team hasn’t just grown him as a player but as a man, too.

“I’ve created so many lifelong memories that will always stick with me,” Alexander said.

Alexander said that his favorite thing about being on the team isn’t games or practices.

“My favorite thing about this team is the fact that we’re not just a basketball team,” he said. “We’re a family on and off the court.”

Alexander said he feels like the team could’ve done better than it did this season.

“Overall, I feel like we didn’t match our full potential as a team,” he said. “In my eyes, we were the best team in the nation. It’s as if we left something on the table.”

Guard Branden Jenkins said the team was disappointed that they didn’t meet their goal of winning another national title.

“It wasn’t the result we wanted; we played a good team and they came ready to play and we didn’t play well enough to win,” he said.

However, the season was still successful because the team won the toughest league in the country for the third consecutive year, Jenkins said.

“My favorite part of the season was competing every day with my brothers,” he said.

The team set a goal to win another national title at the beginning of the season, Jenkins said.

“We were definitely heartbroken,” Jenkins said. “We went out in the first round, but we never held our head down or turned on one another.”

Spring break is almost here and the Rams are getting ready to take a break from classes and homework.

Jarod Sweetland, a freshman accounting major, said he is excited for the break because it allows him to spend time with his family.

“My family and I rented a condo in Galveston. My cousins, grandparents, aunt, uncle and dad are all going. My family goes to Galveston periodically whether it be in the spring or the summer. Just to get away and see the beach.”  Sweetland said.

The break will be extra enjoyable for Sweetland because he gets to celebrate his birthday over the break, as well as getting a break from school work, he said.

Galveston is a popular spring break destination, but not one of the top eight, according to abcnews.go.com. An article on the website lists Cancun as the most popular destination, followed by Las Vegas, Jamaica, Miami, the Dominican Republic, South Padre Island, Puerto Vallarta and the Bahamas.

Jacqueline Rodriguez said she is going back home to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

“I’m excited to get away for awhile and get to see my family,” she said. “I chose to go there instead of South Padre because my little sister has a competition.”

The best part about spring break is getting to forget about responsibilities for a while, Rodriguez said.

“My favorite thing about spring break is that we do not have any homework due, and we get to not think about school or work,” she said.

Tyler King and her friends are taking a road trip to Austin. They plan to walk around the city and enjoy the great food and quirky stores, she said.

“I’m going to Austin and just hanging around the city and maybe go to the river,” she said. “My friends came up with the idea. The best part is just being able to have a break.”  

Steven Frederick a junior exercise science major will be at Louisiana State University Shreveport with the baseball team, he said.

“Over spring break, I’m going to be playing with the baseball team,” Frederick said.

The team plays a doubleheader against LSU Shreveport on March 13, he said.

“I’m most excited to spend time playing baseball and being with the team,” Frederick said. “The best part about spring break is the weather. It’s perfect, not too hot, not too cold. It’s just right.”

The Rams are excited for spring break and the chance to spend time away from responsibilities.

This map shows where several Texas Wesleyan students are going.

Map by Karan Muns

The Rams are preparing to defend their national title next week at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I men’s tournament.

The bracket reveal is 7 p.m. Wednesday on the Play NAIA Facebook page.

Last year the Rams beat Life University 86-76 to win the national title. This year’s tournament starts March 14; the championship game is March 20. The tournament is being held in Kansas City.

The team’s strategy this year has been to take the season one game at a time, head coach Brennen Shingleton said.  

“I’ve been lucky and fortunate enough to have been down this road before,” he said. “So, it’s easy for me to kind of look far ahead and say this is the path we need to navigate. But for a lot of these guys, they’ve never been here before. Our goal is always to win the next game.”

Shingleton said the team’s biggest weakness is immaturity and lack of focus.

“The immaturity sometimes will say, ‘This has been going well; this is how it’s going to go all year’ and that’s a very bad way of approaching the season,” he said. “So what we’ve really tried to do is slow down a little bit by playing week to week, game to game, practice to practice.”

The Rams have a decent shot at defending their title “if we can stick to the plan and keep our head down we can make this thing happen,” Shingleton said.

When people come to play basketball at Texas Wesleyan they expect to make it far into post season play, and expectations are tough because every team is different, he said.

