Nashville Standard

The legendary Michael Jordan once said, "Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it." The Bulldogs enter the spring semester with a rough 1-7 record. Still, on the upside, they will approach upcoming conference games with a better understanding of their team chemistry, skill level, and discipline. With the team focusing on these categories in the first half of the season, a successful season lies ahead for the Bulldogs. 

One of the most critical components on the floor is the court general, the point guard. The starting point guard, Jayden Lockett (JR/Nashville, TN), has been a fan favorite for the Bulldogs thus far. The Native Nashvillian has stepped up to the challenge by becoming one of the top scorers in his first season as a Bulldog. Lockett said, "Being a part of this program has made me step up as a student and an athlete to lead the young guys with my experience." Lockett is a Junior transfer from Benedict College, which has a slightly different style of basketball within its program. At Fisk, Lockett proclaims, "We are at our best when we play an up-tempo, fast-paced game. We have length and athleticism we can use, and when we do, we are excellent." Despite the fluctuating in-game adjustments, Lockett demonstrates outstanding poise and leadership on the floor, bringing a different intensity that the Bulldogs need in the latter half of this season. 

Alongside Lockett, the Bulldogs have an array of newcomers making some noise this season. Entering his first season as a Bulldog, Michael Ashley (JR/Atlanta, GA) has provided much-needed assistance on the inside. While only standing at 6'5, Ashley leads the Bulldogs in rebounds with his constant efforts on the board. Ashley is currently averaging 11ppg and 9rpg, placing him in the top 20 rebounders in NAIA. Ashley has learned much about himself as a player and grown with the team in his first season. He states, "A strength that I've equipped would be being a leader on the court. I love being the loudest on the court, especially on the defensive side. Some strengths [for the team] are exposing the mismatch, getting out and running the fast break, and being able to play defense, [however], things we need to improve our staying locked in for the whole 40 minutes." The Bulldogs have added some excellent players to their roster; the challenge will be putting the pieces together to win the conference championship. 

Ralph Davenport (JR/Bastrop, LA) has been at the top of the shooting chart his entire Bulldog career. He recently had his biggest breakout game of the season against some tough competition at Tennessee State University, where he dropped 26 points. When asked what the difference is between this and last year's team, Ralph stated, "In this year's team, I feel like we have more players that are willing to sacrifice personal for the better of the team." He also went in-depth about the areas of improvement for this team: "The team chemistry [and in] the weight room with our strength coach Jeff "Stay Ready" Anderson. With Davenport completing his final season as a Bulldog, he has seen what it takes to bring home that conference championship. "It takes dedication, hard work, talent, of course, an unselfish mindset to be the champions of our conference. Most importantly, trust between each person on the court and the sidelines!"  

The Bulldogs have got their work cut out for the second half of their season. However, Ashley claims the team has a few tricks to combat this. When asked how the team is preparing to be successful the rest of the season, Ashley stated, "We've been preparing by getting closer with each other and building up our team chemistry and being 'one' as a team." With these actions alongside individual goals, like Lockett's goal, "To make the All-Defensive and All-Conference team, while leading the team in assists and steals," the team shows notable success the remainder of the season.

Original source can be found here