FARMVILLE, Va. – Seniors Tyler Akers and Quincy Taylor, redshirt junior Lotanna Nwogbo and sophomore Damarion Geter will captain the 2014-15 Longwood men's basketball team, head coach Jayson Gee announced Thursday.
Each member of the contingent was voted to captaincy by their teammates. Both Taylor and Nwogbo spent the 2013-14 season at Longwood sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules, while Akers and Geter played key roles off the bench.
"I am extremely excited about the four men who have been selected by their teammates and have been confirmed by our staff to lead this team," said Gee, now entering his second season as head coach of the Lancer program. "These young men have been leaders in every aspect of life and will be great role models for our program and university. They understand and desire the role of captain, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their leadership."
Those four will lead a Longwood squad that welcomes eight newcomers to the floor, including transfers Shaquille Johnson, Jason Pimentel, Nwogbo and Taylor and freshmen Ryan Badowski, Victor Dorsey, Bryan Gee and Kanayo Obi-Rapu, Jr. The lone returning starter is junior guard Leron Fisher, who started 24 games and led the team with 53 steals.
Akers is a 6-4 guard who played in 19 games as a junior last season, averaging 0.5 points and 0.3 rebounds per game. A former transfer from Roanoke College and a native of Wytheville, Va., Akers is pursuing his master's degree in business administration.
"It means a lot. It shows what the guys think of us and that they look up to us," Akers said. "We're going to do the best we can to lead this team."
Geter, a 6-7 forward who is the youngest member of the captain quartet, being elected to the position in only his second year in the program. A native of Dayton, Ohio, Geter appeared in all 32 games with five starts last season, averaging 2.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting .569 (33-of-58) from the floor.
"It's an honor to be named captain, especially being chosen by my teammates," Geter said. "I'm only going into my sophomore year, but we're young so I'm one of the most experienced guys on the team. It can be difficult trying to be a team leader only as a sophomore, but it really shows me what confidence my teammates have in me. I'm going to turn that back around to them with my leadership."
Nwogbo will make his debut for the Lancers in 2014-15 after sitting out the 2013-14 season following his transfer from Tulane. Nwogbo is a 6-8, 255-pound forward and center from Lithonia, Ga., who appeared in 46 games over two seasons at Tulane.
"It's a great honor for me to be selected as team captain," Nwogbo said. "It shows that my teammates respect me as a leader and that my hard work has paid off. I haven't been on the court with these guys in a game, but I practiced with them all last year and we're just ready to go now. We're ready to get after it."
Taylor, a 6-0 guard, is slated to start at the point for Longwood heading into 2014-15. A transfer from University of Alabama-Birmingham, Taylor has made 43 starts and played in 93 games in his collegiate career, including 28 games as UAB's starting point guard as a sophomore in 2012-13.
"Being named team captain by my teammates is a great honor," Taylor said. "It shows that my teammates think highly of me and respect me as a player."
Longwood will make its debut on Nov. 8 when Farmville neighbor Hampden-Sydney comes to Willet Hall for a 5 p.m. exhibition contest. Longwood's season opener will tip off on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. against Averett.
