March 16, 2009 (Final Entry)
Our trip to Branson did not go quite as anticipated. Despite this, we recognize that this has been one of the greatest years in Cedarville basketball history, and are thankful for the accomplishments the Lord granted to us this season.
In ending the season this way, we were reminded of the goodness of God during times of joy and disappointment. We praise Him for what He does in our lives through it all. This year was a blessing in many ways, and most of all we will take away valuable friendships that will truly last. The unity amongst this team is so memorable, and it is the lessons learned and friendships that we will take with us as we go from here.
March 9, 2009
Earlier this week, we got a couple days off, but we returned on Tuesday and have been practicing hard this week. We are prepared to head to the NAIA National Tournament on Monday morning, making the approximate 10-hour bus trip to Branson, Missouri. We're excited and ready for the challenge of playing in the tournament, and thankful that the Lord has granted us this opportunity again this season.
It's been an outstanding year in numerous ways for our program. The unity amongst the team is what stands out the most to everyone involved in the program. We love being together and it makes the season so enjoyable. We are obviously very grateful for the success we've had on the floor this year, and hope it continues this coming week. We are thankful for the success we've had, but always know that God has a greater purpose with what He has done with our team throughout this season. It is neat to see and we're excited to see how that continues in Branson.
March 2, 2009
With a few weeks in between when we play at the National Tournament, the coaches worked us hard for three days this past week and then gave us a few days off over the weekend. This week is currently our spring break, and so we appreciate having time off. Most of us went home and we will we return on Tuesday to practice hard for the rest of the week before leaving for Branson, Missouri next Monday.
All returning players have grown familiar with the sights of Branson. It is quite a unique town with different types of venues and humor that are not typically seen in most of our hometowns. This year we will be staying at a hotel with an indoor water park. Each year we always go to the Dixie Stampede, where a show is performed for us while we eat a rather large meal. We also always go a steakhouse called Lambert's, where they throw rolls at you. And our team sponsor is annually The Track, which is a go-cart place so we obviously spend some time there.
Overall, Branson is always a fun experience and we are looking forward to it in more ways that one. We get there a couple days before the games begin so it gives us time to enjoy different things. We are excited that God has blessed us with a chance to go back, and we have high hopes for what He may have in store.
Feb. 23, 2009
We traveled to New York this past weekend and enjoyed every aspect of it. We won both games, clinching a conference championship and an automatic bid to the National Tournament. We were very excited to finish off our regular season schedule with these two road wins, both of which we had to climb out of an early hole. We found ourselves down by eight points early on Friday against Houghton, and dug a 10-0 deficit on Saturday versus Roberts Wesleyan. However, we regrouped and through our defense we were able to chip away at those leads.
It was about an 8 or 9-hour drive up to New York. It was snowy and an adventure at times to travel in. We were thankful that we made it everywhere safely. This trip was different from others in that we didn't eat at the Golden Corral. We ate at a local spot on Friday night, where we were fed a feast. Assistant coach Andy Allgrim, who is from upstate New York, seemed to know what would be good on the menu. We always eat well on road trips and this was no different.
We also got to see our former teammate Joel Fowler. Joel graduated last year and his presence is missed this year. He is also from upstate New York, and made the trip to both of our games. We return back to Cedarville until the National Tournament, and will have a couple weeks of practice in preparation. It's already been an exciting year and we're looking forward to what else is in store.
Feb. 16, 2009
This past weekend we enjoyed a victory on Senior Night, and in a month four contributors to our program will conclude their basketball careers at CU. Each of them has played an integral role on numerous teams, and I know how much they will be missed by the coaches and players.
Personally, I'm thankful for the relationships I've cultivated with these guys, and already know how different it will be to not have their leadership next season. All of us look up to what these guys stand for, and they've played an instrumental role in the team's success this season, and in year's past.
Grant Walker is certainly known for his consistency and leadership in the back court, but his leadership extends to other areas as well. Grant was the Resident Assistant of five of us last year, and so we were thankful for that. We likely didn't make his job very easy, but no matter what we are thankful for his friendship and ability to lead in various ways. We do wish we could see him more this year, but he got married. Oh well, we still love him.
Ryan Reep has gained an immeasurable amount of respect from his coaches and teammates. His leadership has been seen in such an admirable, humble way. The character qualities that he exemplifies through his constant encouragement are contagious towards our team. It has a ripple effect that binds our team together in ways that would not be seen otherwise. His unselfishness shows his love for Christ and also his love for his teammates.