“I think if anything (winning last year) distracted us,” Shingleton said. “This year’s team is a victim of last year’s success. They didn’t earn that. It wasn’t theirs. But the good thing is that they understand that this place allows us the opportunity to win. It prepares them for big games because if you play basketball at Texas Wesleyan you’re going to get everybody’s best shot.”

The team is getting ready to play five games in six days during the NAIA tournament. This is mentally and physically challenging for the team so they’re preparing their best, guard Demarcus Emanuel said.

“The team feels good to get the opportunity to play for the big goal. We can (win it all). We just have to take it one day at a time one game at a time,” Emanuel said.

The team is going to practice intensely all week, guard Branden Jenkins said.

“We are going to practice hard all week and get our legs back under us in preparation for the tournament,” he said.

The team is eager to get to the tournament and keep competing, Jenkins said.

“We are excited for nationals,” Jenkins said, “but it is a business trip that comes with great responsibility. We can win as much as we want to. Ultimately, wins and losses come down to executing and attention to detail.”

For more information on the tournament, visit naia.org.

This story has been updated with a video of the press conference and information from a  former player.

Texas Wesleyan President Frederick Slabach announced Thursday morning that head baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat no longer works for the university.

Speaking at a press conference at  the Baker Building, Slabach said Jeffcoat will no longer be coaching “due to the discriminatory remarks made to a potential player from the state of Colorado and for another factor that we had been investigating for the last week.”

The announcement came less than 24 hours after an email Jeffcoat sent to Gavin Bell gained national attention. In the email, Jeffcoat writes that Wesleyan is “not recruiting players from the state of Colorado. In the past, players have had trouble passing our drug test. We have made the decision to not take a chance on Student athletes from your state. You can thank your liberal politicians.”

The email went viral. Stories were written or broadcast on ESPN, FOX31 Denver KDVR, and The Denver Post, among others.

“I want to reiterate today that the comments Mike Jeffcoat made are in no way a reflection of Texas Wesleyan University or its values,” Slabach said. “We do not tolerate discrimination. We value inclusiveness. We value education, critical thinking and supporting student athletes that are here for the love of the game.”

Slabach also said that Jeffcoat lost his job due to “NAIA violations that occurred on his watch.”

“We can tell you that we have self-reported to the NAIA and that the violation has to do with the eligibility of players,” Slabach said. “We can tell you that it is not Title XI or discriminatory factors.”

Slabach said that it has not yet been decided who will take Jeffcoat’s position or who will be the interim coach. The team plays a doubleheader against the University of Dallas on Saturday at Sycamore Park, according to ramsports.net.

Jeffcoat became the Rams’ head coach in 2002 after playing in the Major Leagues for 10 years, including stints with the Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Florida Marlins and San Francisco Giants, according to ramsports.net.

Athletic Director Steve Trachier said the comments Jeffcoat made “do not reflect our recruiting practices or athletic values. We value our student-athletes. Almost a quarter of our undergraduates are student athletes. They’re here to get an education and play because they love the game. We have amazing athletes at Texas Wesleyan and coaches who care about the kids. We recruit kids that love to play and want to get a college degree. We are about academics here.”

Several of Jeffcoat’s former players said that the email is not as offensive as some things he has said to the team.

Dylan Measells, who played several positions for the Rams, wrote that the email “isn’t even the most offensive/most politically divisive comment or action he’s said or done. Players have been going to the AD for years about Jeffcoat. I want to make it clear that Jeffcoat’s comments and actions do not reflect the rest of the coaching staff. They absolutely didn’t agree with the comments or actions and how some other things were handled.”

*  Updated information below.

Former Rams shortstop Casey Moses wrote in a text that his “experience with Jeffcoat hasn’t been the best.”

“I had a great experience at Texas Wesleyan though due to the players and Coach Garza,” Moses wrote.”When I saw the email that was sent to the player I was not shocked at all. This is a mild statement compared to some of the things he has stated his opinion on. The email is unfair to the players and to the school itself. Because I know the past two years I was there Jeffcoat really did nothing on the coaching side of the game. When I think of Texas Wesleyan, I think of Coach Garza. He has ran that program since he has been there.”

Two of Jeffcoat’s current players, Parker Robinson and Dusty Cloud, declined to discuss the situation.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available. 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTUKL88idc%5B/embedyt%5D

 

The football team is in the offseason but the coaches and players have kept busy, head coach Joe Prud’homme said. So far, the coaching staff has recruited 47 men for the 2017-2018 season.

