USC Aiken has numbers on side

Mike Brandt didn't have to spend as much time recruiting as other local basketball coaches this year. In fact, he's now taking a few weeks of vacation.

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The USC Aiken women's coach had a lot less work to do this off-season than Pacers men's coach Mike Roberts, who signed nine new players. Both of Augusta State's coaches each brought in nine players as well. Brandt signed just four.

"It'll be a little different next year," he said. "I'll be on the nine side."

In his third year, Brandt is looking to return USC Aiken to its championship form. The Lady Pacers won the Peach Belt North Division titles in 2001 and 2002. Last year, the team went 14-14.

USC Aiken returns nine players, but lost guards Sarah Kendrick and Haylee Richert, and forwards Erica Larsen and Katie Mitchell to graduation. Larsen and Kendrick were the team's first and third leading scorers, respectively, averaging more than 22 points a game combined - almost a third of the Lady Pacers' offense.

Brandt brought in a pair of Augusta-area players in Aiken High's graduate Nola Grant and Lakeside High's graduate Nichole Bennett.

Grant, a 6-foot forward, averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds a game in 22 games at Belmont Abbey last year before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Bennett averaged 7.9 points a game at Seminole Community College last season.

"We're trying to draw interest from the local community," he said. "(Grant) was one of the better players we signed. (Bennett) is a very hard-nose player and passes the ball extremely well."

Another junior college addition is Eboni Speller, a 6-foot forward from Walters State Community College. She averaged 9.5 points and 5.2 rebounds a game last season.

Jordon Thomas is Brandt's only true freshman. The 5-10 guard/forward from Cherry Creek, Colo., was an honorable mention all-state selection who averaged 9.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game her senior season.

"I think they filled the needs we were looking for," he said. "They've got some athleticism."

Brandt said all four players will be expected to contribute.

"I'm counting on them to come in and play," he said.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.