Raiders ready for deep playoff run
NICEVILLE, Fla. (BVM) — The World Exposure Report has been kind to the Northwest Florida State women’s basketball team ahead of the 2020-2021 season. Between two top-25-ranked players and the No. 1 JUCO Division I preseason ranking, the Raiders now have high expectations to meet.
But with the continued growth of sophomore forward Chanaya Pinto and the return from injury of redshirt freshman guard Masengo Mutanda, NWF State should be able to match these notions.
After finishing last year’s campaign with a 27-4 record, the Raiders were the Panhandle Conference champions and the FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament champions. They did it all without Mutanda, who World Exposure Report ranks as the No. 20 JUCO player in the nation.
Debuting against Wabash Valley in last year’s first game, Mutanda tossed in 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field. In the ensuing practice, the Minneapolis native suffered a season-ending injury. The Raiders will be happy to have her talents back on the floor, and she believes she’ll come back better than she was before.
“Last year my experience was different than most but sitting on the bench, I soaked up a lot of basketball IQ,” Mutanda said. “I became smarter by sitting there watching, learning on the sideline about different rotations and different situations.”
Mutanda relished in her teammates’ success, saying that she was always on the sidelines screaming and offering words of encouragement. A lot of the Raiders’ success did, in large part, come thanks to the other NWF State standout, Pinto. The 6-foot-1 forward enters this season as the No. 5 JUCO player in the country. She played the entirety of the 2019-2020 season, averaging 13.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
She was a model of consistency last season, providing the Raiders with notable outputs every night. Her journey to the JUCO level had her well-prepared to do this kind of thing. Originally from Africa’s Mozambique and then playing four years in Portugal, Pinto’s basketball experience was a little different than most.
“The competition is really different because I used to play with people older than me,” Pinto said. “Now last year, I was one of the oldest.”
Now with their top two players having the ability to finally team up on the court this coming season, the Raiders should have a good chance to repeat as Panhandle Conference champions and make a run at the national championship. They’ll enter the 2021 season as the No. 1 JUCO team in the nation.
Head coach Bart Walker is no stranger to these high expectations, as he’s been delivering success since arriving on campus for the 2017-2018 season. As a head coach, which includes stops at multiple other colleges, Walker has accumulated a 322-93 record up to this point and reached the elite eight of the NJCAA National Tournament five different times.
Mutanda and Pinto spoke highly of their coach.
“Because I’m not from America, he’s like a father to me,” Pinto said. “Not just on the court, but off the court too. He’s helped me a lot in basketball and in life.”
Mutanda echoed the same of Walker.
“He’s pushed me to work on my shot more, become a more versatile player,” Mutanda said. “Off the court he is a hard ass, but he pushes you hard in school, in life, makes sure you’re a responsible adult and doing the right thing.”
Between two top-25 players and a coach on the rise, NWF State women’s basketball wants to put the JUCO world on notice. After losing the NJCAA National Tournament last season due to COVID, they all have their minds set on one thing; unfinished business.
“That national championship.” Mutanda said.
