The second season of Reading Rebels basketball is on the horizon as the team unveiled its 2023 roster at a press conference Thursday at the Berks County Courthouse in Reading.
Featuring local returnees in Berks Catholic grad Marquis Marshall and Kutztown University’s Anthony Lee, the Rebels will begin their second season in The Basketball League on March 4 at Alvernia University when they host the York Mighty Ants
After finishing 12-12 in its inaugural campaign, Reading returns with a new head coach in Joe Linderman. Linderman, a Central Catholic grad, takes the helm after being an assistant for former head coach Snip Esterly last season.
Though fans will recognize some familiar faces, the team will sport a different mindset in 2023, according to Linderman.
“When (Rebels president/CEO) Jon (Gross) offered me the job one of the things I said was we need to change the culture of this team,” Linderman said. “And I talked about that through every one of our tryouts. I set those expectations on day one of training camp and we’re going to continue to talk about it. Hard work, discipline and respect are what we’re going to teach our players this year.
“So far this year, they’ve been extremely good at that. They’ve been coming in focused and 15 minutes early for practice. It’s just a different dynamic from last year to this year.”
In addition to Marshall and Lee, 2022 TBL Slam Dunk Champion Richard McCalop Jr. and Aquille Carr also are back with the Rebels.
McCalop, an Oklahoma State product, led last year’s team in scoring at 22.2 points per game. Carr, who joined the team midway through the season from the Baltimore Hawks, averaged 17 points per game in nine games.
Carr played for the Delaware 87ers, the Philadelphia 76ers G-League affiliate, during the 2013-14 season.
“They were part of building what we did last year,” Linderman said of the returnees. “We didn’t reach our end goal of making the playoffs but late into the season we had a chance to make a run and compete. So having those guys come back and being a part of that core group; it’s huge.”
Berks Catholic grad Donovon Jack and Reading High grad Trenity Burdine are not on the roster after being focal points of Reading’s original core. Jack averaged 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while Burdine averaged 20.9 points per game.
Despite the absences of Jack and Burdine, Marshall, who played at Alvernia and is the son of former NBA player and Reading High grad Donyell Marshall, is ready to carry on the legacy of hometown talent within the organization.
“It’s fun to be able to play in front of my family and friends and the people that have supported me this whole way and continue to support me,” Marshall said. “I’m really excited because I have a daughter on the way, so I’m excited for her to grow up seeing me play basketball, just like I got to see my dad play basketball.”
Gross announced seven new signings: Evan Hinson (University of South Carolina), Maurice Henry (Delaware State), Tarojae Brake (St. Peter’s, Kutztown), Myles Lewis (McNeese State), Emmanuel Egbuta (Middle Tennessee State), James Butler (Newman) and Ronald Scott III (Campbellsville).
Gross also revealed that two additional signings that will be named later.
Lee, who averaged 7.8 points per game last season and shot 32.8% on 3-pointers, said he believes that the squad is already forming a tight bond.
“We’re meshing very well,” Lee said. “When we were at training camp everyone was getting along well, and when we got to practicing, everyone seemed connected because of the culture that Coach (Linderman) taught us. We all went in and worked hard and that’s why we got selected.”
While plenty of changes are being made to how things are run on the court, the emphasis on community involvement remains the same for the Rebels.
Gross said making an impact and supporting Reading’s youth through outreach programs is at the heart of the Rebels’ mission. The goal is to help create a positive image for the city while growing the fanbase.
“We’re more than just a basketball team,” Gross said. “We’re in the community. We’re mentoring kids, we’re really looking to have an impact on the youth that are going to be in charge of our cities in many years to come. Getting into schools and having an impact on these kids is so valuable.
“We’re trying to stay active in the community and make sure that we’re here for the long haul.”
Lee and the Rebels are hopeful that their efforts on and off the court will lead to increased exposure from scouts and fans alike.
Last year, Reading finished tied with the Lancaster Kings for fourth place in the Northeast Division. The top three teams made the playoffs.
“I just want to get my exposure, get to the playoffs and make a name for ourselves here,” Lee said. “It’s our second year; if we get into the playoffs and make our name known we’re going to be here for a while.”
For Linderman, the team that he and his coaching staff (assistants Mick DiBenedetto, Taylor Houck and Noah Pratz) have put together has that potential.
“I’m not going to put a number on wins and losses,” Linderman said. “But I think with the talent that we have assembled, we absolutely should make a run in the playoffs.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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