Titan men's basketball team ready for home opener Tuesday night

The Eastern Florida State College men's basketball team will hit the court for the first time on Tuesday night at Titan Field House, hungry for another successful season.

The No. 4 team in the NJCAA men's basketball preseason poll will open the new season tonight at 7 p.m. against Polk State with just three returning players from a team that won 28 games and made it to the NJCAA National Tournament last season.

"I am just really excited about this group, I am excited about every group coming in, but honestly more excited about this group than any I have had so far," Eastern Florida State College men's basketball coach Jeremy Shulman said. "The work ethic, the character, every day at practice is a real joy and hopefully that translates into wins this season."

Kareem Brewton, Austin Awad and Joan Duran are back and ready to lead this year's team that has high hopes of returning to the national tournament.

"I feel like we are hungry. We are ready, we are ready to get back into the season and play," said Brewton, who averaged 14 points per game last season and comes in as a Sporting News Second Team Super Soph.

The team has reloaded with a solid group of freshmen eager to help contribute this season.

"We are really talented but what makes us scary is that we are all really diverse," Awad said. "We have eight different guys who can play multiple positions and I think that is what will give other teams problems."

The Titans will have 13 home games this season including a tournament at the end of December before the conference season begins in January where once again the Titans will be the team to beat.

"The target is on our back, for sure. We are definitely the hunted right now and it puts a little added pressure because we are expected to perform at a high level but as long as we stay focused on the daily process, it all takes care of itself," Shulman said.