Prairie View A&M coach Byron Smith is not shying away from the challenge facing his basketball program.
After leading the Panthers to a historic postseason run last season, Smith is preparing for another roster overhaul — one that will require Prairie View A&M to replace much of the production that helped deliver a SWAC championship and the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory.
“And the cupboards were pretty bare,” Smith said about what was left of roster that made a March run at SWAC men’s basketball media day. “I think we had a few napkins, some paper plates, some plastic spoons. No food.”
The Panthers finished 19-18 last season and entered the SWAC Tournament as the No. 8 seed before winning four consecutive games to capture the championship. Prairie View A&M then defeated Lehigh 67-55 in the NCAA First Four for the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history before falling to No. 1 seed Florida in the first round.
That team, however, lost most of its core.
Dontae Horne, the SWAC Tournament MVP, along with Tai’Reon Joseph, Cory Wells and Lance Williams were among the key contributors who are no longer on the roster. Horne, Williams and Wells combined for major production during the championship run, while Joseph scored a team-high 16 points against Florida.
Smith said only Hassane Diallo and Elijah Mitchell return from the group that finished the season, giving the Panthers a drastically different look.
Diallo, a forward who played a significant role late last season, and Mitchell, a versatile wing, will provide Prairie View A&M with some continuity.
But Smith believes the new roster could offer something last year’s team lacked: depth.
Among the newcomers are South Plains transfer Micah Bell, Alcorn State transfer Davian Williams, Charleston Southern transfer Anthony Gause and Blinn junior college transfer Dashawn Ceaser. Bell averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists at South Plains, while Williams posted 7.8 points and 2.9 rebounds per game at Alcorn State last season.
Smith said Gause, Ceaser and Bell have already shown flashes during fall camp.
“I think from a standpoint of depth, I think we’re in much better shape than we were last year,” Smith said.
The Panthers may not have the same individual star power they had with Horne and Joseph, Smith acknowledged, but he believes the new group can compensate with numbers.
“We’ve got more guys that can do things with the basketball,” Smith said. “They can have great impact.”
For a program coming off its biggest season in years, Prairie View A&M will now try to turn another rebuild into another postseason run.
