ATLANTA - Local sports talk radio host John Kincade asked Kennesaw State men's basketball coach Tony Ingle if his youthful squad would be clicking before the Atlantic Sun Conference schedule begins in December.

"I think we could come together before then if you got (Portland Trail Blazers rookie) Greg Oden," he answered. "I always think if we had him last year, we would be just one player away from being great. This year, we have 17 players and nine new players. I'm dressing out eight players and the others, they know how to dress themselves."

Ingle and Kennesaw State women's coach Colby Tilley joined men's and women's basketball coaches from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia State to talk about their upcoming seasons Thursday at the Atlanta Tipoff Club's College Basketball Preview Luncheon at the Cobb Energy Performance Arts Centre.

Ingle lost his two leading scorers - Ronell Wooten and Shuan Stegall - from last year's team and doesn't have an immediate replacement for them. Without the ability to recruit NBA players like Oden back to college, Ingle is relying on his returning role players to take leadership responsibilities and is counting on a few newcomers, led by former Kennesaw Mountain High School standout Spencer Dixon, to contribute immediately.

"We really have our work cut out for us," Ingle said. "What we're doing right now if laying the foundation. I understand hard work pays off. Doing things right pays off. They're going to learn a lot and it's a growing process right now. We're keeping them positive. We're keeping them improving and enjoying the opportunity to play in this great game."

This is going to be a rough season but its really going to pay off. Looking forward to seeing this team grow as the season progresses.

The bright side is that if you look at our history of exhibitions against North Greenville this is our largest margin of victory. I can remember in years past when we actually had to struggle a bit against a North Greenville squad. Ingle has been making lemonade out of lemons since the NCAA cursed us with the grace period. I am so glad that it is almost over and we have a group of talented players (and seemingly good kids) on our team. We just need to get Mitchell and Cummings ready to go by the time conference play comes around.