Prud’homme said the program was looking for, “lineman (who are) serious about school, football, and are mentally and physically tough.”

Prud’homme did not give any specific names but said he is excited about “several of the lineman and a few of the defensive players.”

The football team’s twitter has helped recruit several players and is a pretty common methodology for recruiting in general, Prud’homme said. Most players sent the film of their best plays through email or twitter, Prud’homme said.

“We are pleased with all the signees and all of our returning players,” Prud’homme said.

New recruit Tanner Polley, a high school senior from Sanger High School said he chose Wesleyan mainly for academics.

The “impressive pre-med program, the opportunity to play four more years of football, and the campus” all persuaded Polley to choose Wesleyan, Polley said.

“My recruiting process started after Coach Linley got in contact with me,” Polley said. “We texted back and forth for a couple weeks, and eventually I went on a campus visit. Then the day before National Signing, I made up my mind to go to Wesleyan.”

He is excited to be on the offensive line but isn’t concerned about what position he’ll play, Polley said.

“I want to contribute in any way that will make our team successful,” Polley said.

Polley said he can’t wait to get back on the field because his last season at Sanger High School was not as successful as he had hoped.

“I can’t wait to see how last year’s team blends with the new players we recruited,” sophomore running back Da’vonte Mitchell-Dixon said. “Hopefully, we blend very well.”

Mitchell-Dixon said his biggest goal for himself is to help the team in any way possible in order to win.

“Whatever the coaches ask of me, I’ll do it,” Mitchell-Dixon said.

He is excited for the new recruits because it just means that the team is growing and improving, Mitchell-Dixon said.

When asked what the new recruits need to know about the team Mitchell-Dixon said, “That we are all a family. We are here with open arms and we can’t wait to create a new bond that will make us unstoppable on the field.”

 

Texas Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team beat John Brown University 90-78 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinal game of the Sooner Athletic Conference basketball championship tournament.

The Rams (21-9, 14-6 SAC) will play Southwestern Assemblies of God University at 6 p.m. on Friday in Siloam Springs, Ark. If they win that game, the Rams will play in the tournament championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m., according to ramsports.net. The Rams beat SAGU twice during the regular season.

Tuesday’s win saw Ryan Harris score 28 points and Branden Jenkins score 13; the team led through most of the game. The team is now ranked No. 15 in the 2017-18 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, according to naia.org.

The victory came four days after the Rams clinched the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season title for the third year in a row with a 78-75 win over Central Christian College on Friday; they share the title with Oklahoma City University.

“Well, we just won the toughest league in the country at our level,” head coach Brennen Shingleton said.

By winning the SAC regular season title, the Rams claimed the number one seed in the conference and an automatic bid to defend their title in the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship, according to ramsports.net. The national tournament will be held in Kansas City, Missouri on March 14-20.

“(Our goal moving forward is) to continue to win and get better, embrace this opportunity and more importantly enjoy the experience,” Shingleton said.

In addition to the Rams, two other SAC teams were ranked in the NAIA poll: Oklahoma City University is at No. 9 and Southwestern Assemblies of God University is at No. 24, according naia.org. All three teams advanced to the semifinals with Tuesday wins.

Shingleton said the Rams need to improve on focusing and concentrating during games.

“Our biggest strengths are our ability to get up and down the floor,” Shingleton said. “When we are locked in we are extremely fast and have the ability to make teams really have to adjust to us. Our weakness is we lack focus at times, maturity and concentration.”

Sunday night’s 77-74 loss to Oklahoma City was hard fought, but the team learned from it, Jenkins said.

“Looking forward we are focused on the conference tournament. It’s a quick turnaround but we’re used to it and this is the most important part of the season,” Jenkins said.

The team isn’t dwelling on past mistakes or lost games, Eric Johnson said.

“We aren’t looking back. We got the regular season finished and we are going to build off of that,” Johnson said. “It’s post season basketball which means we have to be totally locked in.”

The last two seasons the Rams advanced to the semifinal game in the SAC tournament. But they haven’t won the SAC championship title during their four years in the SAC, according to ramsports.net.

The tournament can be watched live or followed by live stats on the tournament’s home page at jbuathletics.com., according to jbuathletics.com

The tournament bracket can be found on ramsports.net.

The Rams will play Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Friday at 6 p.m. in Siloam Springs, Arkansas in the Bill George Arena on John Brown University’s campus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juwan Jones makes three-point shot in the quarterfinal game against John Brown University on Tuesday.

