Veteran returnee eager to help Gaston College basketball to more success

As a freshman, Spencer Breeden was one of only two Gaston College players to start all 30 games.

This season, as one of seven players with previous experience for the Rhinos, he wants to provide leadership for a title run after a record-setting 2024-25 season.

"It's definitely good to be in a leadership position," Breeden said. "And I feel like we have more pieces this year. We're deeper and have a lot of size. And our returning guards and new guards are doing well."

Breeden averaged 5.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists while converting 33.3 percent of his 3-point shots.

This season, he and veteran guards E.J. Joyner, J.R. Watson, Kush Carter, veteram swingmen Ryan Evans, Jozohn Price and veteran forward Ben Stevens are the returnees that are expected to lead head coach Benny Moss' roster that includes 10 newcomers.

A year ago, Gaston College 22-8 overall for the first 20-win season since the school restarted athletic in 2021 and also tied a school record with a 17-game winning streak after dropping their season-opener to the No. 1-ranked team in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II preseason poll.

"We did pretty good last year," said Breeden, who received recruting attention from NCAA Division I schools Bellarmine and Eastern Kentucky and NCAA Division II schools Berry, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mars Hill. "But I think we have a better chance this year to go to Hutch (for the NJCAA national tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas) and get done what we want to get done."

After a challenging preseason exhibition schedule, the Rhinos open their regular season on Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. against the Pfeiffer University developmental team at Gastonia's Ashbrook High School.