Coach Prather will have a tough time finding enough talent to compete with the schedule that NSU had put together.  Games against local powers such as Southern Miss, Centenary, Southern, SMU, Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana Tech make for a rough season. These tough games will get NSU ready for the conference but will it be worth it?  Well, if they place well in the Southland and have a nice run in the conference tournament then it will be….and then some.  

Leading the way going into the season for Coach Prather will be senior forwards John and George McConathy. The McConathy family is legendary is Louisiana and especially at Northwestern State.  4 members of this clan have represented the NSU and their contribution to the success of this program cannot be understated.  Johnny comes into the season as the team captain and the top all-around player on the team.  He can score, board, pass and defend from his position as a small forward.  He is smart and tough and has an intrinsic knowledge of what to do on the court.  Playing this game is like second nature to a kid who grew up battling his brothers for every loose ball and their father’s love throughout his childhood.  Johnny is king of the clan and is the best of the lot as he will do whatever it takes to win.  He loves this game and he no doubt will continue to play at the next level but his real future is not only coaching someday but continuing being a basketball ambassador for the Pelican State. His brother does not have the same game but is an effective offensive player.  His defense is not up to snuff for Division One so he might not be getting the minutes he has in the past.  His move to the bench was one of the big moves Prather made last year and no matter how prestigious this family is around here if George is going to play this year it will be off the pine.  Of course, he will continue to be a part of basketball in this area and wherever he goes in Natchitoches his money will not be good because there is no bigger name than McConathy!  I would not be surprised if one of this clan was running the show for NSU someday down the road. 

Senior big man James Wyatt stepped to the forefront for Northwestern State last season.  He led the team in rebounding and intimidation and has an outside chance of going to the next level.  If he was a little bigger he might be a shoein but a six foot six guy who does not jump much on the post in the pros is probably not going to happen.  Still, Wyatt is the man in Natchitoches after a historic high school career in Belmont which included one game where he reportedly scored over 100 points.  Officially he held the Louisiana record of 81 for over ten years and got 62 in a playoff game.  Wyatt is a beast down low who uses his sheer strength to dominate others in the paint.  He can score with a variety of moves that mostly include him overpowering lesser men and flatly going right at the hoop.  This was not quite as easy at this level as it was in high school and NAIA but he was still a terrific low post option for NSU  He gave up some points last year as he like everyone else on the roster lost some minutes to the changes but he still averaged 11 a game and easily led the team with over 8 boards a game.  He is a flat ‘beast’ on the boards.  A good overall game highlighted by inside toughness on both ends is his ticket but it will probably not be punched at the next level.  As good as he has been Wyatt has made it clear to his teammates that he wants a title this year and will do whatever it takes to get it and they can either come along for the ride or get the heck out of the way. 

Junior forward Billy Reynolds had another solid season for Prather.  He is a solid offensive player who has a ways to go defensively but gets the job done.  He combines with Wyatt to give the NSU consistency underneath.  Reynolds was second on the team in scoring and though he is listed as a power forward, this six five working class kid has the skill set of a three.  Reynolds has worked all of his life at a family truck stop and is not afraid of putting in the effort and last year’s success shows that.  Reynolds has always been a low post maven using his body and athleticism to get position down low for boards and easy buckets.  Last season he has made his game much more diverse.  Always a good ballhandler Reynolds had taken his game out of the paint and out to the wings on offense.  Don’t get me wrong Billy still gets some easy baskets down low but he has worked relentlessly on a corner jump shot that is almost ready for the three point world.  He does not miss when he lofts one up towards the rafters but his best asset (besides his work ethic) is that he truly can handle the ball like a guard and on this team they needed that.  He averaged over 2 assists a game and might be the most complete player on the team including McConathy.  Reynolds is remarkably strong (Charles Atlas anyone) as he always was since coming in from Calhoun High and he uses that to his advantage but having a complete game has made him someone that the pros all of a sudden are interested in.  Six five power forwards are not vogue but six five wings with handles are!  Oh, and he has two years left is Natchitoches and without question he will continue to work hard and improve and will be a primary offensive weapon for NSU.  Now, whether or not he starts at the four or comes off the bench as Mr. Instant offense has yet to be determined but either way Reynolds will get plenty of minutes and be on the court when it matters. 

