Rejoice! Basketball returns

By: Justin Parker

Consistency and stability are valuable commodities on the path to success. This is especially the case in sports, and, in particular, a team’s starting lineup. This year, the men’s basketball team is sporting a brand new starting lineup after the departure of three of their key players: Aaron Redpath, Leon Alexander and Troy Joseph.

After a heartbreaking loss to Windsor in the Ontario University Athletics quarter-finals last year, the Marauders are looking to use their new look to spark future success. Redpath, Alexander and Joseph made up for a significant amount of offence and minutes played last season and will be hard to replace. It is not easy fielding a nearly new starting lineup at the beginning of a year with high expectations to follow up the previous year’s successes.

However, players will always be hard to replace unless the team is able to change and adapt to the new talent that is always available to a competitive team. In this way, the team is looking to move in a new direction that relies on spreading the offence around to different players.

Forward Connor Gilmore and guard Rohan Boney are both returning starters from last year, with only Gilmore starting the majority of the games he played in. Guards Lazar Kojovic, David McCulloch round out the consistent starters, while  Elliot Ormond and Matt Quiring will split the final starting spot, depending on matchups. Kojovic and McCulloch played consistent minutes off the bench last season, while Ormond is back on the regular roster after sitting last year as a reserve player for the team.

The Marauders head into this season ranked fourth in the University Sports pre-season poll after an undefeated 10-0 run during non-conference play, including 8-0 against U Sports teams. The Marauders also spent a portion of their off-season playing in a tournament in Taiwan, giving the team an extra opportunity to build the cohesiveness that will be needed for them to find success throughout this season.

“We are satisfied with our season so far, “ head coach Amos Connolly said. “We are also aware of the fact we are going to play tougher teams in our own conference than we played the entire season so far. There is a balance.”

The team found success in the Buddha Light International Association Cup tournament in Taiwan, convincingly beating teams from all over the world on their way to the tournament championship. Individual accolades were awarded as well, as David McCulloch was named tournament MVP and Connor Gilmore was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

“Generally to this point, I’m pretty happy with how the guys are caring for each other, pushing each other, and holding each other accountable,” Connolly said.

Despite the lack of starting experience, the overall talent is there and it is just a matter of the team coming together an executing as one unit. The true test will begin on Nov. 11, as the Marauders have back-to-back games against Lakehead to kick off their OUA regular season.

Starters to watch

Third-year starters 

Connor Gilmore is coming off a strong season in which he averaged 10.6 points per game in an average of 25 minutes. Gilmore is in his third year of eligibility and has averaged 34 minutes per game in his last six games, while grabbing 7.5 rebounds in the process. At 6’ 7” and 220 lbs., Gilmore is a physical force sure to bring an edge on both sides of the court for the Marauders.

David McCulloch is another third-year starter to watch. Averaging 24.3 minutes per game off the bench last season, McCulloch saw his minutes nearly double from the year before, and shot an efficient 51.5 per cent from the field. In an average of 37.3 minutes in his last six games, McCulloch has averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 assists. McCulloch also recorded five steals in McMaster’s game against McGill on Sept. 29.

Fifth-year starters 

The two fifth-year players in the starting rotation, Rohan Boney and Lazar Kojovic, look to help the team in scoring and experience. Both sported high field goal percentages from last season and have been with the team for four seasons prior to this year.

Boney averaged 10.8 points per game on 54.5 per cent shooting last season as a consistent bench player who started seven of the 17 games he played. The guard has regularly seen around an average of 22.1 minutes per game each season. With a career 54.1 field goal percentage, Boney continues to keep his average shooting percentage and points per game high as his first year as a starter, in addition to a career average of 5.5 rebounds per game.

Kojovic shot 34 per cent from beyond the arc in 15.5 minutes per game off of the bench last season, which was more minutes on average than each year prior. Now seeing 30.8 minutes per game over his last six, Kojovic is averaging 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in those games. At 6’ 4” and 6’ 5” respectively, Boney and Kojovic can continue to use their height to affect the possession of the ball off the glass in addition to the score.

OUA competition

Carleton

The Ravens had a strong pre-conference run, including a convincing 100-75 win over National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Wichita State Shockers on Aug. 7. Carleton also claimed the House-Laughton tournament championship for their sixteenth straight season, lead by senior Connor Wood who sported an impressive 85.7 per cent three-point shooting percentage. A yearly juggernaut, Carleton will once again be a threat to every team in OUA and U Sports.

Brock

A top 10 U Sports team that is in the OUA Central division like McMaster. Currently ranked sixth in the nation, the Badgers dropped their last game in the RBC Classic tournament in a close bout against Dalhousie, ending an eight game winning streak they carried throughout their exhibition play. Forward Dani Elgadi lead the team in that game, and looks to do the same throughout the season. Elgadi heads into his fourth season sporting career averages of 19.3 points per game on 48.7 per cent field-goal percentage, along with 10.7 rebounds per game.

Ottawa

The Gee-Gees round out the top five in the nation, right behind the Marauders, and will have to fight with Carleton for the OUA North division title. Ottawa boasts a 6-1 record against U Sports teams and a successful run in the Jack Donohue Memorial Tournament. Ottawa spent several weeks last season ranked No. 1 in the nation, but finished in sixth place after losing to the UBC Thunderbirds in the CIS Final 8 Consolation Final. Ottawa goes into the season without their all-time assists and wins-leader and the 2015-16 CIS Player of the Year: point guard Mike L’Africain.