By Zack Downing, Staff Writer
It’s November, the leaves are falling from the trees, and windshields around campus are gathering frost at night.
This doesn’t just mean winter is coming, but it also means it’s time for the Corsairs men’s basketball team to gear up and prepare for the 2016-17 season!
The team is coming back from a decent season last year, with a record of 17-11 under Coach Brian Baptiste.
Coach Baptiste has been coaching the men’s team for over 30 years, and is one of the longest-standing coaches on campus. He’s been an exceptional leader as well, with far more wins than losses on his decades-long resume.
Last season’s team worked well together, and this year’s roster actually isn’t too different. The 2015 team only had one senior on it, Jordan Rezendes. He was one of the biggest stars on the team, putting up the most points per game; and it was a sad farewell when he graduated.
Rezendes was in fact selected to the NCAA Division III All-Star Game in Virginia, which is a huge honor. Let’s hope the team finds more rising stars like him.
This year’s team has three incoming freshmen, Matt Craig, Marquis Jones, and Mert Sert. Sert stands over the other freshmen at 6’6, but he’s not even the tallest in the crew. That honor belongs to Nick Portelance, at 6 feet 8 inches.
Because the roster has stayed mostly the same, the 2016 team is going to be more experienced than the 2015 team.
The Corsairs of last season had six freshmen on the team, next to their single senior. They had undeniable talent, but perhaps the youth of the team could be linked to some of their struggles.
This season, the same talent is there, but with more experience and training. Hopes are high for the Corsairs, as they try to surpass their record of last season and make it into the playoffs.
The Corsairs’ first three games are at home, Salem State on the 15, Trinity (Conn) on the 18, and Bowdoin on the 19. Come down to the Athletic Center and support the team!