East Peoria, Ill. - The Illinois Central College men's basketball team looks to their many new faces to bring the energy in their 2025-2026 campaign. The 2024-2025 season for the Cougars finished up at 11-20 overall. Head coach, Tony Wysinger, in his 26th season at ICC, knows how to lead his team to success through the culture he has instilled in his tenure here with the Cougars. Wysinger plans to add another 20+ win season to his resume and prime his team to make a deep run in the postseason. 

The Cougars will begin the regular season this weekend, Friday, October 31st versus Kalamazoo at 5:00 pm, and Saturday November 1st against Wayne County at 1:00 pm, at the Danville Classic. 

LEADERS AND PLAYERS TO WATCH
This year will look pretty different as the Cougars return only 3 players from the 2024-2025 season: Cooper Knoll from Ottawa, Illinois, Anthony Allison Jr. from Huntsville, Alabama, and Jaylen Brown, from Peoria, Illinois. As a young team of 12 freshman, there aren't any superstars, which gives each player an opportunity to shine on any given night. The emerging leaders of this team, Anthony Allison Jr., Cooper Knoll, and Javaughn Robinson, a freshman out of Danville, Illinois, have stepped up to guide the team with their experience and talent. Wysinger points to a pair of freshman, Rickey Coleman, from Chicago, Illinois, and Peyton Hess, out of Pekin, Illinois, as the under the radar players to watch out for this season. 

KEY STRENGTHS
This team has a couple key strengths that can bolster them to success. Not only are the Cougars playing hard together, pushing each other to success day after day, but they are holding each other accountable. Although they are a young team, the maturity level sets the groundwork for future accomplishments. 

FOCUS FOR THE SEASON
ICC is a two-year college, meaning there is a lot of turnover year after year for these teams. Despite this, Wysinger has been able to find success season after season. As a coach, it is important to build and instill a culture into the building that your players are willing to buy into. Wysinger has established a culture, a system, and key concepts with his players that allows them to find early success and get players on board from the start. For this season, with such a young team, the focus will be on retention of basic concepts. Knowing the basics and building up from there emphasizes consistency, which can ultimately lead the Cougars to victory.

GOALS/EXPECTATIONS FOR THE SEASON
Wysinger and his team expect to compete every night with three things: energy, effort, and a great attitude. These elements will be the key to success for this team. They are striving for a 20+ win season, including winning Regionals and earning a trip to the NJCAA Nationals. When looking ahead to the season, Wysinger views every game as a key matchup. This mentality will keep the Cougars ready for anything and will lead the way for the season, giving them a solid foundation come March.