Panthers adjust to new conference
Inaugural season in GLVC starts out on right foot
Sarah Montgomery
Issue date: 12/12/05 Section: Sports
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The men's basketball team has shown no sign of struggling in making the transition from the Heartland Conference to the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
With a record of five wins and one loss, and a conference record 1-1 (at time of printing) the team is ranked fourth out of seven in the West Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
"The Heartland Conference has just as good athletes if not better, but the new conference has better, more complete players," sophomore Kenny DeForest said. "The teams we play are a lot more physical and they are much more skilled."
The new conference will offer many benefits to the team. "There are several good things about the new conference," Head Coach Steve Hesser said. "First, the conference's reputation will help with recruiting and second, the name recognition has helped us travel to basketball hot bed areas, like Indiana."
The team has high goals set for the season and is focused only on bettering themselves. "As Coach often says, we are not concerned with what anyone does but ourselves," senior Matt Stell said. "Our team is capable of playing with, and beating all of the teams in the GLVC, provided that we stick to our principles; playing the way that we aim to play night in and night out is our ultimate goal, with the understanding that this will produce wins for us."
Hesser added, "I want the guys to fall in love with the process, to want to come to practice and to improve daily. Hopefully, by the end of the season we will be playing our best."
In addition, team members hope the new conference can give them a boost in receiving tournament bids. "Although the competition is harder, the respect the conference receives is far as tournament bids and rankings go, is much better," DeForest said. "We should be able to take advantage."
Last year the team went 21-7, finishing first in the Heartland Conference, and the team expects nothing less this year.
"Entering into the GLVC has taken our competition to a whole new level. The GLVC is consistently at the top of NCAA Division II basketball and we will be challenged every time we get on the hardwood," said Sam Moore, the team's manager. "This season is going to be more exciting, and it's going to require that much more dedication and effort from our players."
With a record of five wins and one loss, and a conference record 1-1 (at time of printing) the team is ranked fourth out of seven in the West Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
"The Heartland Conference has just as good athletes if not better, but the new conference has better, more complete players," sophomore Kenny DeForest said. "The teams we play are a lot more physical and they are much more skilled."
The new conference will offer many benefits to the team. "There are several good things about the new conference," Head Coach Steve Hesser said. "First, the conference's reputation will help with recruiting and second, the name recognition has helped us travel to basketball hot bed areas, like Indiana."
The team has high goals set for the season and is focused only on bettering themselves. "As Coach often says, we are not concerned with what anyone does but ourselves," senior Matt Stell said. "Our team is capable of playing with, and beating all of the teams in the GLVC, provided that we stick to our principles; playing the way that we aim to play night in and night out is our ultimate goal, with the understanding that this will produce wins for us."
Hesser added, "I want the guys to fall in love with the process, to want to come to practice and to improve daily. Hopefully, by the end of the season we will be playing our best."
In addition, team members hope the new conference can give them a boost in receiving tournament bids. "Although the competition is harder, the respect the conference receives is far as tournament bids and rankings go, is much better," DeForest said. "We should be able to take advantage."
Last year the team went 21-7, finishing first in the Heartland Conference, and the team expects nothing less this year.
"Entering into the GLVC has taken our competition to a whole new level. The GLVC is consistently at the top of NCAA Division II basketball and we will be challenged every time we get on the hardwood," said Sam Moore, the team's manager. "This season is going to be more exciting, and it's going to require that much more dedication and effort from our players."
Article last update: 12/11/05 at 2:15 PM CST