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Mustang men ready for rebound season
November 3, 2010
By
Kaitlyn McGrath
Nineteen points.That was what it took to bring an abrupt end to the Mustangs men’s basketball season last year.
“That was a low point of probably most of our careers here,” fourth-year point guard Ryan Barbeau recalled. “We definitely thought we were going to do a lot better than lose in the first round of the playoffs.”
It wasn’t the end they had imagined. An upset loss to Laurier at home, the end to their drive for another showing at the national level – it’s no wonder they hope to rebound this season.
“I think that this year we have a lot more depth,” Mustangs head coach Brad Campbell said. “We have more guys we can throw in and play and therefore I don’t think we’ll get worn down as much as the season rolls on.”
That increased depth has helped in the preseason, where the Mustangs have managed to maintain an undefeated record despite suffering from several injuries, according to Campbell.
“For about a two week period we were down to about six or seven players that could actually practice,” he said. “[When] we got healthy enough and we got some guys back that were going to make a difference and basically were in a situation where we started to play games.”
The Mustangs welcome back several veterans, including Barbeau, Andy Wedemire and Garrett Olexiuk, who will make his much–anticipated return this Friday after resting for the entire preseason. For a team that is also welcoming several rookies, having experienced players to lean on will be the key to their success.
“Those are three leaders, they are the most veteran guys we have on our team and they’re proven players in our league,” Campbell said. “Those are the three guys that are the voice in the locker room, on the court and the guys that the rest of our team have to follow.”
And as the team’s starting point guard, Barbeau is up to the challenge.
“We just need to show the younger guys what we do and how to play within our system,” he said about his role as a team leader. “Just lead by example in terms of playing hard at games and practice.”
But it shouldn’t take too long for the rookies to adapt to the Mustangs game, as they are one of the best recruiting classes Western has seen in recent years. Joining the squad are guards Nathan DiLoreto, Andrew Vincent and Quinn Henderson and forward Peter Scholtes.
And if the preseason is any indication, it appears the rookies are adjusting just fine, especially Scholtes and Henderson who have already managed to make significant contributions to the team, according to Campbell.
“Both are very versatile, can shoot the ball and are intelligent players,” he said about his new players. “They are playing major minutes right now and we need both of them to contribute.”
Also making his Mustangs debut is transfer student Adam Jespersen, who brings both his size and skill to improve the Mustangs inside game.
“We have the inside game, we’ve got enough veteran leadership and we have a good enough bench to be able to compete with the best teams in the country,” Campbell said.
And the players feel the exact same way, striving for nothing less than winning this season.
“I just want to get back to the nationals championships,” Barbeau said.
The number six nationally ranked Mustangs begin their 2010-11 season with the toughest road trip of the year, playing Laurentian on Friday night, then travelling to Toronto to take on the York Lions. The Mustangs will make their home court debut on Nov. 12.