As you can see having a front court that goes 6’6, 6’5 and 6’5 is not optimum and Prather has made it clear he will be looking for some more size down low. He would love to be able to move Wyatt to the four as he did the last half and there is a plethora of big men vying for the open starting role if indeed Prather goes that route. Juniors Reggie Grace and Lester elie, Sophomores Frederick Piper, George Jones and Terrence ‘Bo’ Rayford will all be in the mix.  Grace is a big man who can dominate the paint but is limited height wise, Jones is a score and board guy and Rayford is similar to Grace and all will play.  Piper has the best shot to start as he can score and defend and is solid on the boards.  Seniors David Clark, Gayle ‘Goose’ Hatch, Truitt Weldon and Charles Bloodworth all went the way of George McConathy as Prather rightfully went younger for the future.  Bloodworth in particular was missed after an early season injury as he is a true pioneer being the first black player in this team’s history.  He has got game as well and could even get a shot at the next level with a nice combo of size and skill down low.  One thing Hatch did bring to the team is emphasize strength training as he is one strong son of a gun who showed his buddies how important the weight room is.

Prather starts the season with a senior oriented team that included a backcourt of Dick Brown, Bill Collingsworth, Jimmy ‘Red’ Leach and Red Thomas.  Thomas got hurt early on but came back in the same game and led NSU to their first victory after a broken nose. Midway through the season Prather realized that though Thomas could flat play he was not big enough (5’4) to defend consistently at this level.  Brown and Leach are similar at the two but more so due to a lack of athleticism.  But both can flat let it fly.  Collingsworth actually came on strong down the stretch and might have a shot at keeping his gig. Prather started mixing up his lineup quite a bit to find some guards who could play and to be honest he did a pretty good job of it.  But don’t get me wrong none of these guys are completely out of the mix as Prather is loyal and these kids can score. 

Junior Vernon Wilson stepped up to become a primary offensive weapon for the NSU.  Wilson is a solid offensive threat who is not overmatched, unlike some of his teammates, against some of the more athletic opponents NSU plays.  Wilson ended up leading the team in scoring and might be the best overall player in the program.  Wilson took a little detour out of Logansport (Rosenwald High) enrolling at Grambling but soon realized he was not going to get playing time behind the great Jimmy Jones and transferred.  After sitting out some games to start the year Wilson soon became the two guard this team needed.  Wilson plays inside like a big man using his strength and jumping ability to post up guards.  His consistency in being able to score in double digits was a vanguard for this team.  Out of 26 games Wilson was in double figures 22 times as ‘he jumps, he shoots, he scores’ became a familiar refrain from broadcaster Norm Fletcher.  At six three he can also rebound and is a terrific defender but he does need to improve his ballhandling if he is going to get to the next level.  He has two years to do this but in the meanwhile he will continue to be a huge part of the NSU as they ascend up the ranks of the Southland. 

Point guard was an endless tryout for Coach Prather trying to find someone who can distribute the ball.  He started the year with the diminutive Thomas running the show.  Thomas has had a solid career for NSU and is obviously tough as nails but his starting days are probably over.  He gave up his role for the benefit of the team.  Juniors Howard ‘the Aviator’ Hughes and Lester Davis both got opportunities.  Davis really showed some athleticism and is a terrific set up guy but this is a very liquid position for the NSU.   

Northwestern State may not have had the best season but the fans of Natchitoches never gave up on this team.  The fans of this fledgling program never waver in support and there is some hope after a strong last showing in their new league.  Prather made some changes while still trying out several new players and the second half was a huge improvement. NSU turned things around with some stellar play with a mix from some upperclassmen and some new blood.  The test will be continuing to climb up the Southland ladder to respect and prosperity.