As one of the few players returning from last year’s team, Odessa College’s Brandon Maclin knew he had to transition to a leadership role for this season.
The sophomore from Jackson, Tenn., has done just that.
Now, he’s back at the NJCAA National Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive year, and he’s hoping to come home with some hardware with his teammates.
Maclin has been a key player for the Wranglers this season, averaging 11.7 points per game, going 46 percent on field goals and 31.4 percent on 3-pointers.
He’s second on the team in rebounds per game, averaging 4.9.
However, as one of three players back from last year, his role on the team changed to more of a leadership one during his sophomore season.
“My freshman year, I was more of a role player,” Maclin said. “I just played my role and played my minutes and (did) what I had to do. This year, the guys were looking up to me as more of a leader and a guy with authority. I feel like my role has changed because last year, I was able to play in tough games and get that experience. This year, I can use that experience to teach the younger players.”
The Odessa College men’s basketball team will be competing in the NJCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year.
The Wranglers (24-8) enter as the No. 13 seed and will face No. 20 seed Trinidad State (25-7) at 7:15 p.m. Sunday at Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, Kan.
Five wins is what it will take for the Wranglers to win the school’s first national championship in program history.
For Maclin and his teammates, it’s all about finishing the job.
Last year, the Wranglers were knocked out of the tournament in a 79-75 overtime loss to Indian Hills in the quarterfinals — a game in which Odessa College was in front in the final minutes of regulation.
“It feels good to be back,” Maclin said. “I feel like we have some unfinished business. We lost in the elite eight last year and we were up 15 with five minutes to go, so I feel like it’s unfinished business. We have to finish the job.”
This year’s tournament selection didn’t come easy as the Wranglers saw their streak of three consecutive Western Junior College Athletic Conference titles come to an end.
Odessa College was unable to win the Region V Tournament as the Wranglers were knocked out in the semifinals by South Plains College last Friday in Weatherford.
That led to a few nervous days for the Wranglers who were hoping to get an at-large bid for the tournament.
“We lost Friday and then Saturday was a long day,” Maclin said. “Sunday was another long day of anticipation. I kept telling the guys to have faith. That was all we had to do. If we didn’t get in, we didn’t get in. If we get in, we know what we have to do.”
In the end, the Wranglers were selected and will get another chance at a national title.
“We feel like we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Maclin said. “This is the national tournament. You won’t see any blowouts. You only see the best of the best play. I feel like those games have helped prepare us for the national tournament because you’re going up against the best competition with the best coaches. Those competitions during the season, we take those games and learn from them and learn how to get over the hump.”
For Maclin, there are plenty of reasons to enjoy the opportunity of playing at the NJCAA Tournament.
“If you want to showcase your talent, that’s the stage where you’re able to do that,” Maclin said. “You have college coaches there and fans and people watching you. It’s going to be broadcast on ESPN Plus. You couldn’t ask for anything else as a college player.”
He described what the experience is like when stepping onto the court at Hutchinson Sports Arena during the tournament.
“I can tell you one thing, it’s a different feeling,” Maclin said. “The lights are so much brighter. You get a different feeling when you step out on that court.”
He’s received offers from Division I schools including UTEP, Radford University, Sienna and Idaho State.
However, he’s not sure where he’ll transfer after this season.
“At the moment, it’s still up in the air,” Maclin said. “I aim to make a decision in May, but for right now, I’m focused on finishing up this season strong and going out to accomplish our goals.”
