Men's basketball team gets a new start
Aston Lee, '11 | Staff Reporter
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Sports
The men's basketball team returns to the court for the 2009-10 season with some changes. A new head coach is one such change.
Joseph Smith will be leading the Mustangs this season. He played four years of basketball at Hamilton College under coach Tom Murphy. He averaged 21 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his senior season. Smith graduated from Hamilton in 2004. After Hamilton, he went on to play for the Basketball Klubben Amager in Denmark.
Smith brought in Kevin Johnson as assistant coach. "Johnson has a lot of coaching experience that will help us this season," Smith said.
Smith said he wants to see improvements individually and as a team. "One thing I know is that we will be very physical on the floor," he said. "We will be good competitors, with hopes of someday competing for a championship." Smith said he feels patience is a key factor for both him and the team.
Although the Mustangs will not be facing Hamilton College this season, Smith hopes to play against them in the future. "It will be good to go back and play against them," he said.
"We look forward to a new start," forward captain Bryan Eddy said. "Being able to play for someone who has had so much experience on the court will be a great asset to our team."
Eddy is among the few returning players who will be playing this year. The other returners are: seniors Andrew Vandyke and Garnell Vaughn and sophomore Matthew Schwartz.
"In this off-season, I have been in the weight room and ran the courts with my fellow teammates," Eddy said. "We plan to be much more dominant; a force to reckon with and with coach Smith, we feel as if nothing is out of reach."
In the 2008 season the team had one home win. They ended the season with a 3-21 record. "We are trying to have more success at home this season than we did last season," Vaughn said.
"We want to represent MSC by demanding the respect of the other teams; it starts at home. If we cannot protect this house, then we will be letting our fans down," Vandyke said.
Joseph Smith will be leading the Mustangs this season. He played four years of basketball at Hamilton College under coach Tom Murphy. He averaged 21 points and 10.8 rebounds per game in his senior season. Smith graduated from Hamilton in 2004. After Hamilton, he went on to play for the Basketball Klubben Amager in Denmark.
Smith brought in Kevin Johnson as assistant coach. "Johnson has a lot of coaching experience that will help us this season," Smith said.
Smith said he wants to see improvements individually and as a team. "One thing I know is that we will be very physical on the floor," he said. "We will be good competitors, with hopes of someday competing for a championship." Smith said he feels patience is a key factor for both him and the team.
Although the Mustangs will not be facing Hamilton College this season, Smith hopes to play against them in the future. "It will be good to go back and play against them," he said.
"We look forward to a new start," forward captain Bryan Eddy said. "Being able to play for someone who has had so much experience on the court will be a great asset to our team."
Eddy is among the few returning players who will be playing this year. The other returners are: seniors Andrew Vandyke and Garnell Vaughn and sophomore Matthew Schwartz.
"In this off-season, I have been in the weight room and ran the courts with my fellow teammates," Eddy said. "We plan to be much more dominant; a force to reckon with and with coach Smith, we feel as if nothing is out of reach."
In the 2008 season the team had one home win. They ended the season with a 3-21 record. "We are trying to have more success at home this season than we did last season," Vaughn said.
"We want to represent MSC by demanding the respect of the other teams; it starts at home. If we cannot protect this house, then we will be letting our fans down," Vandyke said.