By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The UTSA Roadrunners didn’t get much love from coaches in the American Athletic Conference during the league’s media days a few weeks ago. The coaches picked UTSA in a tie for 11th place in the 13-team AAC.

UTSA center Mo Njie says that players haven’t spent much time discussing it.

“People don’t really believe in us,” said Njie, a 6-foot-11 SMU transfer. “They don’t think we have the talent or the skill to come out and perform. But, I mean, I think that’s the beauty of it, honestly. Now we have the chance to come together and really show what UTSA basketball is all about.”

The Roadrunners will conduct an intra-squad scrimmage on Wednesday and then will make final preparations over the weekend in advance of the season opener against Trinity University on Monday, with game time set for 6:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

“It’s time to get out here and see where we are, see where we need to get better,” first-year coach Austin Claunch said . “I expect us to play well (in the opener), but I also don’t expect that to be the team you see in March, either.

“We’re going to have to make strides throughout the course of the year on both sides of the ball and really lean into know who we are and figure out our identity as we go. But, no, we’re excited to get out here and compete.”

Notable

Guard Tai’Reon Joseph’s playing status for the season opener remains in question because of a waiver request to the NCAA that remains unsettled. Joseph, a 20-point scorer at Southern University last season, is believed to be sidelined for the first seven games unless UTSA gets a reprieve.

“He’ll play at some point for UTSA,” Claunch said. “You’ll certainly see him in the AAC (games) and hopefully sooner than that.”

Joseph, one of the team’s most explosive offensive players, was held out of UTSA’s 21-point exhibition setback at Southern Cal because of the eligibility question. In a scrimmage against McNeese 10 days ago, he scored 11 points, knocking down a couple of three-pointers.