March 21, 2012
Our season ended as well as it possibly could; an event that has actually never occurred in my life. The beginning to the end of our season began on Monday, March 12 at 4:45 P.M. The Yellow Jacket basketball team boarded a charter bus to Warsaw, Indiana. We were headed to compete at the NCCAA National Tournament at Grace College. We had every intention of staying in Indiana until Saturday, which would have meant we were playing in the championship game.
Monday and Tuesday no games were played. We had arrived at our hotel around 9 p.m. Coach Estepp gave us the break down of the following day and let us loose. Every time we stay overnight someplace coach assigns each of us a roommate for that night or sometimes even consecutive nights. Almost each time it is different. The process of selecting a roommate usually consists of coach placing a junior or senior with an underclassman. It is a great opportunity to get to know individuals on the team on a deeper level. For our last road trip of the year coach had Daniel Kohavi room with me. In his words he said, “One last hoorah”. For those of you who did not know, Daniel and I were recruited in the same year. We roomed for two years and are the oldest guys on the team. I was thrilled with coach’s decision due to our close friendship and privilege to spend the last couple days of Daniel’s season with him. That night (don’t tell coach) we were up till 2:30 a.m. just talking. Moments such as these are what make the season special and unique to myself.
Tuesday consisted of waking up early and attending a chapel service to start the tournament. Although it was too early for me, it was a neat way to set our minds on Christ for the remainder of the week. From there we practiced for the last time of the year. It was fairly relaxed and simply went through our plays and took lots of shots.
Afterwards we headed to our Christian Service Project. The NCCAA requires that every team work or assist in the community for two and a half hours. Honestly, we were not initially all that excited to do this. However, my first reactions were completely wrong. I had a blast. Our service project consisted of attending a middle school and spending time with the kids. We split up into groups of two and dispersed ourselves throughout the school. Zach Brown and I decided to team up and tackle a third grade classroom. They were amazed at our height, which made me laugh due to our size in comparison to guys like Zimmy, Leighton, and Caleb. They asked millions of questions both about their homework and us. Zach and I spent the next two hours roaming around the classroom talking to the kids and assisting them in their homework. Ok, I must admit…it has been a very long time since I had done basic multiplication. While kids would be asking me about certain multiplication problems I would legitimately have to think about the answer before helping them. Math is not my strongest subject (I took Geometry my senior year of HS), but listen…I have made improvements. I am in college though, so that counts for something right? The kids were also amazed by the fact that both Zach and I were neither dating someone or married to someone! The minds of kids…never understood but always hilarious.
After our service project we had to quickly return to our hotel and spiffy up for the NCCAA banquet. At the banquet the teams were introduced and dinner was served, not to mention a cake that turned all of our teeth bright blue. As a team we had a good time and laughed. It was good to see that we were all relaxed and enjoying ourselves, but we all understood that the next day meant business.
On Wednesday our game was not until the evening. Coach let us sleep in and relax for the first couple hours of our day. We then headed to watch and support our girls team, who won (hopefully due to our ecstatic cheering). As always, we left a couple hours before our game for pregame. Waiting for a game during tournament time is painful. Obviously we are excited and pumped to play, but having to wait and watch teams before makes us all the itchier to get out there. The challenge is to not drain ourselves both mentally and physically but thinking about the game all day. Regardless, we played well and came away with a solid victory. I felt good to still be alive in the tournament. On a side note, every team was guaranteed three games. So, if a team lost, they had to play again and then again. This was simply further motivation to NOT lose! Who wants to play again after losing in a tournament simply to obtain a place other than first?
Thursday was a good day. 1) We had a game. 2) It was a late game. 3) We were happy about a late game. 4) Why? 5) MARCH MADNESS! Yes, we love March Madness. The games began at 12 noon and literally went until 11 p.m. that night. At 2 p.m., we were forced to strip our eyes from the television and attend the girl’s game. I am not saying this is a bad thing, however, whatever comes in the way of March Madness (for a man) is tough to deal with. Afterwards we went to pregame and made sure we went to a restaurant with plenty of televisions. We needed our fix. Then it was game time. Again we played well and walked away with a victory. My father was also able to make it in time to watch the game as well.
