I’D LIKE TO THANK KEVIN WILLIAMSON WHO IS THE HEAD COACH FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF SAINT KATHERINE FIREBIRDS IN SAN MARCOS, CALIFORNIA IN THE CAL-PAC IN NAIA FOR SHARING HIS THOUGHTS ON 2021-22 CAMPAIGN WITH THE CANNON NETWORK. HE SHARED, “USK BASKETBALL ENTERS ITS SECOND SEASON AS A FULL MEMBER OF THE CAL PAC CONFERENCE AND NAIA. OVER THE PAST TWO SEASONS USK BASKETBALL IS 21-16 OVERALL, AND IN 2019-20 AUTO-QUALIFIED WAS THE WEST REGION CHAMPIOIN FOR THE NCCAA DI NATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN OUR FINAL YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE NCCAA. LAST SEASON WAS A VERY UP AND DOWN SEASON WITH AN EXTREMELY HARD PRE-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE DUE TO COVID-19, AND COMBINED WITH THE LACK OF NON-NCAA DI TEAMS PLAYING IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. WE HAD TO PLAY 10 NCAA DI TEAMS IN A ROW FROM NOV 25TH TO JAN 18TH JUST TO HAVE CONTESTS. FROM THAT TOUGH SCHEDULE OUR PLAYERS BATTLED ON AND WENT ONTO FINISH THE SEASON 6-6 OVERALL IN REGULAR SEASON GAMES WITH WINS VERSUS NAIA POWERS VANGUARD AND WESTMONT. WE FELL A POINT SHORT OF QUALIFYING FOR THE NAIA TOURNAMENT AT THE CAL PAC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. OUR SCHEDULE IN 2021-22 IS A MUCH MORE NORMAL SLATE OF GAMES WITH 26 NAIA CONTESTS SCHEDULED WITH A FEW NCAA DI GAMES MIXED IN. WE RETURN 11 PLAYERS FROM LAST YEAR’S TEAM INCLUDING A CAL PAC ALL CONFERENCE AND ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM PLAYER. THE 11 RETURNERS INCLUDE 4 OF OUR 6 TOP SCORERS FROM LAST SEASON. WE HAVE ADDED SOME TALENTED TRANSFERS AND 4 FRESHMEN TO THAT MIX OF RETURNERS. WE ARE EXCITED FOR A NORMAL REGULAR SEASON AND HOPEFUL FOR A FULL CAL PAC CONFERENCE SLATE OF GAMES.”