By Harlow A. Hyde, the Snoopy Septuagenarian 

If Donnie Jones was the head coach of the State School for the Visually Impaired, he could still make a good preseason case that his team would undoubtedly contend for the ASUN Conference Championship. Stetson coach Jones exuded his trademark enthusiasm and confidence Oct. 24 as he addressed a full house during the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of DeLand. 

While not using the exact phrase, he broadly hinted that the Hatters’ 2025 team might turn out to be a modern version of the Houston Cougars “Phi Slama Jama” squads that reached the NCAA Final Four three consecutive times in the early 1980s.

Jones spoke highly of both the returning six players and nine new members of the squad, saying that this year’s group has the size and talent rivaling anything he’s seen in his 36 years of coaching. Jones did caution that while several players have eye-popping individual skills, getting them to fit into the disciplined team system will be a challenge. It’s possible, Jones said, that Stetson will use a “Twin Towers” lineup from time to time, inasmuch as two players are 7-footers. One of them, Jones commented, “Sometimes forgets he’s not a point guard.”

Stetson’s home games are played at the Edmunds Center at the north end of the DeLand Campus. During the past six months, the center has been extensively modernized and renovated. Improvements costing more than 2 million dollars include all new seats, a new sound system, and remodeled and enlarged restrooms.

The public is welcome to watch the Hatters’ practices at the Edmunds Center. Practices begin most weekday afternoons at about 3 p.m. The Hatters’ first home game will be at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4 when they take on the New College Mighty Banyans from Sarasota.

Stetson’s 2023-24 team made history when it made it to the NCAA “Big Dance” Tournament (aka March Madness) for the first time. 

Coach Jones promises that this year’s team will be equally exciting.