Friday was also a good day. We had the day off and a couple of the guys and I went to Grace College to get some shots up. For some reason, one of the hoops turned out to be the most difficult basket to shoot on for the entire tournament and for every team! I was determined to shoot this curse out. My father attended the shoot around, which was fun. He made his rounds with the guys then joined me at the hoop to help me rebound. This was somewhat emotional for me. My father and I had spent hours on hours and days on days in the gym. He would help me shoot for hours and four years later - here he was, doing it again. After this, Daniel, my dad, and myself toured Grace College. My father and mother actually met at Grace College. As you could imagine, this was memory lane for my father. He showed us where he used to live, some of the restaurants he would regularly attend, and lastly, showed me the exact spot where he saw my mother for the first time. It was special to see some of the history in my parents in real life. For the remainder of the day we watched March Madness.
Saturday was the championship. Our team was on a roll and we had been playing very well defensively. We all woke up and ate breakfast. I went out to breakfast with my dad to both focus myself and get in a good meal. As a team we had to pack up everything as we were preparing to leave right after the game. Our game was at 5:30 p.m., but got pushed back due to the girl’s game and awards ceremony afterwards. Unfortunately, our girls lost in the championship game. It would have been fun to come home with two banners. It was important for us to remain focused and retain our adrenaline.
We came out with a bang. We shot the ball better than we had and for the first 15 minutes of the first half locked up defensively. Zimmy had an exceptional first half. One play that remains vivid for me goes as follows: I drive left, only to get cut off by my defender. I spin around and pass the ball to Zimmy on the left-hand side of the court. I then make a jab and sprint towards Zimmy for a handoff. However, Zimmy (clever guy) fakes the handoff, in which both guys fall as if they had lost their footing, and Zimmy turns to the hoop. You can probably imagine what happened next. Yes, everyone in his way all of a sudden became miniature individuals as Zimmy rose higher than I had ever seen and gave a facial make-over to three people at once. It was almost painful to see. Our bench exploded and other teams in the arena stood up and began to cheer. It was epic.
We maintained a solid lead of about 10 and higher the entire game. Unfortunately, my left shoulder dislocated in the first couple minutes of the second half. It was one of the most painful ones I had experienced. Once it had been put back into place, Chris Cross helped me off the court. I would like quickly to give my thanks and gratitude to Chris for helping me through all of my shoulder difficulties. He truly is an awesome trainer and I would not replace that guy for anyone else. Thanks Chris. As I walked off the court, my teammates approached me and said, “This one’s for you man”. I am telling you, the best guys out there are with the Cedarville men’s basketball program. We won decisively.
The celebration was awesome. We went to center court and received our banner as the NCCAA National Champions. Afterwards, we had the awards ceremony, in which Zimmy received MVP. He deserved it completely and was glad to see him receive some “hardware”, as he put, in his first year at Cedarville. Congrats dude! We then proceeded to cut down the net. It was a blast watching each guy snip a piece of the net with a huge smile on their faces. Coach was last to go and cut down the net with a triumphant yell and smile. We had won and boy it felt good. It is strange, however, to end a season on a win. Most teams hardly have the privilege of doing so. In fact, it was my first time doing so. A loss always seems to bring a definitive end to the season, but with a win…your still on that high of enjoyment and accomplishment. Regardless, I would much rather finish this way than spreading tears in the locker room.
Although we won and finished as good as we could have possibly could have, it will not be necessarily the sport I miss, but really the times spent with all the guys. The bus trips, Daniel Kohavi leading a tomahawk chop after every victory, the disappointments, the accomplishments, the conversations, the laughs, and so much more. Those are the memories that stick in my mind. Those will last.
I would like to conclude by honoring our one and only senior, Daniel Kohavi. It is hard to believe that he is leaving after this year. He has been a best friend, an encourager, a supporter, a teammate, a roommate, and much more. He has had such an impact on my life as well as many others. It has been a privilege to watch him grow and develop into a man. A godly man. He will be sorely missed. I am so grateful for him and hope and pray the best for him as he moves on into another stage of life. Take care big guy.
So what now? Well it’s time to relax :)
See you on the Foote-Side.
