There is reason for optimism surrounding the Pioneers men’s basketball team this season. Since there is such optimism, internal expectations are high.
Team captains, senior forward Rob Stallion, junior forward Chas Cross and junior guard Eric Gerber, have their eyes set on winning the conference tournament and finishing top three in conference.
“We aim to get better every day, hit our stride by the end of the year, and win the conference title,” Gerber said.
Head coach Jeff Gard, who has been head coach for four years, has similar day-by-day expectations. “We expect to be better today than we were yesterday. Steady improvement is key,” Gard said.
Every year is a new team with a new style of play, and new expectations. But losing four seniors from last year will not be easy to replace.
“Those four guys did a good job of leading in practice, in games and in the locker room. The captains this year now understand it is their team, it’s their time to step up and do things the right way,” Gard said.
Leading scorer from last year, Brett Stangel is one of the four seniors from last year’s team. Replacing his 16.3 PPG will not be an easy task. “Scoring will come by committee; our balance will make us harder to defend,” Gard said.
Stallion, the only senior on the team this year, recognizes his responsibilities and role as a leader. “Initially, being the only senior carried a huge weight, but I feel like I have a great group of juniors who can step up and lead when needed.”
Cross, who has been rehabbing an ankle injury in the offseason, sees where the team needs to improve from last year. “We need to close games better, and avoid scoring droughts,” Cross said.
“We are good enough that there shouldn’t be scoring ruts,” added Stallion.
One of the biggest responsibilities as captain is facilitating communication. “We are the line of communication from the team to the coach, and the coach to the team,” Stallion said.
“We need to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Cross said.
This year’s team has had their focus on conditioning throughout the offseason. Look for an up-tempo team this year, going on the attack whenever they have numbers. “We want to run teams out of the gym,” Stallion said.