Video by Karan Muns

 

The men’s basketball team has been heating up at just the right time, said head coach Brennen Shingleton.

After a so-so beginning, the Rams greeted 2018 with eight wins in a row, according to ramsports.net. More recently, the team won three games in six days earlier this month, defeating Southwestern Assemblies of God, Bacone College and John Brown University.

At 20-8 and 13-5 in conference play, the Rams are ranked No. 20 in the NAIA Division I/Coaches’ Poll as they prepare for the season’s final home game on Thursday against Central Christian College.

“Well, we’re getting better at the right time that’s for sure,” Shingleton said several weeks ago. “We knew that we were going to struggle early in the first semester just because we had so many new guys and then also with some injuries and some guys out.”

The team has a lot of good leaders, but they’ve had to overcome several obstacles this season, he said.

“A coach would love to have all of his pieces of the puzzle ready to roll,” Shingleton said, “but other guys step up and make do with that.”

Over winter break the basketball teams were the only people on campus, and it brought the team closer together, Shingleton said.

“I think we’re learning how to win, which is helpful,” Shingleton said. “I think winning hides a lot of demons. I think our leadership is getting better as we speak.”

The team has limited the duration of practices, and they always warm up and stretch before practice, Shingleton said.

The team takes the season on in pieces. They focus on one game at a time.

“Our goal is to go two and 0 every week,” Shingleton said. “We have to really pull them back and say ‘Fellas, there’s nothing more important than Saturday’s game.’ Our goal is to win the next game.”

Even though the team is focusing on one week at a time they’ve still got their eye on another run at the championship, Shingleton said.

“If we can make it to the national tournament everybody’s goal I hope is to go and win the thing, not just participate,” Shingleton said.

The team tries to be selfless in the way they play. When a player is selfish, it’s because they want to win not because they want to make themselves look good, Shingleton said.

“The good thing is we’re in a three-way tie for first place,” he said. “We should just continue to chip away at this thing and see what happens.”

Shingleton said his biggest goal as the coach of this team is to sit back and watch them play.

“I hope they’re humble and have a respect for the game,” he said, “but I want them to play with a little chip on their shoulder and some edge.”

The season had a rocky start because the team had to try to live up to the success of the 2016-2017 Rams, Dare Brazeel said.

“The season has been up and down but we are headed in the right direction,” he said. “Eight and one in 2018; if we keep heading in this direction we will be fine.”

The Lady Rams have struggled this season, going 7-19 overall and 5-13 in conference play in an injury-plagued season.

“The season has been a little bit of a roller coaster ride,” head coach Steve Trachier said. ”It started out we lost, to injury, our all conference post player. We lost her for the season and that put us in a difficult spot but we have a good core of players.”

Injuries are just a part of every sport but it’s still difficult to deal with, Trachier said.

“Any time the players see a leader kind of go down, so to speak, emotionally, it’s a little tough,” he said. “I talked to them about trying to be pragmatic about everything that happens and not fall into the trap of emotional highs and emotional lows.”

The team comes to every practice and every game ready to play no matter what the odds, he said.

“The one thing I like about this group, they compete, no matter what the odds, they compete. As long as you’re willing to go into every game and fight that battle you’ll be okay,” he said.

It’s more fun to win than lose but sometimes the team gets dealt a bad hand and they have to fight through it, he said.

“Overall, I really like the players that we have,” he said. “I think we have a good core to build on for the future.”

Trachier said he missed coaching and the lifetime relationships it allows him to build.

“It’s amazing. Basketball is basketball,” he said. “There’s nothing new. When I started coaching I recognized everything that’s going on. Basketball is all about execution. It’s interesting as much as things change things stay the same. It’s been a pretty easy transition.”

Trachier said he is loving coaching and could see himself doing it for a while.

“The kids on my team are just really, really good kids,” he said. “They are fun to work with and fun to be around. I’m really enjoying it.”

The season has been hard on the team, but they have tried to pitch in when a teammate is out, Whorley said. The team and Trachier create a positive uplifting environment at every game and practice.

“They’re all like big sisters to me, and I love every single one of them,” she said.

The Rams play Central Christian College at 8 p.m. on Thursday; the Lady Rams play CCC at 6 p.m. For more information go to ramsports.net.

