by Tanessa Dillard
Managing Editor
If preseason play is any indication of how the men’s basketball season will turn out, the Leos have a good chance to dominate in SCIAC. So far, they are 3-0.
The team defeated California Christian, 131-66, in its opening game of the season, Tuesday, Nov. 22. They beat Dominican College last Wednesday, 102-71.
Last Friday, they played Division II school Sonoma State and won 89-88 in overtime.
Sonoma outshot the Leos in 2-point field goals, but the men scored 30 points in 3-pointers and shot 83 percent from the free throw line.
“As nice as it was to beat Sonoma, it doesn’t compare to winning our conference,” said Head Coach Gary Stewart. “Our focus is on conference goals.” The men finished fourth in SCIAC last year.
Tomorrow the team competes against Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Ariz., another Division II school. The team will be playing in the school’s new arena.
“We think we can compete with them. Anytime you play with [a Division II school], it’s difficult,” said Assistant Coach Will Morris.
“They’re very, very big,” said Stewart. “They’ve made several Division II play-offs. They have a rich tradition in basketball.”
Stewart said the game tomorrow will be a “monumental challenge. We fully expect to compete.”
Senior guard/forward Michael Wollangk said, “We’ve prepared ourselves to play Sonoma.”
Junior guard Marc King added, “We’ve been focusing on defense for their seven-footer. We’re prepared to run up and down the court a lot more.”
The Leos were not ranked in the Division III preseason rankings.
“Most people weren’t sure how good we’d be,” said Morris. They have only two returning starters and eight new players. The team has just one sophomore this season and no freshmen.
Three players are coming off of the football season and have not gotten in many practices.
In addition to that, the team is dealing with a series of minor injuries from various players. Wollangk and fellow seniors Michael Bloodworth and William English had a surgery last year. King also suffered injuries last year, causing him to miss six games.
King said his goal for the team is to win SCIAC and eventually the NCAA championship.
“First, we have to come together as a team, because we have the talent to win this year,” King said. We’re starting to come together. We play hard everyday.”
According to Stewart, the team is using the preseason to “get on the same page. By the same token, I think we will be a good basketball team by January and February.”
There are six more preseason games and the “O” Club Classic tournament during Fall Recess. The SCIAC season begins Wednesday, Jan. 11 against Pomona-Pitzer in the Supertents.
