BASKETBALL
NPC looks to improve as part of NJCAA
National Park College is continuously working to establish a new brand of basketball right here in Hot Springs, and it is dedicated to building on to what was started a year ago.
Jason Hudnell, head men’s basketball coach and athletic director, noted that this will be an historic year for the program as it is now a part of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
“Our first year, last year, we started as a club sport, so we were not a member of NJCAA,” he said. “We were just getting our feet in the water into intercollegiate athletics. I was really proud of how our guys fought.
“We were overmatched in a lot of games, but we turned a lot of heads in that first year. Typically,
a club team is not supposed to be very competitive … We went out and went 12-5 in our first year, which really turned a lot of heads. We beat some people we probably weren’t supposed to beat, but winning is contagious.”
The men’s team will include returning athletes Braylon Steen and Lowell Washington from Bryant, sophomore Seth Duke from Gravette, Hot Springs’ K.J. Corder, and Logan Willett from Faith Prep Academy.
New to the NightHawks is Patrick Greene from Little Rock Mills, Perryville grad Garrison Branscum and Henderson State transfer and Arkadelphia grad Preston Crowder. A significant number of additional players will be joining from the area including Jessieville’s Alex Burleson, Tyler Zander from Mountain Pine, David Jagers from Mayflower, Bobby (B.J.) Lacy from Malvern, D.J. Martin from Pine Bluff, Desmond McDonald from Hope, Dayten Wishon from Gravette, Bradey Woodall from Manila and Jaren Richards from E-Stem.
“We’re not really interested in just building a program just for the sake of having basketball,” said Hudnell. “Our goal here is to win. Our goal is to win a regional championship; that is next on our list. We want to be Region 2 champions. We know we’ve got some work to do to get there.
“We’re in the same region with ASU-Midsouth and with North Arkansas College there in Harrison and also with SAU Tech in Camden. We’ve got a lot of athletes here; we’ll be able to play an up-tempo style. I think if you come out and watch us play, it’s going to be a brand of basketball that you will enjoy. We’re going to put a lot of points on the board and make it a fun environment for people to come out. We really need Hot Springs to embrace the Nighthawks … Our goal is to bring a championship to National Park College. That’s why we’re here and what we’re trying to do.”
With the team making its entrance as an official member of the NJCAA, Hudnell expressed the need for support and engaged interests from the surrounding community in embracing the Nighthawks as the local college basketball team.
“We really need the community to support us,” he said “We need them to come to the games. We need them to become members of the Nighthawk Club and to embrace the idea that we’ve got a college basketball team right here in Hot Springs. Athletics brings so much more than just having a team. It’s about having something for the entire community and our entire student body to rally around and cheer for.”
“We know that an engaged student is a successful student, so all of this is not just about athletics or basketball. It’s about the overall well-being of our college and students. We want them to be successful, and there are so many studies that show that the schools that can engage their students bring about successful students. Athletics does that.”
Duke noted his love for and dedication to the Nighthawks basketball program.
“Last season definitely ended on an upnote,” he said. “We went from a program where there wasn’t much expected of us to a program that really built itself off of working hard and having each other’s backs. Building off of last season, I think this season will go really well.
“Last season was spectacular, it was definitely new and a lot to take in. It was fun and a lot of learning going on that we’ll be able to take into this year. We’re working our tails off. We’re ready to get into the season and to get started. We’re all in here every single day getting better and growing. It’s going to be a fun year. We have the gym looking nice; coach upgraded everything a good bit. Hopefully, we can continue to build off of that. I love the campus. I love the college and the coach; I love my teammates … There’s not one bad thing I could say about the school.”
Corder added that last season was a time to grow. The players, the coaching staff, and the college have worked tirelessly to officially begin this season off strong.
“I felt like we did good with what we had,” he said. “The first year was a lot of building. This year we have a lot more talent coming in, and I feel like we’ll have an even better season.”
The NightHawks will host Cossatot Community College for their season opener, Nov. 5.