"We will keep the tempo as high as we can," said Clayton, who is entering his 20th season as C-N head coach. "It suits our personnel and fans enjoy watching that style of play, but adjustments need to be made defensively for us to be a good team."

The Eagles return a solid corps of players, including leading scorer and rebounder Scott Williams. Williams, a native of Macon, Georgia, led the Eagles with 14.9 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per contest. 6'7" forward Andy Tipton was the team's third leading scorer while 6'8" Clay Scott enters his senior season after averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

In the backcourt, Jordan Dixon will replace All-Conference performer Kente Hart at the point. Dixon, who was named to the South Atlantic Conference All-Freshman team, averaged 5.1 points and 1.7 assists per game last season.

"Jordan is the most improved player on our team," Clayton said. "He's a very consistent, athletic player and knows our system very well."

Darren Williams and Jesse McMurray, the Eagles top three-point shooters with 29 triples apiece last season, return along with Andrew Johnson. Johnson is dubbed by Clayton as the Eagles' best on-ball defender while McMurray and Williams provide great depth and experience off the bench.

Complementing Dixon in the backcourt will be Cameron Sharp. Sharp, an All-Region and All-State player at Halls High School in Knoxville, enters his first year at Mossy Creek with impressive credentials. Sharp broke the career scoring and assist records in high school and earned Regional Player of the Year honors.

"Cameron could very well be the best freshman point guard we've ever recruited," Clayton believes. "We hope he'll make Kente's loss less significant for our team."

The Eagles' improved rebounding begins with two junior college transfers who have the ability to extend their talents beyond the low post. Bobby Guyton, a 6'6" transfer from Jesup, Georgia, brings shot-blocking ability and mobility in the front court while Walters State Community College transfer Zach Hyatte displays a three-point shooting range in his arsenal.

Freshmen Kevin Hare, Adam Plavich, Chauncey Thompson, and Justin Walker complete the '07-'08 squad. Hare, a native of Lexington, South Carolina, averaged 16 points per game in his senior season. Hare's sound fundamentals and tireless work ethic could make him the surprise player to watch in the South Atlantic Conference. Thompson brings his 25.3 points per game average to Mossy Creek. At 6'3" and 210 pounds, the Chattanooga native has an opportunity to build a solid foundation as one of the Eagles' top scoring threats. Walker, a 6'4" swingman from Knoxville, will help the Eagles create opportunities with his drives to the basket and improved three-point shooting. Plavich brings his All-State credentials to C-N after an outstanding career at Baylor School in Chattanooga and a year at the Sewanee Basketball Academy.

"There's certainly a lot of enthusiasm for our team," Clayton said. "We return a good nucleus of upperclassman and I believe we could have a very rewarding year."

The Eagles begin the season with exhibition games against two of the best basketball programs in the nation. On November 2, the Eagles travel to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and then travel to Charlottesville, Virginia for an exhibition at the University of Virginia on November 4. The Eagles conclude their warm-up contests in Nashville for a Nov. 7 game with Tennessee State.

"We're very excited about the opportunities to compete against teams that are known as solid programs throughout the country," Clayton said.

Although the Eagles fell short in their quest for a South Atlantic Conference championship, Clayton believes the Eagles will be more determined and competitive.

"The SAC will again be very challenging," he said. "With Wingate returning from an Elite Eight appearance and L-R returning four starters, they will be considered the top challengers. Overall, I think there will be a good balance in our league and our team is looking forward to conference play."

The Eagles will compete against non-conference opponents North Georgia, Alabama-Huntsville, Maryville, Anderson, North Greenville, Lees-McRae, and King College. C-N begins SAC play December 1 at Lincoln Memorial before a full slate of conference games in January beginning with Newberry at Holt Fieldhouse on January 5. The Eagles conclude SAC play at Catawba and Wingate before competing in the South Atlantic Conference tournament in Hickory, North Carolina.