Crowley - After a 3-13 season last year, the John Melvin University basketball program has gone through nearly a complete revamp. Not only is the 2024-2025 roster nearly completely different, but so is the coaching staff. Romel Bryant, a Chicago native, takes over the Millers, who are in just their third season of collegiate competition. Assisting Bryant this year is Walter Johnson.
"We are excited to be here, and our goals are lofty," said Bryant, who was of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coaching Association in 2021. "We want to be one of the first teams to win some sort of honored as Coach championship for Crowley, where it's a conference championship or, if we are blessed enough, to win a national championship"
For Bryant, that means building from the ground up with 12 of his 18 players coming straight out of high school. He has four sophomores and two juniors on his roster.
"We are kind of deviating from what a lot of colleges are doing today," said Bryant. "A lot of four-year colleges are getting junior college players that have some college experience. Most of my guys are right out of high school, and it's been a thrill watching them develop and it will be even more exciting to see how they compete against other teams that may be older, stronger, and are a little more knowledgeable of the game."
While the bulk of the Millers' roster is from other state - Illinois, Mississippi, Florida, and Texas - There are two locals on the squad. Freshman Tayshaun Colomb, a Rayne High graduate, will join Landen Istre, a junior who prepped at Northside Christian High School, as the only two players from Acadia Parish. Istre and Richard Cassler Jr are the only two returning players for the Millers.
One thing the Millers won't lack is size: nine of the 18 players measure better than 6-foot-3. Jalen Llyod-Agner, a Chicago native, is the center, standing at 6-foot-11. Matthew Shepard, from Mississippi, measures in at 6-foot-8 followed by Chicago's Kyan Shannon (6-7), Texas' Jamorian Williams (6-6) and Deonne Williams of Florida (6-5).
"We have a healthy roster" said Bryant. And we have some size, which is something they haven't had here with previous teams."
The Millers kick of their season on Saturday, Oct. 24 when they play host to the Louisiana Community Christian College Huskies at 6 PM in Crowley's Martin Luther King Center.
"We just want to make a name for ourselves" said Bryant, whose team will play a 26 game regular season. "We have some players that other schools may have passed on and I look forward to seeing these kids compete."