LA GRANDE — It’s a fresh new start for the Eastern Oregon University men’s basketball program.

Former head coach Carlito Labarda Jr. is out, while former assistant coach Chris Kemp is taking over the reins of the program. The Mountaineers come into the season ranked No. 8 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference preseason coaches’ poll, but the team is looking to surprise folks around the league.

In his first year as a collegiate head coach, Kemp will lean on a reliable group of returners as well as several key newcomers to the program.

“I have high expectations,” he said. “I think we have high character and we have guys that play for each other. My goal is to compete every night and for that to translate to wins.”

Kemp takes over as interim head coach at Eastern following four years as an assistant coach for the men’s program and one year with the women’s team. A major positive of the transition is the continued familiarity with the players, athletics department and the university, but Kemp is doing things his own way.

“I feel like I had this foundation where at least I knew the guys, but we are doing everything differently,” he said. “We had to change the culture. I knew I wanted a lot of things to be the opposite as far as our culture and how the players are experiencing the program and this community.”

Eastern is coming off a shortened season in which the team finished 8-12 overall and 3-9 in conference play, finishing sixth in the conference.

Taking over the helm of a program is never easy, but it helps to have eight players returning from last year’s roster.

“Having that foundation of knowing the players gave me a sense of security and comfort level,” Kemp said. “There was no feeling-out process. We were able to hit the ground running and get right to basketball.”

McCullough leads the way

The centerpiece of the returning group is redshirt senior Max McCullough, the program’s all-time leading scorer. Coming off a shortened spring season in which he averaged 21.1 points, 5.5 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game, McCullough is essential to the success of the program.

“We’re leaning on him,” Kemp said. “His word has credibility, so he is like an extension of me on the court.”

With Labarda Jr. being released by the program, all signs may have pointed toward McCullough playing as a graduate transfer elsewhere. However, McCullough was an advocate for the hiring of Kemp and is dialed in on helping the team succeed during his final season in La Grande.

“Eastern is a place I fell in love with and Kemp is someone I wanted to stick around for and be a part of in his first year,” McCullough said. “I really want to win as many games as we can this year and get Eastern on the map nationally as a basketball school.”

Having scored 2,061 career points so far, McCullough has had no issue making baskets from the guard position in his time at Eastern. However, a big emphasis in his game is his assist and rebound numbers, which have improved every season.

With a strong group of guards returning for the Mountaineers, McCullough will look to continue spreading the love offensively this year. Additionally, several new pieces in the paint will allow Eastern to put more pressure on opposing defenses near the rim.

“Being a point guard, I like to exploit mismatches. Getting shooters open looks and working the bigs are a big part of adding to those assist numbers and making us all-around better offensively,” McCullough said.

McCullough added that his personal goal for the season is to shoot 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line. Despite achieving numerous personal accolades over the years, the guard is more focused on leading the team to success in his final year with the program.

“This is one of the most talented teams I’ve been a part of,” he said. “I definitely think we can compete with some of the best teams in the league. There really is no limit with this team.”

Key returners are crucial

In Kemp’s first year as head coach at Eastern, several familiar faces will continue to be crucial contributors on both sides of the ball. Junior Zane Wright was second on the team last season with 14.9 points per game, while shooting over 46% from the field and just over 44% from beyond the arc.

Wright and McCullough are joined in the backcourt by junior transfer Phillip Malatare, redshirt freshman Paul Pennington, senior Brandon Porter and junior transfer Manny N’tula.

“I think depth-wise, it’s something that could really benefit us throughout the season compared to last year,” Wright said.

Through a plethora of capable guards on the roster, Eastern has the ability to attack opposing defenses in a variety of ways. With McCullough’s floor spacing and Wright’s lethal shooting from long range, the Mountaineers are confident in this year’s backcourt.

“I think we’re capable of anything we want to be capable of,” Wright said. “From what we’ve seen, we expect to be competing for a trip to nationals.”

Newcomers add much-needed depth

A recent issue with the Mountaineers has been a lack of length and size in the low post. According to Kemp, several newcomers and rising returners look to solve that issue this coming season.

A name that has the coaching staff and players excited at Eastern is Ismael Valdez, a 6-foot-9-inch transfer from NCAA Division I East Tennessee State. Valdez is a legitimate rim protector with a polished finish near the basket who figures to be an integral part of Eastern’s lineup this year.

Kemp noted that Valdez was the first recruiting target he approached after taking the head coaching position.

“He was that core piece we needed to establish our front line,” he said. “We’re hoping to really maximize his abilities.”

Coming from East Tennessee State, Valdez is hoping to get acclimated to life at Eastern quickly and make an immediate impact on the court. As an established interior defender on his previous teams, Valdez has high goals for his first season in La Grande.

“I definitely want to average a double-double and win the CCC defensive player of the year,” Valdez said. “I think we’re capable of winning the league. We’re definitely going to be underdogs, but if we buy in and take it one game at a time, we’ll be good.”

Sophomore forward Preston Chandler, at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, will be another key player who can contribute to the team’s inside game. Tacoma Community College transfer Xavier Lovelace is another 6-foot-6 forward who can play physically in the paint and add an above-the-rim element to the offense.

“Size at our level can be hard to find,” Kemp said. “Adding some guys with height was goal No. 1, which I think we accomplished as long as we can maximize those guys and stay healthy.”

Eastern aiming to exceed expectations

While the Mountaineers were picked in the bottom half of the preseason conference coaches’ poll, there is a sense of optimism at Quinn Coliseum. Kemp and his staff have brought a breath of fresh air to the program, which was needed after a difficult spring season.

Kemp and the returning players know that there will be challenges in establishing a new coaching staff and molding with incoming transfers, but the Mountaineers have much more depth and skill than in previous years.

“The guys are excited to get back, have fans in the stands and have some sort of normalcy,” Kemp said. “They’re ready to build on last season, knowing we had to get better.”

Eastern opens its season with a batch of difficult nonconference opponents. Competition at the Comfort Suites Classic in Helena, Montana, includes back-to-back games against Frontier Conference powerhouses Montana Tech and Carroll College.

The team will host its first home game of the year against Montana Western on Saturday, Oct. 30, before playing in nine straight road contests. Of those away matchups is a trip to The Kennel for an exhibition against last year’s NCAA Division I runner-up, Gonzaga. Cascade Collegiate Conference play begins for the Mountaineers on Nov. 23, with a road matchup at the College of Idaho.

“I think every night is going to be a battle,” Kemp said. “My expectation is to be able to surprise some people, making a run and battling for it at the end.”