This has been a very nice season SO FAR for our team. I am stressing the SO FAR part because there is still a lot of basketball left to be played and a lot of work to do if we are going to be able to say we had a very nice season in March!
We did not exactly know what to expect from this team early in September. We lost a couple of key guys, but were returning a core group of 3rd & 4th yr guys who we would have to say were unproven. We had some highlights last season, but struggled and underachieved when league play started. However, we a had terrific month of training in September where the guys really worked hard, pushed themselves and built strong team chemistry. This team has been pushed hard and has responded well all year...they are fit and take a lot of confidence from the fact that they probably do more than most opponents they face.
As we sit here on December 7th the Gaiters have an overall record of 9 wins & 4 losses which includes a record of 7 - 3 vs. CIS competition. We are on the fringe of the CIS Top Ten coach's poll and are ranked #2 in the CIS in Ratings Percentage Index (RPI)
http://cishoops.ca/cis2012/cisrpi.php which takes into account winning percentage & strength of schedule. We have played one of the toughest schedules in the CIS and have a record of 4 wins & 1 loss to teams that have been in or are ranked in the CIS Top Ten coach's poll.
From a player production perspective I would say we don't have a star player. We have had 6 different players score at least 18 points in a game while we have 4 or 5 guys who are averaging at least 10 ppg. 3rd yr point guard Scott Ring has stepped in and replaced Sean Monplaisir in fine fashion. Scott has worked hard to become a good CIS player and is taking advantage of his opportunity to play this year. Few expected (including myself) Scott to have such an impact this year. Very happy for him and he deserves the recognition. 3rd yr, 6'10 Mike Andrews has started to blossom (Mike will love that I used blossom to refer to him!) as well. He has come a long way in his 3 yrs here and has continually improved his skills & work ethic. 3rd yr, 6'8 fwd Matt McLean also has emerged as an improved scorer and rebounder up front. Matt along with Mike gives us a solid base on the front line as we move into the next couple of years. The improvement of our 3rd year guys has been significant and it is what we needed to compete with the better teams. However, our veteran core of Tim Hunter, Jeremy Leonard-Smith & Onnex Blackwood has provided stability and a strong presence within our team on & off the court.
Our bench has been anchored by our 3rd yr high energy guard Patrik Kabongo. PK's positive attitude is infectious and he has given the team a boost several times coming off the bench. Freshman point guard Jona Bermillo has had a good first semester & has steadily improved. We expect that Jona's role will increase as the year progresses. We have had contributions from various members of our bench over the course of the first half, but more importantly the competition level in practice & attitude of Jamil Abiad, Ridolphe Aristil, Ryan Foster, Shawn McAlpine & Jonathan Goyette is an intangible factor that really has impacted our team positively. The bench guys do not always get their due, but for those of us who have been around the game a bit we know how much they mean to a team.
Our next action is December 28th in Montreal at the UQAM Tournament. The schedule is listed below and we hope to see a few of you out at our games! Happy Holidays to everyone!
Rod
UQAM Classique des Citadins 2012
*Friday December 28th Bishop’s vs Mtl. Alumni Team 20h30
Saturday December 29th Memorial vs Bishop’s 14h00
Sunday December 30th Bishop’s vs Waterloo 12h00
*exhibition game
