There will be a lot of new names on the roster and the schedule this season for the Georgia Northwestern Technical College Mustangs.

Now in their third season on the court, head coach David Stephenson says his young Mustangs are making big strides toward jelling as a team.

“We only have three guys back from last year, so we have a lot of new guys fresh out of high school,” he said. “It’s interesting to get them accustomed to what we do, because they are all coming from being big fish in a small pond, but they are coming along pretty good.”

Stephenson said while the team is still searching for its identity, the chemistry is rapidly starting to develop.

“We’re preaching about mental discipline and growing up,” he explained. “We’re still seeing how these new guys will adjust to the college game, but they all seem to be getting along really good.

“After practice a couple of weeks ago, one of the guys had a flat tire, and all the rest stayed around to help fix it. That just shows the type of bond they are already developing.”

The team’s three veterans include point guard Isaiah Tibbs, forward Bilal Weems and post player Zach Davis.

Stephenson said all three have worked hard to take over the leadership void left by the departure of some key players from last year’s squad.

The newest Mustangs include former Chattooga High duo Peire Finley and Nic Perry, ex-Armuchee High sharpshooter Kyle Wilson, former Dade County center Jesse Moore, John Koneman, Davis’ cousin from Savannah, and former Ringgold guard Vance Loveless.

Also eligible to join the team in early January is former Dalton High standout David White, former Ringgold guard Earl Epps and Tim Finley, the uncle of Perie Finley and the program’s oldest player at the age of 31.

“Everyone can shoot the three and everyone can dunk, so we can interchange effectively if we need to move people around because all the players are so versatile,” Stephenson said. “You have to be versatile when you have such a small roster.

"But I think we will be competitive inside our conference, and if we win some games outside of the conference, that will be great too.

"We proved last year we could do it and I think we have a more talented team than last year.

“The key is how fast we grow up. We have three conference games before Christmas break, and if we can go 3-0, it will be huge for us and give us some confidence. Then if we get a non-conference win, or at least a good showing, that’s a bonus for us.”

The new schedule includes conference games with Middle Georgia Tech, West Georgia Tech, East Georgia Tech, ITT-Atlanta and Chattahoochee Tech.

The out-of-conference opposition will include the likes of Crown College, Hiwassee College, Tennessee Temple, Covenant College and Clayton State.

“The only way we’re going to get any better is to play better competition and prove ourselves as a program, and I think we’ve done that the last two years,” Stephenson added. “We are still trying to establish ourselves as a legitimate program and trying to put a quality program on the floor, and I think we’re being effective at doing that.”

Stephenson added that playing other more local schools has added benefits.

“We want to develop relationships with these other schools, not just to be able to play them, but in case our guys want to move on and keep playing once they are finished here,” he explained. “It’s a way for those schools to find players here in their own backyards instead of looking somewhere else.

“So far everyone around here locally has been nothing but supportive of what we are trying to do.”

The Mustangs also have a new home for the 2009-2010 season as they will play all their home games at the old Rossville High School gym.

A schedule can be found at www.gntc.edu.