Oct
4
Morningside Men’s Basketball Preview- Final Draft
October 4, 2023 | | 2 Comments
This year the Mustangs are primed to make another run at a national title, as they return many key players from a team that went 24-8 and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament.
The key pieces back are the big three of Ely Doble, Jack Dotzler, and Joey Skoff. All three were all conference players last season and have worked hard all offseason in order to repeat this success. They know that last season doesn’t mean anything and that they will have to come into this season with a chip on their shoulder.
“Although we saw some success last season, we aren’t satisfied.” said senior big man Ely Doble. Doble added that this offseason there was an emphasis on getting stronger in the weight room. He said that in order to compete with teams that are taller than them overall, they must be a strong group.
“Coach Zach does a great job with us in the weight room, and we know that as a group we need to bring energy in there every day,” Doble said.
Other key returners include senior Aiden Vanderloo, and juniors Brendan Buckley and Justin Sitti. All three were contributors on last years team and are eager to win this year. There are open spots in the rotation this year, and head coach Trent Miller will have to decide who will fill those in. Juniors Dylan Johnson and Tyson Gordon are options, along with sophomores Caleb Dreckman and Dan Brocaille.
The Mustangs have a week of official practice under their belts, and associate coach Landon Graver says things are looking promising. “The talent is definitely there as well as the chemistry, but we still have a lot of work to do”, says Graver.
Head coach Trent Miler had this to say about the upcoming season, “We have a lot of work to do, especially on the defensive end, but I’m excited to see what we can accomplish this year.”
The Mustangs will continue to work hard until their first official game, which is scheduled for October 27th at Waldorf College. The Mustangs then have back to back contests against Kansas Wesleyan and Bethany College in the “Coyote Classic”. When the Mustangs take on Kansas Wesleyan, it will be rematch of last year’s national tournament round of 32.
Morningside opens GPAC play at Concordia, which is historically a very tough place to play. The Mustangs should be towards the top of the preseason GPAC rankings, which will come out by the end of the month. Morningside’s top competition based on number of returning players includes Dordt, Northwestern, and Jamestown. Overall, the GPAC will be well rounded and the Mustangs know they must bring their best each night in order to achieve their goals.
Comments
2 Comments so far
Can you see the future, Charlie? Next week’s lottery numbers?
You will need to step back a bit, which I know is difficult.
Try this as your lead: This year the Mustangs are primed to make another run at a national title, as they return many key players from a team that went24-8 and made it to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Tournament.
Talk to the coach. He’s a key source.
I see that I read the first graf incorrectly. Cut the first line of my earlier comment.