Gaston College preparing for challenging upcoming schedule

Ever since David "Dickey" Nutt became Gaston College's first basketball coach in 50 years, he's known Region 10 is one of the most competitive leagues in the entire National Junior College Athletic Association.

After losing 92-89 to USC Salkehatchie at home on Tuesday night, Nutt had this message to his team: "It was 'Welcome to conference play!' and we know this is really a good conference."

The Rhinos (10-6, 1-2) return to league play this weekend with a 2 p.m. Saturday game against perennial power Cape Fear Community College then hosts Region 10 Division II perennial power Louisburg in a non-conference game on Sunday at 2 p.m. Both games will be played at the North Gaston High School gymnasium.

"We've got to regroup," Nutt said. "We've got to get to practice, correct our mistakes and get ready for some important games."

In truth, the Rhinos are facing arguably the toughest four-game stretch so far this season as they visit Spartanburg Methodist on Jan. 19, then host Brunswick Community College on Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at North Gaston after this weekend's contests.

Cape Fear Community College, Louisburg, Spartanburg and Brunswick Community College are the top historical powers currently in Region 10.

Cape Fear has won six Region 10 titles, most recently in 2019, and advanced to the region final eight times.

Louisburg, which went Division II in 2007, won four Division I region titles and advanced to 10 Division I championship games before adding six more Region 10 Division II titles (most recently in 2018).

Spartanburg Methodist is the all-time leader in Region 10 Division I titles (10) and runner-up finishes (7) and has advanced to the region championship game at least once in every decade since the 1970s.

And Brunswick has three Region 10 titles and is the defending champion.

"What we have to do is learn from these experiences," said Nutt, who was hired last summer to lead Gaston College's first team since 1972. "We're so inexperienced as a team that you can't get caught up in looking at a conference race. You have to play one game at a time, one possession at a time and gradually make progress.
"The pressure grows with every game, and, obviously, we're in a really competitive conference. But this is what we asked for, so let's build this program into one of the best in the country."

Sophomores Damon Davis (14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists), Jaylen Bates (12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds), Kalil Camara (9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds) and Zavion Jackson (6.8 points, 6.3 rebounds) and freshmen Da'marco Watson (12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists), Dee Merriweather (11.5 points), Naysean Baisy (7.1 points), Dedrick Givens (6.7 points, 5.5 rebounds), Josh Johnson (6.4 points) and Jared Funderburk (5.8 points) have led the Rhinos this season.