Lancers Past

Zac Watson started his second professional season with BK Ventspils in the Latvian Basketball League in September 2024.  Known as a 6-7 post player at Longwood, Zac reflects on the 2022 Big South Conference Championship season and his new role and development in professional basketball.  As a pre-podcast bonus, Brian Rushing energizes the episode with a signature starting line-up and player introduction.   

Billy Catron and Ron Jones took similar baseball paths, but their experiences were different.  The pair won a state championship at Liberty High (Bedford Co., Va.) and played on a JUCO power at Ferrum.  They reunited at Longwood and shocked the baseball world by beating Valdosta State in the regionals and advancing to the 1982 NCAA DII College World Series.  Billy and Ron team up for an insightful and heartfelt Lancers Past episode. 

Isaiah Wilkins started college basketball as a 17-year freshman at Virginia Tech.  After three new coaches at Tech and Wake Forest, “Chico” found his final home at Longwood.  The Winston-Salem native led the Lancers to two 20-win seasons including the 2022 Big South Conference championship. After a brief stint in Luxembourg last season, Wilkins looks for his next professional basketball opportunity. 

Abbey Freese, now known as Abbey Taylor, made Longwood women’s basketball history.  She was part of the first recruiting class as the university started the reclassification process to NCAA Division I.  And she was on the last Lancer team coached by Hall of Famer Shirley Duncan.  As a sports marketing professional, a wife, and mother of two boys, Abbey Duncan's lessons every day.   She received her Masters in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Florida and is now the senior account executive and marketing director for Metro Group Miami. 

If you did not follow Longwood men’s tennis from 1981-1983 or hang out with members of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, you may not know Bryan Kersey.  But if you watched ACC basketball in the 90s and into the 2000s, chances are you saw him on the court – in black and white stripes.  After earning a reputation as one of the nation’s best college basketball referees, Bryan is now the supervisor of officials for 11 conferences including the ACC, A-10, CAA and the Big South.    Growing up as the son of long time NBA official Jess Kersey, Bryan describes how he and his over 200 referees strive for perfection in a challenging and changing game. 

Katie re-lives her basketball playing and coaching career at Coker College as she faced off against Longwood legend Shirley Duncan.  She talks about her stepmother, former UCLA and Minnesota WBB Coach Ellen Mosher Hanson, and her Mount Rushmore of mentors.  Katie shares how she bounced back when her coaching contract was not renewed and the importance of relationship building.     

After leaving Longwood in the fall of 2019, Katie started her career in athletic fundraising at Appalachian State.  Now, the Senior Associate Athletic Director/ Director of Development at George Mason, she talks about her current role and shift to fund raising.  Katie explains why she left college basketball coaching and the challenges of competing in today’s NIL landscape.

After five years at Longwood, Anne-Hamilton LeRoy is back home.  She will debut as head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team the Seneca High in South Carolina in the 2024-25 season.    The all-time leading scorer in Seneca history built an impressive resume.  At Longwood, she scored 1,465 points, was named All-freshman and second team all-Big South Conference.  Plus, she helped the Lancers win a Big South Championship and a NCAA tournament game in 2022.  Anne earned her B.S. in Kinesiology and will finish her MBA in June 2024. 

Ricky Yahn begins his 12th season as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Concordia University in Ann Arbor Michigan.  After spending two years at Longwood, the 28-year-old Yahn was named head of the NAIA member Cardinals in April 2013.  As a player, Yahn left his mark in Wheeling, WV. At Central Catholic High, the Hall of Fame guard was All-state and won a state championship.   At Wheeling Jesuit University, the three-year starter led the Cardinals to two NCAA Division II appearances and scored 1,467 career points. 

As a transfer from Frank Phillips JC, Dave Strothers made his two Longwood years count.  As a senior, he led the Lancers in scoring and rebounding and made 87% of his career free throws.  For the last 30 years, he applies the same demeanor as a school administrator.   Strothers is the principal of Mayfield Woods Middle School in Howard Co., Md.  Dave faced his biggest test in 2012 as he and his family escaped their burning house.  Dave commends his community for their generousity and former Longwood Head Coach Cal Luther.