The wait toward redemption is over for the men’s basketball team. The team starts a new season with 13 out of 14 players returning, including five seniors. Their goal, this year, is to win the Sunshine State Conference championship.
Last season, the Sharks went 13-15 and failed to have a winning season, making an early exit from the SSC tournament. In the quarterfinals, hosted by NSU, Eckerd College blew the Sharks away. The Sharks gave up 86 points in the game, which was 10 points above the season average.
Alex Gynes, senior guard and forward said, “We want to be the best defensive team in the league this season.”
Becoming the best defensive team in the league will be no easy accomplishment. Last season Rollins College led the SSC, giving up only 63 points per game. The Sharks finished the season giving up the most points in the conference, with 77 points per game.
The bright spot on the team last year was Gynes, who led the Sharks in field goals, free throws, free throw attempts, overall points and points-per-game. He also earned the NSU 2010 Male Athlete of the Year award.
This season, the Sharks look for leadership from the five seniors on the team including: Gynes, John Brooks, Ross Allsop, Lemar Dyer and Max Pependieck.
“Our team goal is to be the conference champions. That’s been the goal ever since summer started,” said junior guard Teddy Tassy.
Gynes led the team in scoring last year with an average of 13 points per game. Brooks started in all 28 games and Allsop led the team in field goal percentage, blocks per game and started in 24 games. Dyer led the team in steals and Pependieck was second on the team in three-point-shooting percentage.
“It doesn’t bother me, my personal stats or anything. I just want to win the conference with these fellows,” said Papendieck.
Meanwhile, the women’s basketball team is also gearing up for a good season.
“We want them to remember our will to win, our determination, our aggressiveness, our killer mentality and just to know whenever they have to play us, it’s going to be a good game and they definitely have to be ready for it,” said sophomore point guard Kristina Cabrera.
The Lady Sharks start their season at home on Nov. 13 against Northern Kentucky at 4 p.m. They are excited, motivated and prepared.
“We’ve been working hard and we have been conditioning hard. With our new coach, we’re very excited as well. She pushes us and we’re looking forward to a winning season,” said Cabrera.
Ann Walker is the team’s interim head coach. Walker said when she took over, she met with the team and gave them three goals. “[The three goals are] that each of us become better basketball players, that you work as hard as you can to be the best you can and that we have fun doing it,” she said.
Walker said she was impressed by the team’s desire to work hard and get better at what they do.
However, she wants her players to wear teams out offensively and defensively.
While the coach and the team have pledged and prepared to work hard, Cabrera said they need the support of NSU fans.
“Having a supporting fan base would be amazing,” she said.
The lady Sharks have 14 home games this season.
Written by: Josh Streimer and Kevin Preciado
