By Gary Stallard
AC Athletics
Angelina College’s two basketball teams came out of Wednesday’s Region XIV Basketball Media Day at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens with the coaches poll putting the Roadrunner men second in the conference and the Lady Roadrunners fifth for the 2026-2027 season.
Roadrunners picked second: a team entering the season with high expectations
The Angelina College Roadrunner men’s basketball team is already experiencing high expectations for the upcoming 2026-2027 season, and those high hopes aren’t just coming from within.
At Wednesday’s annual Region XIV Basketball Media Day, the ‘Runners learned they were picked to finish second in the conference in the coaches poll.
Recent pre-season performances helped – the Roadrunners swept four games at the Mullens JUCO Jamboree in Duncanville, prompting one pundit to mention AC as one of the nation’s top programs.
AC head coach and athletic director J.J. Montgomery, who left Angelina College as its all-time leading scorer, first thanked his administration and staff (including new assistant coach Brandon Martinez) before diving into his team’s upcoming season.
Montgomery noted his current squad is returning just two players (Qasim Boyd and Zacc Sells) from last year’s group, mentioning several new additions through recruiting and the transfer portal.
“We spent the whole summer recruiting and putting together the best team we could put together, and I’m excited about this group,” Montgomery said. “I really am. I think this is one of my most talented groups I’ve ever had.”
Montgomery remarked that he’s a “defensive guy” who prefers to keep scores “in the 50s, if we can.”
“My front line is probably going to be the strength of my team this year,” Montgomery said.
Those big bodies include Logan Alexander (6’11”), Justin Houston (6’11”), Didi Zanguim (6’11”), Jordan Russell (6’7”) and Kevin Alabi (6’8”).
“I’m expecting a lot from that front line of ours,” Montgomery said. “That’s going to be our identity this year.”
As for his “wings,” Montgomery mentioned Taj Petteway, a transfer from Coastal Bend Community College who last season averaged 15-16 points and five rebounds per game; Caleb Evans, a “knock-down shooter and high IQ player”; and Amari Edwards, who led Region XIV in three-point shooting percentage in 2025-2026.
Boyd, who missed all of last season after being a member of AC’s Elite Eight squad in 2024-2025, also drew praise.
“Qasim might be the person I’m most proud of,” Montgomery said. “He’s such a great kid, and he’s worked so hard to get back with us, and he really keeps our team together.”
Other players expected to contribute are Grayson Johnson, Chase Wiley, Quinton Sanders, Mason Hervey, Gerron Graham, Cam’ron Myers and Devon Vienneau.
“I’m proud of my group, and I love this group,” Montgomery said.
The Roadrunners will open their regular season at home against Dallas College-Eastfield on Monday, Nov. 2, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. at Shands Gymnasium.
Lady Roadrunners picked fifth: a team looking to bounce back from a tough 2025-2026
For some head coaches, such a season as the Angelina College Lady Roadrunners experienced in 2025-2026 would be something to forget.
Instead, head coach Addie Lees has chosen to embrace the positives.
Last year, the Lady ‘Runners suffered a depleted roster via injuries and other issues, so much so that the team finished the season fielding just enough players to play. In fact, at the end of the year, team manager Arieyonna Jenkins suited up and saw playing time, as the Lady Roadrunners fought to finish the season.
“Arieyonna was our MVP last year,” Lees said during Wednesday’s Region XIV Basketball Media Day. “She actually saved our season so we wouldn’t end up having to forfeit games.
“But she’s officially retired now, so y’all can mark that down,” Lees joked.
After acknowledging the support the team received from the AC administration and supporting staff (including assistant coach Mercedes Corona), Lees discussed her incoming group, picked to finish fifth in the Region XIV coaches poll.
“This year, we have three returners, and they proved last year that they can step up to the bar of accountability,” Lees said. “They believed in our culture and our foundation, and they had a vision for themselves.”
Those returnees include sophomores Aminah Dixon (1st Team All-Conference in 2026) and Timberlyn Washington (Honorable Mention All-Conference in 2026). Alexis Price also returns after missing the entirety of last season because of an injury.
Lees then turned to the all-important off-season recruiting process.
“Recruiting, to me, there’s no right recipe, right?” Lees said. “But what I tried to do was focus on pillars, those foundational elements that hold up a structure. So in our recruiting process, when we’re talking about our depth chart, we wanted people that bought into our values, our beliefs, and our ideas, and promoted the message that the coaches were trying to preach and teach in the locker room.”
Those incoming freshmen and transfers include Kaedynce Cox-Dunlap, who Lees says “brings a great deal of grit and toughness.”
“We always say we want our players to be an extension of us, right?” Lees asked. “But it’s tough to find those, and it’s tough to really test that. A lot of people pass the eye test, but are they really what they’re made of? And this young lady has shown that time and time again. She’s very vocal in practice, so expect her to be our tough person and our grit person, especially on the glass.”
Lees also mentioned Esra Kurban, a Division I transfer from Turkey; Sarah Gregory, a transfer Lees calls “our tenacity”; Manata Kibuabua, a versatile 6’3” post Lees said “is still growing”; and Jacqueline Osei-Kwame, a 6’2” transfer post from Alabama State University.
Joining the transfers are freshmen Samyra Blount-Williams, Kirstern Smith, Nickaiya Martin, Brooklynn Thomas and Averie Steele.
“Combined with these freshmen, we’ve got these pillars,” Lees said. “We understand what the structure and culture means.
“But the greatest thing about these young women is they’re women of integrity. They are a joy to be around. We’ve gotten several compliments even from our community, from our faculty on campus. Everyone has something nice and great to say about our young people, and I appreciate that.
“We’ve also got good parents, so that’s half the battle, too.”
Lees wrapped up by stating that although she’s now in her 18th season as a collegiate coach, she feels as if she’s “just getting started.”
“I’m really excited to see what this team can do,” Lees said.
The Lady Roadrunners open their regular season Oct. 30 against Delgado College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. AC’s ladies will host their home opener against Southern University-Shreveport at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 at Shands Gymnasium.
The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.