Daniel Rose's ability to dunk the ball and block shots will likely never be forgotten in Cedarville basketball history. His dominance in the paint causes other teams to always fear his presence. Daniel also brings a joy to this team, as his laugh is constantly heard. He loves being around his teammates, and shows a care for them in a quiet, humble manner.
Ryan Mosher's name isn't mentioned often, but what he does off the floor to help our team is going to be deeply missed. Mosher organizes the film and takes care of other intangibles. Not only that, but he is a close friend of the team and we always enjoy his presence on road trips, etc. He is also married so we don't see him as much as we used to, but we remain thankful for the joyful atmosphere he creates when around.
It is clear that we will miss these four guys for their presence on and off the floor. Being a younger teammate, I have certainly been thankful that Christlike leadership has been displayed. It's encouraged and challenged me in so many ways, and it's exciting to see where the Lord chooses to place these guys in the future.
Feb. 9, 2009
After losing two in row, we were able to rebound this past week with two road wins. We did have an interesting start to the week as we didn't really practice on Monday. After our consecutive losses, Coach Estepp decided that we weren't going to fix our struggles in one day and he just held a team meeting.
However, it was no ordinary meeting. Upon his arrival, he carried in ice cream and Hershey's syrup. Everyone looked around at each other wondering if this was really happening. Laughter began circulating throughout the room and Coach told us to enjoy. So, we ate ice cream and talked about how we can make our team better, and then watched highlights from the season.
It was a very refreshing way to get back to enjoying the game and remembering what makes us the team we are. We were thankful to pick up a couple wins this past week, and it's especially crucial to see our defense regain intensity. The ice cream will certainly be something that we remember about this year and we're thankful for how we have thus far responded.
Feb. 2, 2009
This past week was one of adversity for our program. Two defeats at home certainly shocked us, and we have to pick ourselves up quickly for the remainder of the season.
There is typically some form of adversity that a team has to go through during the course of the long season, and these two setbacks have certainly caused frustration. We remain confident in what our team can do and look forward to getting our focus back on what we can do to play better.
As a team, we look to stay close and unified no matter if we win or lose. Despite losing, it has been encouraging to see members of our team staying close together and building each other up. We try to see the bigger picture in what God is doing, knowing that in times of adversity growth and maturity can occur.
And remaining unified also helps us get back on track in trusting each other with how we play when we are at our best. We will obviously look to regain our tough-minded, defensive approach, which opens everything else up for us. Overall, this adversity will hopefully serve as a time of growth for our team that ultimately makes us more mature and stronger.
Jan. 26, 2009
One major aspect of the time our team gets to spend together is pre-game meals. For home games, we eat at our campus cafeteria and for road games we usually enjoy the Golden Corral buffet.
At the Golden Corral, the majority of our team is pleased at the wide variety of foods one can feast on. Although we have to be wise in not eating too much as our game is only a few hours later.
Many individuals have come to have favorites at the Golden Corral. Grant Walker, being a senior and used to these trips, has a typical rotation of foods he usually goes through and always tops things off with a little banana pudding. Matt Harner is a big fan of the Bourbon Street chicken. Daniel Rose is satisfied with any type of chicken. Student manager Ryan Mosher loves the hush puppies and assistant coach Andy Allgrim can't resist leaving without a handful of gummy bears.
These are just a few of the favorites that people have at the Golden Corral, where healthy salads, fruit, and solid meat and pasta are readily available. We're thankful for the food that is always provided for us, and consider it to be a blessing.
Not only do we receive a meal before our games, but on our bus trip home Ryan Mosher distributes homemade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Needless to say, we are well fed for the long season of basketball in which we need to be constantly nourished.
Jan. 19, 2009
For anyone interested in Cedarville basketball, this past week featured an experience that will be talked about for years. As we were watching our women compete in the first half against Mount Vernon Nazarene, Coach Estepp approached our team with concern about where our jerseys were. His concerns were validated as no one had remembered to grab the bag that our uniforms are carried in when we left Cedarville. Thus, we were two hours away from them and our game was due to start in an hour.
Mount Vernon was gracious and allowed us to wear their away JV uniforms. They were blue and green with a bold COUGARS written across the front. Not only that, but the shorts were a little bit short, especially for 6-10 center, Daniel Rose.
