By: Coby Zucker
Looking at the McMaster men’s basketball roster, the word “young” comes to mind, as nine of the 16 players on this year’s squad are rookies. With the addition of third-years Damiann Prehay and Yaw Antwi-Boasiako, and the return of Connor Gilmore, only four current players were on the roster last year.
Despite solid contributions from core veterans Matt Quiring and David McCulloch, this drastically different roster makes it is easy to see how top contenders might overlook the team. Even still, despite the youthful lineup, the Marauders are not interested in taking the path of least resistance and slapping the “growth” and “rebuilding” tags on the season.
🏀 FINAL: McCulloch's 23 points leads the way, as @MacMensBball pulls away in the fourth quarter to record the 97-80 win over Guelph!
Mac is 2-0 in the New Year, and improves to 6-7 in conference play. #GoMacGo pic.twitter.com/LKmkJ3UgAO
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) January 12, 2019
“Yeah, I know that there’s a lot of first-years,” said junior forward, Kwasi Adu-Poku. “But at the same time, I’m feeling like this is a really good chance for us to do something big. We wouldn’t really see it as a growth year because [head coach Patrick Tatham] brought in a lot of people who are ready to work, ready to go hard, already have a good idea of how to play and everything.”
Coach Tatham’s confidence in his rookies certainly shows. Freshman guards Tristan Lindo, Sefa Otchere and Jordan Henry are averaging 26.1, 20.3 and 25.6 minutes per game respectively, accounting for 28.2 points per game together.
The confidence is paying off, and the rookies are looking to keep up the trust and continue to earn the right to lengthy minutes in their first season of university-level play.
“[Coach Tatham] expects me to be more aggressive, play with confidence, be solid defensively and offensively, and just play with a lot of heart and effort,” said Otchere.
For Otchere, despite his solid numbers in the first half of the season, the adjustment to university ball has taken time.
“You want to do a lot of things because you’re not used to this level yet,” Otchere added. “But just trying to more composed, more relaxed, just understanding you don’t need to rush, everything will just come to me on the court.”
The amount of inexperience within the Marauder’s system has also catapulted the few returning players into leadership positions. Adu-Poku, only in his third year, is already finding himself in the veteran role.
“It’s a bit weird to process at times,” said Adu-Poku, “because I still feel like I’m pretty young myself. When I come into practice and see a lot of first-year guys kind of eager to learn, I realize I could at least give them a bit of mentorship in that respect. So I’m realizing that I’m more of a leader than I think I am.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpUla7-hwWd/
Adu-Poku was also quick to stress that leadership spots are not just doled out to the players who have been in the system the longest.
“I think with [coach Tatham’s] culture right now… I think he’s just really trying to show that anyone can be a leader in the sense that, if you’re willing to step up and fit the idea of what he wants to get done and just do what you do best, he’ll use you as someone that people could get advice from,” Adu-Poku explained.
In all, there is a pervasive sense that this Marauders squad, containing the few core veterans supported by a cast of motivated rookies, are still more than capable of putting together a strong campaign.
While the dominant Carleton University and Ryerson University teams might still be out of reach for the time being, the Marauders continue to gain university-level experience and build chemistry. Only getting better, the Mac men will look to continue to prove they are capable of knocking down teams previously thought to be well beyond striking distance as the season progresses.
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By Adriana Skaljin
As an upper-year veteran of the McMaster men’s basketball team, David McCulloch has experienced the ups and downs of the team for the past five years. He is now in his final year at McMaster, completing a degree in kinesiology, and in his final season with the team.
McCulloch, who plays guard, describes the team dynamic as one strengthened by talented players and a high level of sportsmanship.
“Our team has a lot of good guys, and a lot of them are young,” said McCulloch. “We have nine first-year rookies, and they all got really tight, which helps us veterans, seeing as only five to six people were on the team last year.”
He describes the rookies as eager to learn and as humble coming onto the team.
“There are no big egos from these new players, making them open to work hard,” said McCulloch.
[spacer height="20px"]This level-headed mindset is crucial to the team dynamic, as it allows for the veterans and rookies to mesh well as a team, and to fit into the culture that head coach Patrick Tatham wants.
“It’s good for us, as the rookies are going to get a lot of minutes, averaging at 25 to 30 minutes,” said McCulloch. “So as long as they keep their heads focused and in check, then we are all going to play well together.”
Despite this influx of new players, the team dynamic has stayed strong, as a result of the teammates’ bond and ability to get along well, leading to one of the most cohesive teams McCulloch has seen in his tenure with the program.
Going into the new season, the men’s basketball team’s coaching staff has worked to implement ways to better both team and individual skills. Each practice, the players get 10 to 15 minutes of individual developmental training.
“The players have been continuing to get better individually since September, even August really,” McCulloch said. “With better individual development comes a better team.”
McCulloch describes the practices as ones of teaching and getting familiar with the way that Tatham envisions them to play.
“Since the team is young, it takes a bit of time to get adjusted to the way [coach Tatham] wants us to play,” McCulloch said. “But, everyone is adjusting very well and I think that the way he wants us to play, being super hard, is fit with the guys that we have. I think this is going to help us a lot throughout the year.”
On a more personal level, McCulloch aims to maintain his Ontario University Athletics All-Star status from last year, and to keep his stats up, hopefully allowing him to play professionally, either at home or abroad.
Last year, the team had an interesting run, winning only one game before their winter break, and then winning eight out of their last nine games to end their regular season. When asked to reflect on this unusual streak, McCulloch said with confidence that they will use that second half as motivation for the upcoming season.
“I think that we had a bad start to last season, and then finished playing the way we were supposed to,” said McCulloch. “Even this early into this current season, I am already feeling that we are playing the way we are supposed to.”
The dichotomous outcomes of last season sparked the bringing in of new talent, higher goals, and the strong belief that winning should be inevitable. On Oct. 24, the Marauders played the home-opener against the University of Waterloo, winning 93-75. McCulloch himself put up 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“This was our best game of the year, and we experienced a lot of good first-year [player] moments,” said McCulloch. “The team effort was huge, and our harder playing showed results.”
from Wednesday’s win. Back at it again tomorrow @ 3PM vs. @WindsorMBB #TogetherWeHammer
: IG -@/chris_simon21 pic.twitter.com/glcFVWGYDd
— McMaster Men's Basketball (@MacMensBball) 26 October 2018
The men’s basketball team pulled off another victory on Oct. 27, winning 95-67 over the University of Windsor, adding to their strong winning start to the season.
BIG win in the Burridge! #TogetherWeHammer pic.twitter.com/V174DWEN8C
— McMaster Men's Basketball (@MacMensBball) 27 October 2018
It is clear that these tactics of playing hard, strategic training and the goal of being consistent, will continue to show throughout this season. Hopefully, the Marauders can continue this winning streak throughout McCulloch’s final year wearing a maroon number 21 jersey.
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