In 2014 Jenkins played at Lee College. He didn’t play in 2015. In 2016 he had an especially good year at Lee College averaging 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

2016-2017 played for head coach Johnny Jones at Louisiana State University, according to ramsports.net. He missed the first 11 games because of an injury. He played in 18 of the 20 remaining games.

 

Branden Jenkins was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week two times in a three-week period, according to ramsports.net.

The first award the guard received for his 44 points against Oklahoma City University on Jan. 6; the Rams won 106-92; he was also named the NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for Jan 1-7 for the same performance, according to ramsports.net.

The second was for averaging 27 points per game and seven rebounds per game in the wins against Southwestern Assemblies of God University and Southwestern Christian University on Jan. 15 and Jan. 20.

Jenkins said he was “locked in” during the OCU game and that led to his great game.

“Don’t get it wrong, I’m locked in each and every night, but I woke up that morning with dominating on my mind and that’s what I did,” he said. “I appreciate my teammates for helping me with that and coach putting me in the right position to be successful. I had fun that night. That’s what it’s all about.”

Jenkins left Louisiana State University, where he played during the 2016-2017 season, because he wanted control over his basketball career.

“Coach S (head men’s basketball coach Brennen Shingleton)  gave me the opportunity to come here and show what I can do on and off the court,” Jenkins said. “Taking school seriously, and also becoming a better person and player. I love it here, the fans the community; it’s a great place to focus and simplify your life.”

Jenkins feels he brings a lot to this team through leading and encouraging everyone in the program.

“I’m a leader, a brother,” he said. “I owe it to those guys for giving me the chance to lead and make mistakes and through it all they stand right beside me. I encourage one through 15 all the way down to the manager, Alec (Daniels). I treat everyone the same. I’m not this cocky guy because of where I came from. This is my family.”

Wesleyan has helped Jenkins learn how to win and become a better player, he said.

“This place shows you what you’re really made of with so many guys that can play,” Jenkins said. “So every day it’s a challenge. Coach S is a great mentor to me as well as a great father figure. He wants the best for all of his guys and I needed that. So I’ll always be a Ram. Rams Up!”

Jenkins said his main goal for the season is to get better. He wants to learn the game and get the opportunity for the team to play for something bigger than themselves.

“We care and we hate letting each other down,” he said. “We play for each other. Anything else is an extra, so we’re pretty close.”

Jenkins is an easygoing, charming guy, Shingleton said.

“He fits in really well,” Shingleton said. “He’s a dynamic guy and a big-time athlete. He’s a very good basketball player. The thing that Branden has done well is he has kind of let go of everything in the past and really tried to form himself into a good college player here. I think that’s helped him.”

Jenkins works day to day and it helps that he has great men for teammates that encourage him to get better daily, Shingleton said.

“He’s obviously a dynamic player,” he said, “and he’s on a good team so that helps him. It’s scary to say it, but I don’t think we’ve seen his best basketball yet. We are still on him every day about holding back.”

This team is unique because there isn’t one guy that really stands out, Shingleton said. They all fit together and complement each other’s abilities.

“He’s kind of created a way in his head to take advantage of this opportunity,” he said. “I really appreciate that as a coach, but he’s kind of finding himself right now. That’s a good thing because we have a lot of basketball left to go.”

Shingleton said Jenkins’ personality is right where it should be; he is selfless and driven.

“He’s reliant on his teammates and maybe not many people know that,” he said. “He searches sometimes for encouragement, and we all do.”

Jenkins has stayed consistent and learned to win as a member of the Texas Wesleyan team, Shingleton said. It’s tough because after each season there are only a handful of returning players, and they have to carry on the previous team’s legacy.

“So when new guys come in and they’re supposed to play and are expected to contribute they have to now figure out what works here,” Shingleton said. “And Branden’s been really good with that. At times he bucks the system a little bit. But that’s okay; it’s a good thing to do.”

Jenkins is great with his teammates; they support each other in any way they can, Shingleton said.

“He’s a charming guy. He’s fun to be around, so that helps him for sure,” he said.

Jenkins has a tremendous work ethic and will do whatever he can to help the team, forward Dare Brazeel said.

“Our team chemistry is really good,” he said. “We all enjoy each other and have each other’s backs.”

Everyone on the team contributes with their best ability, Brazeel said.

“Branden helps the team by just doing what he does best, which is defend and score,” he said. “He guards the other team’s best player every night while averaging 22 (points) a game.”