BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The 2013-2014 men’s basketball season at Faulkner State Community College will be different than most for longtime head coach Jack Robertson.

Robertson, at the reins of the Sun Chief basketball program since the 1970’s, returns no starters from last year’s successful 21-5 team and only a handful of experience.

But the coach likes the way the team is working and believes they could be a good team by season’s end.

“These guys are really working hard to earn playing time. It will be a learning experience for both the players and myself as we progress through the season,” Robertson said before a recent practice. “They are a really good group of young men and I have enjoyed working with them in preseason practices. We will have to make adjustments throughout the year on our offensive and defensive plans as we play and see how we react to game situations.”

Robertson has probably never fielded such a young team in his four decades at the Bay Minette school.

“We lost 12 sophomores from last year’s team. We have no starters returning but we feel we had a good recruiting class. We do have two transfers, A.J. Roulhac from Georgia Perimeter and Josh Milsap from West Alabama, and they should help. A.J. is a 6-foot-2 point guard from Chipley, Fla. and he is in the running for a starting position while Milsap is a 6-foot-7 post player who is also competing for a starting position,” Robertson said.

Only two players are back with any playing time - sophomores Ronnie Stanley from Bay Minette’s Baldwin County High and Chris Joyner from Evergreen. Stanley is a 6-foot-1 guard who saw action in 14 games last year after becoming eligible at the Christmas break and Joyner is a 6-foot-5 forward who played in 19 games last season.

The newcomers are point guards Xavier Dortch (5-foot-8 from Baldwin County High) and Matt Melms (5-foot-10 from Lambert H.S. in Georgia).

Other guards are redshirt freshman Marcus Johnson (6-foot-2 from Baldwin County High), Deshun Tucker (6-foot-4 from Defuniak Springs, Fla.), Regan Eubanks (6-foot-5 from Spanish Fort), Ricky Powell (6’ from Central Christian), Peter Myers (6-foot-2 from Escambia County), and Logan Adams (6-foot-6 from South Gwinett in Georgia).

Forwards and post players are Shafer Martin(6-foot-5 from Destin, Fla.), Rafael Adams (6-foot-8 from Foley) and Austin Boyd (6-foot-7 from Black, Ala.).

“The schedule is the toughest we have had in a long time. We play Santa Fe, Tallahassee and Pensacola all on the road in Florida and Alabama power Shelton in Tuscaloosa.”

Robertson, in his 40 year career, has won 13 Southern Division championships and two state titles. The former BCHS standout has a 786-422 record. That puts him number one in Alabama and ranks him as the fourth all time active winningest coach in the nation.

The Sun Chiefs play in a tip off tournament before opening at home at Robertson Arena in Bay Minette on November 5 against old rival Pensacola Christian.

Game time is 7 p.m. Tuesday.