Bolden Era Set to Start for the Wolves

The 2024-25 season saw the Wolves finish 11-15 overall and 3-11 in MACCC play while missing the field for the Region 23 Tournament. The offseason also featured a coaching change for the Wolves as Randy Bolden was named head coach in May of 2025. Coach Bolden says he is excited about the upcoming season and getting a new era underway for the Wolves.

"First and foremost, I want our team to get better game by game and day by day," stated Bolden. "We have a relatively young team this season and most of them haven't played together so we are working on building that team cohesiveness and see where that takes us."

Bolden says that fans have a lot to look forward to when watching his team this season.

"Our fans are going to see a togetherness out of our team. We are going to share the play, play hard, and compete," said Bolden. "That is going to be our foundation. We plan to play an up-tempo style of basketball, but we not only want to play fast but also under control."

The roster of 15 players features 14 incoming players with one returning sophomore for the Wolves in Zach Thompson (Hattiesburg). Coach Bolden had high praise for what this roster has done so far to get ready for the season.

"I have been very impressed with Zach so far. He didn't get a lot of playing time last season, but he has put in a lot of work this summer to improve his game and it is paying off," stated Bolden. "We are expecting him to come in at times and give us productive minutes. He is someone that this team will lean on, and we expect him to do well in that role."

The 14 incoming players are a mixture of transfers and freshmen and include Moustapha Salekh (Ngekoh, Senegal), Jadius McCormick (Bay Springs), Stevent Watkins (Ridgeland), LeBron Deal (Monroe, Louisiana), Koie Williams (Philadelphia), Tyrell Bowles (Springdale, Maryland), Morris Hammond (Ridgeland), Dylan Creggett (DeSoto, Texas), Caleb Crozier (Yazoo City), Jackson Payne (Madison), Tristian Lucas (Pearl), Jamei McGhee (Heidelberg), and Jamichael Green (Rolling ForK). Coach Bolden says this group brings a lot of talent to the court.

"Tyrell Bowles is someone that we think a lot of, and we think he can be one of the best bigs in the league. He has really good shooting touch and can score around the rim and he will help us. LeBron Deal is a player to watch. He is very exciting and electric and can score in bunches. We are trying to slow him down just a little bit, but I love his energy and competitiveness," added Bolden. "Our biggest surprise is Caleb Crozier who has really come along in the offseason and we think he is going to be a really good player for us."

"Guys like Stevent, Tristian, and Jamichael who transferred from other community colleges in the state have been really good at offering insight for our freshmen on what to expect for the season and that was one of the reasons we wanted to bring them here," added Bolden. "Guys like Koie, Jackson, and Jamei help our team because they were with us at Mississippi College and they know my standards and expectations for the team. Both groups come ready to practice and play and the experience that they give our freshmen is invaluable to our team."

Coach Bolden says he is expecting a strong showing from the conference this season.

"This league will be tough, and it has been that way for years," stated Bolden. "We have some really good players and coaches in this league, but we are expecting for Co-Lin to be right there with them. We won't back down from the challenge, and we want people to know that they have been in a dogfight after they got done playing us each night."

One other valuable thing for the team's success is Coach Bolden's familiarity with the conference and how that helps prepare his squad for the challenges ahead.

"My previous experience in the MACCC helps us because I understand what each environment entails," stated Bolden. "That will help us to be able to give our freshmen as much preparation as we can, but at the end of the day the guys still have to go out and compete. We are confident in their ability to do that and that we will see the results we want."

Coach Bolden says success for his team is very simple.

"Developing young men! I think if our players come in as kids and leave as young men with the understanding of the importance of going to school and getting up and giving each day your very best, that is the most important thing," stated Bolden. "I have been coaching for a very long time, and I attribute my career longevity to investing into our players first and then the basketball second."

The Wolves start the season with four straight home games starting on Monday, November 3, against Gadsden State.