MIDWAY, Ky. - Akeem Scott knows what's in front of him for the 2023-24 season.
Already facing the challenge of taking over a program, Scott, who was hired as Midway's men's basketball coach in July, begins his first year on the job without having a full offseason to prepare. So as he tries to mesh new and returning players together while implementing a vastly different offensive system, some might expect the new coach to play a light non-conference schedule to stockpile wins and build confidence heading into River States play.
And while Scott does expect to have confident players when league games begin, it will hardly be because they coasted early, as the Eagles will play a whopping six games against NCAA Division-I competition in the span of a month.
They'll also spend a good deal of time on the road. After opening the season at home against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Monday, Midway won't play at Marshall Gymnasium again until Dec. 2.
This strategy is one Scott thinks will have a positive impact beyond the win-loss record.
"I think it'll test our group mentally, I think it'll test our chemistry and how we bond together," he said of the schedule. "That's really the big thing as far as any sport you play is making sure you're meshing well with your team, making sure you're bonding well with your team through the ups and downs. This will also give them a lot of experiences and exposure playing on the big stage. Get them battle-tested, battle-ready."
The hope is this will help a team that was picked to finish ninth in a preseason RSC Coaches' Poll exceed expectations, a goal that could be made easier by having several key pieces already in place.
Midway is returning four of its top-five scorers, a group headlined by reigning River States scoring champion Donnie Miller. Still expected to implement the skills that helped him average 21.7 point per-game last year, Scott has worked to make Miller a stronger distributor to help him fully thrive in a system that's much faster than the one the Eagles have run in recent years.
"People don't understand, he loves to pass the ball, so I'd love to see him do more than just score the ball and become a fully all-around player," Scott said of Miller.
Also back are Nick Keeton and Tobias Thompson, who are both expected to put up bigger numbers after averaging 9.6 and 7.5 points respectively last year. The pair was also Midway's top-two rebounders in 2022-23.
As for newcomers, Scott expects high-end production on both ends of the floor. New players of note include David Woodard, an outside shooter Scott "would put up against anybody," from 3-point range and the scrappy Jalen Cincore, "a dog who loves the contact" of the low block.
How things come together remains to be seen, and Scott himself is measured when discussing his expectations.
"I'm very humble with where we are," he said. "Obviously the goal is to win the River States Conference…but with that said, I think if we can get to where we're being competitive, it'll be a stride in the right direction."
One thing Scott knows his team won't be is boring. Wanting to get up and down the floor at a break-neck pace, he hopes to put on a show for the hometown fans, starting with the season opener.
"If you want to see some exciting basketball, you want to come to Midway University and check it out."
Monday's matchup with Virginia Lynchburg will tip at 7 p.m. in Marshall Gymnasium.
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