DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Quinton Forrest and Reggie Baker were simply glad to be back on a basketball court Tuesday morning when Bethune-Cookman resumed practice.
 
Forrest, a sophomore, and Baker, a redshirt senior were among the players evacuated last week when Hurricane Matthew threated the Daytona Beach area. Both went back to their Florida homes – Forrest in Orlando and Baker in Avon Park – and returned Monday night.
 
The 6:30 a.m. practice session was a relative return to normal.
 
 "It's good to get our feet wet and get on the floor with the guys; get ready to attack the season," said Forrest.

"It was definitely tough to get back into practice flow since we didn't get to touch a basketball for five days," said Baker. "It was good for us to start early in the morning. We got better today as everybody went after it. The energy was good and I liked where we were at. We have to continue to get better."

The team is now practicing twice a day to make up for lost time.

"It's good to be able to practice twice a day. Why not get better?" Forrest said. "It's tough now, but it will pay off in the end."

Even though Matthew had Category 4 status, Forrest and Baker stayed calm.

"I've been through a hurricane before and I knew what to do," said Forrest. "My teammates who are out of state were nervous though, their family members were calling. I think we used that time off to get closer with each other, so that's a good thing."

Baker had a similar experience.
 
"Some of the guys out of state took it really seriously," said Baker. "One of my teammates came home with me, so we used that time to relax. I'm happy everyone on my team was safe."
 
If there is a silver lining, it was the team bonding.
 
"I think we grew closer as a team," Forrest said. "Every day we checked on each other in a group chat and made sure each of us was okay," said Forrest.

The return to practice came exactly one month from the season over at St. John's on November 11^th. That's the focus now.

"We are locked in. I'm excited to get back on the court with my brothers," said Baker.