We were greeted with some chants from the Mount Vernon fans, such as "Where's your jerseys?" Overall, it actually created an even more exciting environment for us to play in. Mount Vernon is always a rivalry game and this unlikely occurrence made the game into quite a story.
This story is obviously all the more heightened considering the fact that we won in overtime. It was a remarkable game, going back and forth, and one that will be talked about in the future for numerous reasons.
Jan. 12, 2009
The first half of the season has prepared us well for league play, as we've won three consecutive games to begin the conference season. Our schedule throughout the year is full of games against competitive teams, and we've thus far been able to find ways to win games against tough opponents.
Our schedule will not get any easier for the remainder of the season as we hope to head back to the NAIA national tournament. Overall, we're excited for the remainder of the season, and will take it a game at a time. We've been blessed with no major injuries throughout the year, besides Brandon Sok's broken nose. He now wears a face mask, and it is actually quite comical.
Our team is also beginning to plan for a potential mission trip over the summer to Scotland. We're hoping to coordinate everyone's schedules so the Lord can use our team and the game of basketball to minister to people. Basketball keeps us busy in so many ways, and we're thankful for the family-type atmosphere that is constantly created.
Jan. 5, 2009
Over Christmas break, we were able to spend time in various places. We began the break by heading to Nashville, Tennessee, where we stayed right across the street from the home of the Tennessee Titans, LP Field. Besides picking up a win at Trevecca Nazarene, we ate out numerous times, including the well-known Jack's Barbecue, located in downtown Nashville, and got to see the Belmont University men's team play.
We then headed to the Chattanooga area, where we picked up two more wins. We had the privilege of seeing Coach Slagle, our former coach who attended the game at Bryan. He was just here last year and having him in the locker room before the game brought back fond memories. Not only did we see Coach Slagle, but our former teammate Kenny Reep was also in attendance. Kenny is a close friend of ours, and he will actually be coming back to Cedarville this next semester.
After a seven-hour trip back to Cedarville, we all headed our own ways to be with family for a week. We're thankful for the time the coaches allow us to spend away. Our coaches value their family life and we greatly appreciate time given to us. The week away did go by really fast, and we were all back here Sunday the 28th practicing in preparation for our games near Cleveland.
We've enjoyed this past week being on campus, where it was pretty calm as the rest of the students have yet to return. Thankfully, we're provided with meals in the area, and we've also had the privilege of eating at Matt Harner's and Ryan Reep's houses, who are from the area. Overall, it's been an awesome break for us. We've been blessed with great team camaraderie, and we look forward to what the Lord has in store for the next few months.
Dec. 8, 2008
This past week was a grueling stretch for Jackets men's basketball. We had three games and have our final exams awaiting us this upcoming week. This forces us to manage our time well, which is always a challenge.
We did suffer our first loss on the road at Rio Grande, but we've been pleased with our response. We picked up a couple home wins on Thursday and Saturday, and do not play again until we travel to Tennessee in a little over a week.
My good friend and teammate Brandon Sok was able to get some tickets to Sunday's Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers game. I joined him, along with Ricardo Alliman and former Cedarville player and current Xenia Christian eighth grade head coach Zach Westrum. We were able to witness the defending NBA champs win a close game in overtime.
Last year, our team took a trip to California and our whole team was able to see the Los Angeles Lakers play. It's a fun opportunity for us as friends and teammates to witness an NBA game, and it is neat when opportunities like this are granted to us.
We enter into a rather light week on the basketball floor, but everyone will remain busy during finals week. We'll be excited to get through this week and head to Tennessee, where we'll be in the Nashville and Chattanooga area.
The time right before Christmas is always enjoyable for the team, and we especially like being able to go somewhere. California was a highlight of the year last season, and we're sure that our time in Tennessee will be uplifting as well.
Dec. 1, 2008
The Cedarville men's basketball team possesses a great sense of unity within the actual members of the team, but it also stretches out to the student assistants and managers. They are a huge part of the cohesion we feel as a team, and it has been that way in all three of my years in the program. Their commitment to the team, their constant encouragement, and the joy and laughter they bring create a more positive environment for our team to exist in.
Loren Kuhn, who graduated from Cedarville in 2007, is back for another year helping out the basketball team after spending last year teaching and ministering in China. Nicknamed "Kuhn dog," he is a delight to have at practice and on road trips. He does many small things, which often go unnoticed, to help the team out. His servant heart can be seen consistently in those small ways, and also in his heart for missions.
