Meet the members of DAFB's men's team through the eyes of coach Ray Jones

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman James Bolinger
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Eleven of Dover Air Force Base's finest basketball players have dedicated time after work and on their weekends to represent the base in the Washington Area Military Athletic Conference. 

The team, under the tutelage of Coach Ray Jones, is 2 - 2 in the league and recently wrapped up the Capital Classic Tournament in Washington, D.C., over Presidents Day weekend. 

I recently sat down with Coach Jones to talk about his players and what he would like to see from his team this season. 

Jones, an Army veteran, has been coaching Dover's varsity basketball team for seven years and has high hopes for this year's squad. 

"We haven't had a team like this in several years," said Jones. "We have improved by filling positions that have been vacant for some time." 

First on the coach's list was Joel Sines from the 436th Operations Support Squadron. Sines also played for the DAFB intramural basketball championship OSS team. 

"Joel is a newcomer this year and has a great physical presence when he is playing in the middle," said Jones, who coached the Air Force Academy's varsity team for four years. "He has no problem bumping the bigger guys in the league. He also has a nice touch on the ball when he shoots from the outside." 

James Land, 436th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, was next on the list. 

"James has been on base about four years and has played on the team the entire time," said the coach. "He is a very humble individual and a good thinker on the court. I placed him at point guard because he has good speed, even though he prefers to play a shooting guard." 

Kenny Brown, 436th OSS and another key player for the championship Ops team, was third on the list. 

"Kenny is very aggressive and physical with a good mid-range shot," said Jones, who also coached for four years at the Air Force Academy's Preparatory School. "He has excellent athletic ability and good focus on his job and on the court." 

Dover plays in a very aggressive league, said the coach. WAMAC is comprised of quite a few Army and Marine Corps teams who have a very aggressive style of play.
Next up is Sydney Wilson from the 436th AMXS. 

"Sydney is a newcomer and is kind of quiet," said Jones. "He has lots of athletic ability and a good jump shot. Once he comes out of his shell and gets more comfortable playing here he will be one of the top dogs on base for basketball." 

Neil Walker, 436th Maintenance Squadron, played for the base team two years ago and has rejoined this year's squad. 

"When I look at Neil I wonder why he isn't playing college ball somewhere," said Jones. "He has excellent athletic ability and a good outside shot. He is a consistent 3-point shooter. If he gets the ball at the arc he is almost sure to put it in." 

Odis Hicks, 436th Civil Engineer Squadron, is the team's top rebounder. 

"Odis kind of fascinated me with his height," said Jones. "He looks smaller than he is. It helps though, he is an excellent rebounder. He is the kind of guy who will put up a jumper and then go get his own rebound and put it back in. It is an ability that is rare among guards. He is a very physical player and has a good competitive attitude."
Lucian Booker, 436th AMXS, is the team's full back. 

"Lucian is our big guy," said the coach. "He takes up a lot of space on the inside. We use him to sap the energy out of the bigger guys on our opposing team. He is our team enforcer and receives a lot of contact. When he's on the court he gets bumped and sometimes bruised, but it takes a lot out of other players to have someone leaning on them the entire game. 

"Lucian is a very humble and respectful player, said Jones. "He is a joy to coach."
The 436th Contracting Squadron's Steve Rowan is the team's player with the most experience playing overseas. 

"Steve is just fundamentally sound," said the coach. "He has an extensive knowledge of basketball and the experience to go with it. I would like him to be more aggressive offensively but he is a laser rebounder." 

Steve Hypolite, 436th Medical Support Squadron, is the team oldest player and a 12-year veteran of the varsity team. 

"Steve is the ultimate team player," said Jones. "For a guy that is maybe 6-foot-1-inch, he can really box out and bump with the biggest guys in the league. "Hyp" brings excitement to the court. These younger guys might feel tired and see him jumping into the bleachers or diving out of bounds to save a ball. It is hard to be tired when this old guy is hustling like that. 

"'Hyp' is probably the biggest supporter of varsity sports on base," said the coach. "He brainstorms 24/7 to make sure the varsity program survives. Without Steve we probably wouldn't have a program today." 

Vince Sterret, 436th Aerial Port Squadron, was next on the coach's list.
"Vince is the model example of any person who plays basketball," said Jones. "He is an athlete, the kind of guy who is good at every sport and is always developing as a player. I have coached him for three years and he makes me feel like I have accomplished something." 

When Vince first got here he loved to play basketball and could jump really high, said Jones. However, he needed to learn ball handling and develop his jump shot. 

"With a little more coaching, Vince could play Division I college basketball," said Jones. "He is a very humble player, always catching me off guard with the yes and no sirs." 

Maurice Pitts, 436th OSS, was the final player on Coach Jones' list. He is also a member of OSS's intramural championship team. 

"I watch Maurice play ball and I wonder how he slipped through the cracks of somebody's college team," said Jones. "He is an amazing basketball player. He's athletic and can move to any point on the court in seconds. Maurice is the kind of player a coach likes to see. When the ball is ready to be tipped, his expression changes and you know he is ready to play." 

It is good to have the base backing the varsity program, said Jones. These players are members of society who, for whatever reason, joined the Air Force and all have the potential to play at the junior college-level. Junior college is the equivalent of military varsity sports. 

"Dover stands a good chance of winning WAMAC this year," said the coach. "We have the talent. We just have to stay focused on our goal and follow through all the way to the end."