Lady Raiders enter the season ranked No. 12 in the country

Prepare your Raider gear and hit the stands as the Three Rivers College Lady Raiders basketball team will step back onto the hardwood for the 2023-2024 season.

Head coach Alex Wiggs spent this summer grabbing size and elite wing players, and they did just that by bringing in multiple players throughout the southeast region. The Lady Raiders added 14 fresh faces to their roster, with 12 true freshmen and two returners.

With a completely new team, Wiggs said they’ve spent much of the summer training and practicing hard to get the Lady Raiders ready for tip-off.

“Everything has been going well,” Wiggs said. “The girls have adjusted well, and they’re really buying into what we’re trying to do here. We’ve been taking everything one day at a time and building off that. Overall, we’re very pleased with their effort, intensity and the steps we’ve made up to this point.”

The Lady Raiders finished 22-6 last season and ranked number 20 in the country but had their postseason cut short in the first round against Gulf Coast State. The Lady Raiders have made it to the NJCAA women’s basketball tournament for three consecutive seasons for the past few years.

The Lady Raiders will enter the season ranked number 12 in the NJCAA preseason top 25 poll.

The goal for the Lady Raiders this season is not only to make it to the national tournament but to make a run for the national championship. He believes that assistant coach Caleb Livingston and himself have built a solid roster that can compete with some of the best teams on their schedule.

Though the Lady Raiders only had a few short months to train and build team chemistry, Wiggs has seen a particular trait about his team that excites him for the season.

“The biggest thing I like about this group is their competitiveness,” Wiggs said. “They’re so competitive and tough. Just seeing those two things has me pretty excited about the season. Obviously, we’ve got to work on some things, but I like the direction everyone is going in. We will see some challenges for this upcoming season, but if we keep this energy on the court, we will be good.”

Wiggs said having a post presence will greatly impact the Lady Raiders. After adding some solid guards as well, he said it will allow the team to be well-balanced inside and out. Defensively, his squad is quick and athletic, which means they can guard multiple positions.

Three Rivers Lady Raiders basketball head coach Alex Wiggs spoke with his team after their scrimmage game at Raider Madness. DAR/D'Courtland Christian

The Lady Raiders will have some early big games on their schedule, and Wiggs ensures they will take everything one game at a time. They will open their season on the road on Nov. 1 against Dyersburg State Community College and host Wabash Valley College at home on Nov. 4.

“With a bunch of new players, it’s really the mindset of one game at a time,” he said. “We must focus on the game in front of us and try not to make any game seem as important as the others. Just approach that one game with the mentality to compete. We’re excited for our first game, and there will be a lot of emotions and nerves, but we just need to focus on playing our game.”

Wiggs said he would like to see this group’s competitiveness and toughness continue. With an entirely new group, he understands everything will be a process but hopes the work the team has put in will have them ready for tip-off.

“Everybody wants to win, but to that, we must do the little things that help us accomplish that,” Wiggs said. “I want us to do those little things day in and day out so that we can get better. I want to see those extra shots after practice, the communication on the court and the effort every single day because that will lead us to those wins at the end of the day.”