Chargers Have Plenty of Hometown Flavor for 2023-24 Season

A pair of hometown transfers highlight the roster for the Carl Sandburg College men’s basketball team entering the 2023-24 season.

 

The Chargers will kick off their new campaign at 6 p.m. Nov. 2 against St Ambrose JV at John Lewis Gym. The Chargers are led by Ryan Twaddle, who is entering his 17th season as head coach.

 

KEY RETURNERS

Tyrese Grose (Granite City, Ill./Granite City)

• Finished third on the team in scoring last season at 8.3 points per game.
• Also finished third on the team in field goal percentage, shooting 45 percent.

Roee Dinnar (Tel Aviv, Israel/Ein Harod)

• Fourth on the team last season in 3-point percentage, shooting 30.8 percent from distance.
• Averaged 7.8 points per game as a freshman, also good for fourth on the team.

 

KEY NEWCOMERS

Jeremiah Babers (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg)

• A 6-foot, 1-inch guard who transferred from North Iowa Area
• Averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a freshman for the Trojans.

Koen Derry (Galesburg, Ill. / Galesburg)

• A 6-7 forward, Derry also transferred to Sandburg after playing last season at NIACC.
• Averaged 6.7 points per game while also shooting 54 percent from the field as a freshman.

 

SHOPPING LOCAL
Babers and Derry aren’t the only area products on the Chargers’ roster. Of Sandburg’s 16 players, 13 hail from within 90 minutes of Galesburg. The Chargers also have nine players who come from high schools within Sandburg’s district: Babers (Galesburg), Derry (Galesburg), Carter Clary (Galesburg), David Hise (Knoxville), Adam Kohl (Williamsfield), Brandin Lewis (Galesburg), Easten Schisler (Abingdon-Avon), Aidan Wagner (Galesburg) and Abel Wilson (United).

 

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS SEASON?

Twaddle: “I expect this to be an exciting team to watch this year. We have some great depth, so the kids are pushing each other daily to get better.”

 

GAMES TO WATCH:

The Chargers host the Sandburg Classic on Nov. 10-11. Black Hawk, Oakton and Lake County will come to Galesburg for the two-day event. Says Twaddle: “It should be a great two days of highly competitive basketball with two games each day.”

 

THIS WILL BE A SUCCESSFUL SEASON IF …

Twaddle: “This will be a successful season if we have a team-first and winning-first mentality. We need to have a team-first focus and not such a self-centered focus.”