Kuhn grew up for some of his life in the Philippines, and after being in China over the summer, he encourages us to open our hearts to how the Lord may use us in the realm of missions. We're thankful that he has come back for another year, and certainly don't take "Kuhn dog's" presence for granted while he's here.
Ryan Mosher, who is from Iowa, is a senior Sport Management major, and has been involved as a student assistant each of his four years. Mosher, recently married, is a huge part of all the memories that are created each year. The team was ecstatic when he decided to help out during his senior year, as there was some speculation that he wouldn't because of being a newlywed.
However, Mosher's commitment even shined forth in this, as in all four years he has been a major asset to Cedarville basketball. The hours he puts forth editing film and doing detailed work is of immense value to our coaches and players. Mosher will be highly missed upon his graduation, as we often reminisce about his hilarious highlight videos, how he once made a shot over the backboard in high school, and how he even had the privilege of playing at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The unity amongst Cedarville basketball can be seen between everyone who helps out this team. We are thankful for the various people the Lord brings to the program, and trust that He will continue to bless this team with young men who have a heart for Christ and how He can work.
Nov. 24, 2008
For the second straight weekend, we were able to gain a couple victories on consecutive days. It can be a challenge to win games on back-to-back nights, but it is tournaments like these that continue to prepare us for the remainder of the season.
On Friday night, we were able to win by a considerable margin despite having a dismal three-point shooting percentage. We were able to overcome our inaccuracy from three by only committing five turnovers, and having effective games from Daniel Rose and Ricardo Alliman.
Saturday, we faced a tough, slow-paced Taylor team that gave us a battle. We found ourselves trailing by as much as ten in the first half. Through defense, decision making, and a big game by Chris Beals, we overcame the deficit and held them off to win our own tournament.
This past weekend was a challenge for our team as we're learning how to win in different ways. It's good to see that we can still win games when our shots aren't falling or we're faced with a tough, gritty opponent. We will look to continue to build off this as the conference season approaches.
Nov. 17, 2008
This past weekend was a positive experience in more ways than one for Cedarville basketball. First of all, gathering two victories, including one over ranked #5 Ozarks College, was a huge boost in getting off to a successful start in the 2008-09 season. Last year, we started out with two consecutive losses, and starting off 4-0 gives the team confidence to build off of.
Not only was the weekend positive from this standpoint, but it was also the first road trip of the year. Road trips are an awesome time to enjoy the aspect of being a part of a team, and this goes beyond the court and into our time together at the hotel, meals, and on the bus.
Also, last week numerous players helped out the girls basketball team, as they are raising money for breast cancer awareness. We bounced around the different dorms collecting change from whomever. This was a great opportunity to see a whole bunch of various people on campus, and to help out a good cause.
Personally, myself and Brandon Sok went throughout Lawlor Hall, the men’s freshman dorm. We were amazed at how quickly our bucket filled because of their generosity. It’s opportunities like these that are so worthwhile and we are thankful for them. It helps give our campus and our team a broader perspective as to whom and what we’re living for.
Nov. 10, 2008
The past couple months has been an intense stretch for any member of Cedarville’s basketball team. We were all eager to arrive at the first game last Friday at Miami-Middletown, and it was nice to be rewarded with a win. There has been much preparation for this season, as weight lifting, conditioning, occasional yoga workouts, and obviously practice have trained us for the next five or so months.
Despite all the work, the unity that has been built amongst the team has been and will continue to be highly beneficial. The time spent on the floor and working out surely builds unity, but so do all the meals, conversations, and opportunities to spend together off the court.
We’re blessed to have the opportunity every year to take a retreat before the season begins to Scioto Hills Baptist Camp. While there, we do have time to simply enjoy being together, but we’re also presented with the opportunity to do ministry as a team at a juvenile detention center. This is always a highlight to begin the season, and it’s awesome to see the way the Lord can use basketball as a bridge to connect to these people. We looked to be intentional in reaching out to these kids about the reality of who Christ is, and not just simply play basketball with them.
Overall, there have already been numerous experiences that have bonded this team and we’re excited to see what the Lord has in store for this year, both on and off the court.
Haddon Anderson is a 5-foot-11 junior guard from Rockford, Ill. He is in his third season with the Yellow Jackets majoring in sociology.
