Sophomore night, playoff hopes headline Tallahassee Community College men’s basketball home finale
Tallahassee Community College’s men’s basketball regular season is winding down.
But not before one last game at the Bill Hebrock Eagledome.
The TCC Eagles (18-10, 4-6 Panhandle) host Gulf Coast State College (16-12, 2-8 Panhandle) in a Panhandle Conference game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
TCC hopes to end the home slate on a high note as it battles inconsistencies at the Eagledome, where it is 7-6 this season.
“For some reason, we struggle at home. But our guys will want to perform well for their last home game,” TCC head coach Corey Hendren said. “That should be a natural motivation to have a good support system. I think the guys are hungry to get one at home.”
On Wednesday, TCC will honor six sophomores for their final game at the Eagledome.
But celebrating the departing players isn’t the only reason TCC has to play for.
An Eagles victory clinches a spot in the eight-team Florida College System Activities Association/National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8 Tournament. Winning the state championship earns TCC an automatic NJCAA Division I tournament bid.
“We’re going into [Wednesday] treating it like a playoff game,” said sophomore guard Seth Jones, who leads TCC by averaging 15.6 points per game. “Sophomore night or regular night ― it’s a playoff game.”
Tallahassee Community College eyes positioning for postseason appearance, success
Hendren is in his first season leading TCC’s men’s basketball.
Therefore, he’s gotten his initial taste of the Panhandle Conference.
And he’s quickly learned of the league’s challenges as the Eagles are two games under .500 with two regular season games remaining to make their playoff hopes a reality.
TCC is third in the Panhandle Conference standings behind No. 1 Chipola and No. 2 Northwest Florida State.
“It’s tough,” Hendren gave credit to the Panhandle Conference’s talent.
“It’s some really good teams with good coaches and competition. Every season is going to have its ups and downs. But our guys have gotten better and are adapting well.”
Despite the stiff competition that the Panhandle Conference presents, TCC is embracing the grind and the late-season pressure to win.
The Eagles hope to hit their stride in the regular season’s final two games for a chance to emulate the success of 2023, which saw TCC reach the NJCAA Division I Final Four round as an at-large selected team.
“We’re going step by step,” said sophomore guard Hayden Brittingham, TCC’s second-leading scorer with 15.2 points per game. “It’s very important to get these last couple of wins because if we don’t have success in the state tournament, we can get an at-large.”
Though TCC’s sophomores are downplaying their gameday ceremony, Hendren is proud of their growth and maturation this season.
And he’s excited to coach them in the Eagledome one last time.
“We’ve had a really good group of sophomores who’ve done what we’ve asked and committed to the program,” Hendren said. “To celebrate them and cap off the home schedule with a win would be huge.
“These guys are invested in the community in different ways. Having people come out to support them is something our guys would appreciate.”
Tallahassee Community College Men's Basketball Sophomores
Hayden Brittingham, Forward, Fort Worth, Texas
Zaylan Chaney, Guard/Forward, Cartersville, Georgia
Michael Dudley, Guard/Forward, Charlotte, North Carolina
Damoni Harrison, Guard, Atlanta, Georgia
Seth Jones, Guard, Dickinson, Texas
Lee Langstaff, Guard, Asheville, North Carolina
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Eagles: Men's hoops honoring 6 seniors, playoff hopes loom
