Good morning from the land of USA South conference championships! In case you were unaware, CNU athletics has been racking up the hardware of late. This past weekend the football, volleyball, and men's soccer squads joined the men's and women's cross country teams as USA South champions. Those are tremendous accomplishments, and are a testament to the amazing coaches and student-athletes that we have here at CNU.
While a number of teams are seeing their seasons enter the final stages, ours is just beginning here at CNU men's basketball. We have been hard at work as we enter our fourth week of practice. As is usually the case, time has been moving by quickly. We are now at the point of the preseason when we match up against outside opponents in order to see how we stack up. We had our first scrimmage last Friday versus Hampden-Sydney, the #23 ranked team in the nation.
Like most of these preseason scrimmages, there were some positives to take away, along with more than a few areas to improve in. However, playing a high caliber team at this juncture is great for us, as it exposes some of our weaknesses and shows us just how hard we need to continue to work in order to get to the level we want to be at throughout the season.
As a coach, this time of the year is especially hectic, as you are juggling several different but very important tasks: namely recruiting, practices, academic progress, and scouting upcoming opponents. For instance, last Wednesday we had an early morning practice at 6am. At 11am I jumped in the rental car with Coach Krikorian and we drove four hours to northwestern VA to do an in-home recruiting visit. We then drove two more hours to Washington D.C. to watch our first opponent, Randolph-Macon, play an exhibition game versus American University.
We got back to Newport News around 1am. I think somewhere in there we scarfed down a couple of burgers for dinner. You may not believe this, but coaching does not exactly lend itself to the most restful or healthiest of lifestyles. Nothing you can do about it but keep plugging along onward and upward – and maybe mix in a salad and some exercise every now and then.
Our next (big) challenge comes tomorrow night, as the Captains will take on nearby neighbor and NCAA Division I member Hampton University here at the Freeman Center. It is common practice in college basketball for Division I schools to play Division II and Division III schools in preseason exhibitions. For Division II/III teams, it is a rare opportunity to play against the big boys and garner some great exposure for their program. For Division I schools these games are great tune-ups, affording them a chance to play in a very competitive environment against an opponent who will surely be giving the D-1 squad its best shot.
What is not so common is for the Division II/III school to be hosting this type of exhibition. In fact, it almost never happens. For this coup we have to thank our top-notch facilities and the willingness of Coach Joyner at Hampton to play here. Ultimately, tomorrow night's game is a great occasion for both schools and the entire Hampton Roads community. For us, it is a chance for our guys (particularly the seniors) to play top competition in a game that will have a fantastic atmosphere. It will also showcase the incredible Freeman Center facility that we call home.
The game will definitely be a tremendous test for us at this point in the season. Hampton, coming off an NCAA tournament appearance last season, has been picked by many prognosticators to win their conference again this year. The Pirates boast a starting five of players who stand 6'3”, 6'6”, 6'7”, 6'7”, and 6'8” in height. I think I might need to have a little chat with Coach Ross, who does our scheduling.
When you are playing a superior opponent, you have to go all-out and play with great confidence and execution. I know our guys will fight to the very end, and I am looking forward to seeing how some of the younger guys perform the first time the lights come on for real.
Regardless of the outcome, tomorrow night's contest will be a great experience for us. It will most certainly prepare us well for the battles we will face during the season. If you are free tomorrow night I really hope you come on out and watch us take on Hampton. We want to pack the Freeman Center and make it a memorable night. See you there!
