Written by Chad Conine Tribune-Herald Special Article
Even before this season began, there was evidence that the college men's basketball team could take big steps forward.
But that wasn't true on the surface.
A year ago, the university was hurting its way to the playoffs. The Trojans won six of their first eight District 16-5A games. After that, it was a bumpy road to the finish line. In the end, the university finished with a record of 16 wins and 19 losses, losing to A&M Consolidated by 15 points in the first round of the playoffs.
Beneath the surface, a much better team was emerging.
The university started three freshmen and two sophomores for most of the 2022-23 season. The same group forms part of the core of this season's team. Although they are still young, their potential is clear for all to see.
The Trojans (27-6) are No. 14 in this week's Texas Basketball Coaches Association rankings. They defeated cross-town rival Waco High School 53-41 in the final regular season game Tuesday night, securing second place in the district with an 11-3 record.
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Within the college program, coaches and players long ago raised the bar this season. But the reality surprised even head coach Ricardo Félix.
“This group of young guys really went above and beyond what we thought we would do,” Felix said this week. “We thought it would be like this next year. What's great about it is that it's very comfortable. They want to win and they're very competitive. There's still two. We have three freshmen and two juniors. I think what made the difference was the year they had.”
Felix served as an assistant coach under Rodney Smith when the Trojans were a regular in the state rankings and even reached No. 1 in the 2016-17 season. He wanted to reaffirm his expectations and aim for the regional tournament.
That's one goal down, and another big one remains as the university prepares for the start of the playoffs. The Trojans will play College Station in Centerville on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
“It's something we've been talking about since last year,” Felix said. “We lost in that first round. We knew it was going to be tough. We were the No. 4 seed and A&M was the No. 1 seed. After that game, in the offseason, We talked about having to play in regional tournaments. We've been preaching to them every day. The goal is regional tournaments. It's not that we don't want to show our status. Big like regional tournaments. When you’re on stage, you can ride that wave.”
That's a bold statement, but if you look at the makeup of the college team, they can handle it.
The Trojans are led by sophomore guard London Smith. Smith is already considered a top-100 prospect nationally in football, and he has played two seasons on the gridiron and court for the national team.
Smith is the son of former college basketball and football coach Rodney Smith, who currently serves as Waco ISD assistant athletic director. Rodney Smith played football and basketball at Baylor University. Stacey Smith, Rodney's wife and London's mother, also had an impressive athletic career. After her stellar high school career at La Vega, she competed in track and field at Baylor, winning the NCAA triple jump gold medal at the school's first women's national championships, earning her All-American status.
Felix said London Smith embodies the coach's kid concept.
“London is completely different,” Felix says. “He wants to win and is a very competitive kid. When you have a loss like that, it really bothers him. He's one of our leaders and he's a very competitive kid. He's just doing what he has to do to make sure. He's been playing basketball and football since he was young. He's always played aggressive and competed tough.”
Smith is the clear floor leader in college, but he has good players around him. The Trojans' two seniors, Micah Henderson and Deshaun Patterson, came off the bench and made important contributions. But the most obvious playmakers besides Smith are junior Dre Rutledge and sophomore Justin Neal.
The Trojans have had to play without 6-foot-4 center Neal for the last few games after suffering a concussion Jan. 30 against Killeen Chaparral. He returned to the lineup for University's win over Waco High School this week.
“We run a lot of 4-out, 1-in,” Felix said, explaining Neal's role as the Trojans' only interior presence. “He can really play outside as well. When he gets a (defensive) rebound, we tell him, 'You can go.' He is very good inside, especially when there are defenders behind him. ”
Thanks to the calmness gained from experience and quality depth, the university has taken that big step forward. The program also has a savvy coaching staff that can optimize those qualities.
Felix is in his fifth season as a college head coach. Prior to that, he was an assistant to college head coaches Rodney Smith and Tar Lloyd. He therefore has a huge debt of gratitude to his assistant coaches Victor Carmichael, Ricky Rose and Anthony Webb.
Rose, the former McLennan Community College women's basketball head coach, occupies a unique position in Felix's coaching career.
“When I was in college, I took 'Principles of Coaching,' and the professor was Ricky Rhodes,” Felix said. “I can't do anything without that person.”
As lunchtime approached on Monday morning and Rose was leaving the college coaches' room for freshman practice, London Smith finished making peanut butter sandwiches and Felix settled into a conversation about the team. It was about the future of Trojan basketball.
However, Felix is telling the team a sense of crisis. Why postpone when you have goals like making it to the regional tournament and possibly the state tournament?
“We're trying to tell them the window is closed,” he said. “We have to do it now.”
