By Jonathan Sawyer
Contributing Writer
In its inaugural season, the club basketball team is looking to compete with the best.
“Last year, it was an idea, us playing in the Richter. We thought we could play organized, and we were good enough to compete,” sophomore Student-Coach Amir Dastoori said.
The Bonnies are in the North Atlantic Region West conference, which consists of Niagara, Syracuse and Cortland. Only one team from each conference will make it to Nationals. The games are played in a three-game series, which means that the team will play an opponent three times in a row. The team has only played two series, due to weather and SUNY Cortland’s team folding. But after a few games, the team feels confident in being able to compete with anyone.
With the team playing the likes of Niagara and Syracuse, it is always looking to get good competition. The team is currently ranked 12th in the nation as of last week’s polls. Dastoori said their biggest strength is team chemistry, evident from playing together in the Richter Center.
“After seeing the competition, I think we are more than ready to go” sophomore point guard Marcus Welch said about his team’s possibility of going to Nationals.
With the team mostly consisting of freshman and sophomores, there is a lot of time to develop and become a powerhouse in the conference. Leading scorer for the Bonnies sophomore shooting guard Kyle Williams, who averages 11 points per game, has become the go-to guy on the court. But Williams does not take all the credit.
“Not at all because with the teammates I have, if I’m not going, I always know I have people to rely on,” Williams said.
Williams went on to say it would be a good opportunity for his team to play in Nationals in its first season as a team.
Sophomore guard Jordan Garrett believes if his team plays as they do in practice, then they can compete with any opponent.
Garrett stated the team has a lot of chemistry between everyone, which is a key to success in sports.
Nationals will be played at the University of Pittsburgh at the Peterson Events Center from April 10-12.
sawyerjp15@bonaventure.edu
The team will host Niagara tomorrow in its final three-game series, starting at 11 a.m. in the Richter Center.
