The men’s basketball season is underway and the players and coaches are confident that they will be a dominant force in the Northwest Conference because of the combination of returning players and the new recruitment class.
Head coach Tim Cleary said, “We have blended a great core group of returners with a really good recruiting class”.
The recruiting class, Cleary said, is looking very strong with some transfers. Daniel Zitani and Trey Hawkins and freshmen Danny Brakebush are included.
Senior guard Colin Wester said Zitani will be a big scoring addition to the team and a force down low. Brakebush will also contribute with his shooting.
The fresh faces in the program will play along with the more experienced players in the conference like honorable mention conference team named Colin Wester and honorable mention conference team named Senior Charles Mosley and Senior Andrew Beatty.
“We have a lot of guys who know the system and we have the younger guys who have picked it up pretty quick,” said Wester.
This preseason the men will travel to California and Hawaii to face more Division III teams. In the past Cleary said they played more NAIA teams. He said that this year he wanted to play more division III teams so they will be prepared for conference play.
Their preseason schedule includes La Verne, Whittier College, UC Santa Cruz and Cal Lutheran among other teams.
Cleary said that what will define Boxer basketball this season will be toughness and chemistry.
If the team plays consistent and tough together they will have the ability to compete with any opponent they are up against, said Cleary.
If they play unselfish and mentally and physically tough they will be successful this season.
Cleary is not the only one who is confident in the team’s abilities this year.
Senior Forward Charles Mosley said about the team’s chances this year of having a successful season, “I expect us to do the best we have done in a while”.
Mosley would like the team to play consistently well so they can reach their goal of dominating conference.
Cleary spoke highly of his players saying they are good students as well as athletes and he is confident in their abilities to compete this year in the Northwest Conference. For Seniors Wester and Mosley they think they have a chance to win a conference title this year.
Boxer fans and spectators will have to wait and see what the men’s basketball team will bring to the court in their first home game against George Fox.
Leave a Reply