While Tennessee Temple University's fall sports still face long climbs toward competitiveness, the flagship basketball program seems to be making faster progress under new coach Randy Lee.

Lee will take his Crusaders to Bryan College for a season-opening doubleheader Thursday night in Dayton, beginning at 5:30 with the schools' women's teams.

Temple had a series of three head coaches and won three games last year, and one of those was forfeited to Bryan. But Lee has a roster of 20-plus players, counting junior varsity members, and those include three NCAA Division I transfers.

Uros Komadinic is a Serbian who came from Western Kentucky for his senior year, and Nem Stankovic is a junior from Chicago State. Luke Reiff is a sophomore from USC-Upstate who has been slowed by a groin injury in the preseason.

Another proven transfer is senior Johnny McElhorn from Crichton in Memphis. He can play anywhere from shooting guard to strong forward, Lee said.

Those four join four returners, including Chattanooga seniors Vic Taylor and Zack Mouw from Brainerd and Tennessee Temple High, respectively, plus freshmen led by point guard Jarrett Smith from Fairburn, Ga., and Mike Upshire from Sanford, Fla.

"We'll have a deep bench. We have others who might step up," Lee said Tuesday. "When the lights come up we'll see what happens, but we've got players who can play a lot of different positions. I think we'll be mostly perimeter-based."

Mouw, who has studied and played at the Highland Park campus since eighth grade, said the team is "already playing together well. I think we've got some great potential. We've got good young athletes plus some experienced transfers. We range from real young to real old."

Bryan returns a solid core from last year, led by junior Scott Newton, who averaged 16 points and eight rebounds and was second-team All-Appalachian Athletic Conference. Xavarien McCall averaged 13 points a game for the last 10 contests of 2008-09 and eight per game for the season, and Demond Craig returns at point guard after averaging seven points and three assists a game.

Derek Batt, Andrew Slikker, Josh Decker and Victor Underwood are expected to provide more help this season, and Roane State transfer Keith Bauer will be a big help inside while 6-foot-6 Volunteer State transfer Astral Guerrier is the most athletic player on the team, according to coach Don Rekoske.

The Lions were a top-10 NAIA Division II team defensively last year.