New-look Eastern Kentucky aims to make mark in new league with distinct style of play

Few, if any, brands in men’s college basketball are stronger than Eastern Kentucky’s “Most Exciting 40 Minutes in Sports.”

The motto is emblazoned on all kinds of EKU apparel, from T-shirts and bracelets, to clothing that adorns mannequins inside the offices located in Alumni Coliseum in Richmond.

EKU head coach A.W. Hamilton brought the phrase to Richmond when he became the Colonels’ head coach in March 2018.

“I think any great team, any great organization, company, program, whatever it is, I think you’ve got to have an identity, and I think you’ve got to have a brand,” Hamilton said during EKU Media Day on Oct. 25. “We established that the day I walked in the door.”

So what does the “Most Exciting 40 Minutes in Sports” look like?

“Our goal is we want to lead the country in scoring. We want to lead the country in threes, we want to lead the country in assists. We want to lead the country in steals. We want to lead the country in forced turnovers,” Hamilton explained. “When I say it, I get it, it sounds a little crazy ... when that all happens something special is going to happen.”

Now entering his fourth season at EKU, Hamilton is beginning to see tangible results from this mindset.

Last season, the Colonels nationally ranked 15th in assists, 10th in three-pointers made, eighth in scoring, second in forced turnovers and first in steals.

EKU went 22-7 overall last season, losing in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals for the second straight campaign, once again falling short of the team’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.

This distinct brand of basketball will be debuting in a new conference this season following EKU’s offseason move to the ASUN Conference.

In both the preseason coaches and media polls, EKU was picked to finish second in the ASUN behind Liberty, but non-conference play is also a focus for Hamilton.

The Colonels have several marquee out-of-conference games this season, including a four-game road trip that includes matchups at West Virginia, Western Kentucky and Southern California.

“We want to be the best conditioned team in the country,” Hamilton said, noting that EKU has been among the top three teams in the country in tempo in each of his three seasons as head coach. “We’re pushing right now to become the best conditioned team that we can possibly become, and then we’ll worry about the conference when we get there. We’ve got to win games early because we play harder than our opponent, and our style’s different.”

While the style will remain the same, several of the players tasked with executing it have changed.

Two of EKU’s starters from last season — guard Wendell Green Jr. and forward Tre King — departed via the transfer portal for high-major schools in Auburn and Georgetown, although King is not currently part of the Georgetown program.

But in addition to EKU’s three returning starters — guards Curt Lewis and Cooper Robb and forward Michael Moreno — Hamilton has brought in seven new players, including some big-name transfers.

Headlining this group is guard Braxton Beverly, a four-year starter at North Carolina State who scored more than 1,000 points during his time with the Wolfpack.

Beverly previously played for Hamilton for two years on Hamilton’s Hargrave Military Academy post-graduate team after also playing high school basketball at Perry County Central in Hazard.

“He kind of started the circle, so I’m glad I get to finish my college career with him,” Beverly said of Hamilton. “None of my family got to come to the games (last season) being six hours away. For the free year, why not get a chance to come home?”

In addition to having previously played for Hamilton, Beverly’s head coach at N.C. State was Kevin Keatts, who Hamilton previously coached under with the Wolfpack.

“I’ve played in a similar system (at N.C. State). Fast-paced, up and down, guard full court,” Beverly explained. “I’m older, I’ve been around for a little bit longer. I think I can bring a little more mental aspect to it in terms of different ways for us to win, rather than just going on pure skill, pure talent.”

In addition to Beverly, EKU brought in two other players with past NCAA Tournament experience.

Forward Jannson Williams was part of the 2017-18 Marshall team that broke a 31-year tournament drought for the school, and Williams finished his Marshall career as the school’s all-time blocks leader with 196.

Guard Trevin Wade was part of last season’s Wichita State team that reached the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, although he appeared in just nine games as a backup point guard.

“I think that the biggest thing with the guys that we got is they’ve all been there,” Moreno, a sophomore who averaged 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and shot 46% from three-point range last season, said. “Every single guy has been in a big moment, so it’s confidence within them that they’re not going to shy away from it.”

Guard Jomaru Brown, who played in only four games last season before having shoulder surgery for a torn labrum, will also return for EKU after averaging 18 points per game during the 2019-20 season.

Hamilton said at Media Day that Brown is currently suspended for a violation of team rules. As of Saturday afternoon, that suspension was still in place with no time frame for Brown’s return.

Both Beverly and Brown were selected to the preseason ASUN All-Conference Team by league coaches, and EKU was the only ASUN team to have two players on the 10-player preseason team.

Even with the influx of new players and the move to a new conference, Beverly said the championship goals for EKU have not changed.

“We want to come win the conference. We don’t care that it’s our first year, we’re not worried about that,” Beverly said. “We’re trying to win. Trying to cut down nets, so if we can make that happen within the first year of being in the new conference that’d be huge for us and that’s something we strive for every day.”

Offseason inspiration

This offseason Hamilton read a book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” a Bible study book written by Christian pastor Rick Warren.

The book details a 40-day personal spiritual journey and offers insights into what Warren believes are God’s purposes for humans on Earth.

To begin his press conference at EKU Media Day, Hamilton held the book up and spoke about its impact.

“It’s a great read,” Hamilton said. “Listen, 344 pages, and it’s gonna take you five seconds to read, because the first sentence says, ‘It’s not about you.’ How powerful is that?”

2021-22 EKU men’s basketball schedule

Home games in all capital letters. All times Eastern.

Nov. 9: GEORGETOWN COLLEGE, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 11: OHIO VALLEY, 8 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 13: At Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Nov. 16: JAMES MADISON, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 20: ALBANY, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 22: EASTERN ILLINOIS, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 26: At West Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Nov. 28: At Radford, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Dec. 4: At Western Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Dec. 7: At Southern California, 10 p.m. (Pac-12 Network)

Dec. 11: MARSHALL, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Dec. 15: MIDWAY, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Dec. 18: NORTHERN KENTUCKY, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Dec. 22: At Bryant, 11 a.m.

Dec. 31: ALICE LLOYD, 4 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 4: CENTRAL ARKANSAS, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 8: At Bellarmine, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 11: At North Alabama, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 15: JACKSONVILLE STATE, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 18: LIPSCOMB, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 22: NORTH FLORIDA, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 27: At Florida Gulf Coast, 5 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Jan. 29: At Stetson, 4 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 3: KENNESAW STATE, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 5: LIBERTY, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 9: At Jacksonville, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 12: At Lipscomb, 5 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 16: NORTH ALABAMA, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 19: At Central Arkansas, 4:15 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 23: At Jacksonville State, 7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Feb. 26: BELLARMINE, 1 p.m. (ESPN Plus)

Mar. 1-8: ASUN Tournament

This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 8:07 AM.

Cameron Drummond

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-242-5257

Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas. Support my work with a digital subscription