Starting early in the fall semester, St. Catharine College coach Wade O’Connor will begin chemistry experiments each morning at 6:00. The Patriots coach will not be in the lab, though, but in the Lourdes Hall gym as he looks to rebuild a team that last year was Co-Champions for the first time in school history in the Tennessee Junior College Athletic Conference.

Returning from that team, that last year was ranked as high as 16th nationally, are just two players so O’Connor hopes to quickly build, as he does every year in the junior college program, the right chemistry for success on the court.

“The biggest questions for this year will be how well we replace the leadership, experience and toughness the guys gave us last year,” said O’Connor who owns a 49-14 record in two seasons with the Patriots.