For the second year in a row, Winthrop enters the season with high expectations and one of the best players in Class C in Jacob Hickey. But they believe in order to reach those expectations, others will need to help take some of the scoring load off the senior sharpshooter.

“We’d like to see his assist numbers go up. If his scoring goes down and assists go up, he’s more valuable to our team,” Winthrop coach Todd MacArthur said. “And he doesn’t care about his states. He cares about wins and losses.”

The Ramblers have the depth and talent to give Hickey the help he needs. Garrett Tsouprake will anchor the paint, while fellow seniors Spencer Steele, Bennett Brooks, Nate Scott (returning from a broken leg in football) and Andrew Pazdziorko should be ready to step up after seeing significant playing time last year. Sophomore 6-foot-8 center Cam Wood could also emerge as a key to a title run for the Ramblers.