ACC’s men’s basketball team comes into the season with high goals. Redshirt sophomore Cedric Rollerson will be one of the keys to achieving those goals.
Rollerson, a 5’11” guard from Oklahoma City, averaged 11 points and two assists per game last season.
“I feel like I am fitting into the role,” Rollerson said. “Coaches trust me to be a leader. My main goal is to get everybody involved and to encourage each other.”
Rollerson played 45 of 54 games the last two seasons, averaging 21 minutes of play.
“If the freshmen make a mistake, I’m going to get on them,” Rollerson remarked. “I’m also going to tell them that I have their back. At the end of the day, all we have is each other,”This season brings a new challenge for Allen Community College and for Rollerson. The Red Devils have moved up to Division II where the competition will be tougher than in years past.
“We are looking to make noise,” Rollerson said with a grin. “All last year I would come to coach Shaw’s office and talk about everything I wanted to happen this year. We just have to go take it and win games and give everything we have on the floor.”
Rollerson is a crowd favorite. A crowd that gets behind Allen with a passion and fills the gym in droves for home games.
“They always come to the games excited,” Rollerson said while laughing. “It’s always fun to play in front of them. They are always encouraging.”
After going 16-15 and losing in the first round of the Region VI playoffs last season, Rollerson is hungry.
“If we win, everyone eats. That’s the main goal.”
In the final scrimmage before the start of the regular season against Independence, Rollerson played a little under 27 minutes and scored 13 points. Rollerson also had five rebounds and three assists. All of those are higher than his career average coming into the season.
Most of Rollerson’s work is done close to the basket, you won’t see him shoot a ton of three-pointers. Rollerson is a throwback to 1990s-era basketball before the three-pointer became a trend. He only attempts about two per game on average.Rollerson is one of a handful of players Allen head coach Andy Shaw expects to get some recruiting interest from four-year programs during the season, whether it be Division I or Division II.
