2008 Woodie Awards
Men's b'ball shoots for good season
Ryan Young
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: Sports
When asked to describe the difference between this year's team and last year's, head coach Ralph Barrios reply was quick and deliberate: "Chemistry."
The Lorain County Community College Commodores men's basketball team finished last season with an even amount of wins and losses, resulting from the team's lack of cohesiveness.
"We've got a lot more balance, and better talent," said a post-practice Barrios, "The players are getting along much better this year, and that's the key."
Along with the team's burgeoning camaraderie, comes a new system of offense and defense. With the Commodores' newly acquired guards, a faster paced offense and defense will be implemented to use their lack of height to their advantage.
"I think it's a smart move, and it's going to help us in the long run when we can bring a guy that's just as fast off the bench in for someone." said Marcel Finkley, a 6-foot-2-inch returning sophomore.
Being one of the Commodores' biggest men, Finkley said that his new teammates and the team's new philosophy will really help him to expand and extend his game. As far as the team being different and more unified, Finkley added, "I'm excited about this year. We've got a lot of potential."
The Commodores share Finkley's enthusiasm, and with good reason; the team plans a trip to a tournament to New York, they have acquired great depth from area high schools such as Firelands, Bay, and Oberlin, and they are expecting a more abundant, enthusiastic crowd this year.
However, being undersized and bright-eyed is not an easy method for victory. George Russ, the Commodores' returning point guard had bittersweet feelings about the team's new training regimen which began in early September: "I hate it, nut I love it." Russ added, "It's a lot of hard work, but it's going to pay off in the long run when we are outrunning teams and still going deep into the second halves of games."
Being that the average student at LCCC doesn't even know that the Commodores exist is not a detriment to them. The players and coaches
take their sport seriously, and even the chemistry that coach Barrios referred to was evident in their sharing of the ball and their willingness to hit the open man in a collective effort for victory.
The Lorain County Community College Commodores men's basketball team finished last season with an even amount of wins and losses, resulting from the team's lack of cohesiveness.
"We've got a lot more balance, and better talent," said a post-practice Barrios, "The players are getting along much better this year, and that's the key."
Along with the team's burgeoning camaraderie, comes a new system of offense and defense. With the Commodores' newly acquired guards, a faster paced offense and defense will be implemented to use their lack of height to their advantage.
"I think it's a smart move, and it's going to help us in the long run when we can bring a guy that's just as fast off the bench in for someone." said Marcel Finkley, a 6-foot-2-inch returning sophomore.
Being one of the Commodores' biggest men, Finkley said that his new teammates and the team's new philosophy will really help him to expand and extend his game. As far as the team being different and more unified, Finkley added, "I'm excited about this year. We've got a lot of potential."
The Commodores share Finkley's enthusiasm, and with good reason; the team plans a trip to a tournament to New York, they have acquired great depth from area high schools such as Firelands, Bay, and Oberlin, and they are expecting a more abundant, enthusiastic crowd this year.
However, being undersized and bright-eyed is not an easy method for victory. George Russ, the Commodores' returning point guard had bittersweet feelings about the team's new training regimen which began in early September: "I hate it, nut I love it." Russ added, "It's a lot of hard work, but it's going to pay off in the long run when we are outrunning teams and still going deep into the second halves of games."
Being that the average student at LCCC doesn't even know that the Commodores exist is not a detriment to them. The players and coaches
take their sport seriously, and even the chemistry that coach Barrios referred to was evident in their sharing of the ball and their willingness to hit the open man in a collective effort for victory.
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