Men’s basketball returns to the courts Nov. 6

By: Shawn Fleetwood

Staff Writer

Squeaks and dribbles echoed loudly throughout the Anderson Center as the UMW men’s basketball team prepared for their return to the court. According to senior special education major and guard Riley Welch, the upcoming season has been a long-time coming.

“Personally, I am most excited about having the chance to compete again with my teammates and coaches,” said Welch. “The fact that we didn’t get to compete last year was hard on all of us, and we’re happy to be back together doing what we love most.”

The UMW men’s basketball team is officially set to kick off their upcoming season on Saturday, Nov. 6. The Eagles are scheduled to face Mount Aloysius in Middletown, Pa. as part of the Penn State Harrisburg Tip-Off Tournament. According to head coach Marcus Kahn, the competition is shaping up to be a challenge for the Eagles. 

“We haven’t played [Mount Aloysius] before,” said Kahn. “But then the next day we play Penn State Harrisburg, who pre-season ranked, I think, number 13 in the country. The last time they played, they were in the second round of the NCAA tournament, so it’s gonna be really tough.”

Christopher Newport University is also looking to be a major challenge for UMW, according to Kahn, who went on to reference the past difficulties the Eagles have faced when playing against the Captains.

“We have struggled against Christopher Newport, and we play them twice this year in February,” said Kahn. “Until we can beat them, I would say that’s certainly the team to beat in the conference.”

Over the course of the 2019-2020 regular season, the Captains managed to defeat the Eagles twice, chalking up winning scores of 97-84 and 81-64, respectively. 

“I believe we definitely have the group that can achieve whatever we set our minds to,” said Welch. “The only goal on my mind is winning a conference championship and having the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament.”

Returning guard and senior communications and digital studies major Da’Shawn Cook added his own goals to the mix, stating that he’s aiming to win the Coast-To-Coast championship.

“That’s always been the main goal for me and for us as a team,” Cook said. “We’ve been close [to winning] since I’ve been here, but no one will remember ‘close.’ They’ll remember the team that wins, and we want to be remembered for winning it.”

Cook noted that the main expectations for the team are to “win the conference and make a run in the NCAA tournament.”

“We have a long season ahead of us, but we still have a main goal, and we all know what each of us brings to the table,” he said. “So the expectation is the same for everyone on the team. It’s going to be fun; it’s been a long time.”

According to Kahn, with a roster composed of seven seniors and many returning players, the returning Eagles will be able “to help the new guys along” throughout the season.

“We have got a really good balance of guards and forwards this year that are going to be productive for us and that we’re counting on,” said Kahn.

Kahn later went on to mention several players that Eagles fans should keep an eye out for this season, specifically sophomores Daniel Peterson and Zach Blue.

“[Peterson and Blue] were here last year, but this will be their first college season, and I really like the way they’re coming along and developing,” he said. “They’re both certainly going to contribute this year.”

Peterson, a math and computer science major and forward, echoed Kahn’s sentiments, stating that getting back into the groove of competing “will be very enjoyable.”

“I’m most excited to play a game again,” Peterson said. “The last game I played was my senior year of high school, and now I’m a sophomore, so it’s been almost a year and a half since I’ve played a game.”

Peterson also noted that he’s thrilled at the prospect of playing with fans.

“Having a crowd makes the game feel more exciting,” he said. “The bigger the crowd is, the bigger the game feels, and the more exciting it becomes.”

The team’s newest players have also voiced their enthusiasm for the upcoming season. Freshman cybersecurity major Ty Lacey said he’s excited to go out and compete on a collegiate level.

“We’ve got a great team and great coaches behind us,” said Lacey. “I hope to make an impact right away on both ends of the court and contribute to a winning season.”

The Eagles are scheduled to play their first home game against North Carolina Wesleyan at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. The game is slated to be one of several competitions played as part of the Hyatt Place Tip-Off Classic that will take place at UMW that weekend.