MU Men's Basketball Starts with a Positive Outlook
Brittany Dilley
Head coach Gerad Good is hopeful for this season as the men’s basketball team opens against Kalamazoo College on Tuesday, November 15. Beginning his second year as head coach, Good is nothing but joyful about basketball. “I was able to be a part of some pretty good teams,” Good said. “It’s been great being back.” He is also a Manchester University graduate of the class of 1995.
As the season approaches, coaches and players come together to be more successful. The main goal of the team is to return to the NCAA conference tournament, playing in the championship game. Both the team and coach have agreed that one thing is certain: always play hard. “We want to compete as a team,” Good said. “We want to represent not only our program, but the university and the community of Manchester.”
Having played Kalamazoo last year, the team is expecting to see the changes made by the competition, but ready to show their own improvement made for Tuesday’s game along with the rest of the season. “We can’t get really get caught up about being concerned about other teams.” said MU senior team player, Chase Casteel.
Casteel and Good are both confident in the new first-year players meshing well with the upperclassmen players and their readiness to compete. “There is a lot more demand [in college athletics than in high school],” Casteel said. “Everything is about being on time.”
Preparation is the assurance of success according to Coach Good. Getting players in tune with one another is dire, along with preparing the team with the right strategies and state of mind. “With new guys, we’re trying to develop a sense of commitment and understanding of the team’s expectations,” Good said. This is in the beginning stage of the program, while also shaping the players’ skills for the spring semester of the program.
Improvement is another main goal for the team. According to Good, bettering the players and giving them a well-developed understanding is going to give the team the most successful end result. “We [as a team] try to respect the process of getting better, and as a coach, you have to try to be consistent in that and making sure all of your expectations are met,” Good said.
For more information on scores and upcoming events, visit www.muspartans.com/sports/mbkb/index.