When head coach Jerry Eaves first arrived to North Carolina A&T, his job included reviving a basketball program that suffered a tremendous downfall from its glory years.Slowly but surely the Aggies showed signs of improvement as Eaves eventually pulled together a squad that would give them their first back-to-back winning seasons by his fourth year.

This year, Eaves will attempt to establish a rotation that will follow the same pressure basketball game plan that has been the foundation of A&T basketball, despite the departure of players that have helped rebuild the program.”We’re a work in progress, but we’ve got an opportunity to be really good down the stretch,” said Eaves.

WHOS OUT:Steven Rush was one of the top 3-point shooters in the nation. He finished third on the all-time list in 3-pointers made and hit 115 of them during his junior campaign.Austin Ewing led the offensive attack as the starting point guard for two years and was second behind the perimeter on the team in 3-point field goals.The Aggies might also find it difficult to replace the versatility of last year’s forward Jason Wills who leaves A&T with over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 200 assists.

WHOS IN:Filling the void in the backcourt will include second year guard Tavarus Alston (2.7 ppg, 1.0 apg), who will likely permanently take over Ewing’s floor leading duties. The Aggies do not have a returning player who averaged double figures last season.  Senior Ed Jones (7.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.7 apg) is the leading scorer returning to the pack this year. The frontcourt returnees are forwards Robert Johnson, and center Thomas Coleman (6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 bpg).Coleman saw significant time as a freshman aiding the Aggies as their best defensive player.Last season he earned ALL-MEAC freshman honors and will need to develop more of a post presence to open up the offense for the young team.Johnson really began to blossom late in the season last year. This could be a breakout year for him.

FINAL PROJECTION:If the Aggie can overcome their youth and stay healthy, they could possibly be a shocker in the conference. With a team so young, someone will have to take the team leader role in helping A&T reach its full potential. Until then, only time will tell.Backcourt: C, Frontcourt: C+, Bench: C

• Daniel Henderson