March 12, 2012
This last week was spring break for Cedarville University. Spring break always comes as a welcome and exciting break for many of the students. Almost three quarters of the individuals I talked to were all going to Florida. Golfing, swimming, laying on the beach, and simply shorts and a T-shirt were the call for everyone except the men’s basketball team. In my four years as a player I have not had a spring break. Now do not get me wrong, I am not complaining or making a stabbing comment at coach. We signed up for this and would not trade it for anything.
This is tournament time and we need the guys both mentally and physically prepared more than any other time of the season. So, with that being said the guys and I stayed in Cedarville for break. It may seem that it is incredibly boring during this time, but not to us. Simply having practice during the day and being able to lay around the remainder of the day is a blessing. We did do a couple of things though, such as having dinner at Chaplain Dixon’s house, bowling with the women’s team, and eating at a BBQ joint. Fortunately, coach gave us Thursday and Friday off and strongly encouraged us to get off campus.
I spent my two days off with Marcus Reineke. This was an adventure. He lives in New Knoxville, Ohio which consisted of a small village. In my time spent on earth it was by far the most country and hick town I have seen. For those of you who do not know Marcus, he is quite the countryman. He drives a huge truck, wears camo hats, Carhartt overalls, and owns a countless array of guns. I literally spent my two days off hunting for raccoons, riding four-wheelers, and shooting guns. Almost everyone I encountered talked about guns, trucks, or the animals they have shot. Amidst all that, we found sometime to watch some basketball. To say the least, I had a blast and would recommend that anyone spend a quality weekend with Marcus to see a different side to America. It’s great.
We head to Grace College this week for the NCCAA National Tournament. After talking with the guys, we are excited to play. Last practice, coach challenged us to pick up our defense. In the last five games our opponents had shot 48%from the field and 43% from the three-point line. He made it very clear that we will be easily beat if this does not improve. Mentally we need to shift our thought process from “simply getting it done” to “simply dominating”. The NCCAA consists of eight teams and games that span from Wednesday to the championship on Saturday. We enter into the tournament as the No.1 seed, which means we have a giant target on our backs. Everyone is shooting for us. We must both defend ourselves and attack with all we have. It’s tournament time!
See you on the Foote-Side.
March 5, 2012
As I had mentioned in my last blog, our season has been quickly approaching its end. This week consisted of the Ohio Independent Tournament. Schools that are currently in the transition from going NAIA to NCAA II were the only schools allowed to compete in this tournament. Although this was something new to Cedarville and to the other teams, this did not mean it did not matter.
We had every intention of winning this tournament. The Ohio Independent Tournament was held at our gym due to our seeding and record compared to the other schools. Obviously, this would serve as an advantage regardless of the fact that our school was on spring break. We did not have to travel; we are use to our floor, baskets, and environment.
Our first game was against Urbana. This would be the third time playing them. When we first played them, we beat them fairly easily at our home court. When we played them at Urbana we only won by ten. Our last match-up would only be more difficult. The thing about tournament play is that regardless of the talent, any team could come away with the victory. Even though we had already beat Urbana twice, we anticipated a game to the end. This proved to be true as we battled back and forth the entire game. Fortunately, we pulled through and ended up winning only by three.
Unfortunately, I injured my shoulder in the last couple of seconds of regulation against Urbana. I was coming off a screen and went up fora lay up when the opposing player made contact with my left shoulder causing it to dislocate. It was quite painful to say the least, but the team played incredible defense playing 4 on 5 and got a stop to seal the game. Almost everyday we practice playing 4 defenders against 5 offensive players. No doubt this paid off and they came through. Due to my injury I had to sit our Saturday and will also sit out against Spring Arbor on Wednesday.
Saturday was against our arch rival Walsh. This game meant a lot to us more than the fact that it was a championship game. It is Walsh. It may be the last time we play Walsh for quite some time. As a result, it would be safe to say that both teams wanted to win regardless of what was on the line. Our match up with Walsh proved to be incredibly nail-biting. We went to overtime. In overtime we failed to stick true to the principles that win games, defensive stops and making free throws. As a team we broke down defensively, giving them easy shots. We also turned over the ball too many times which Walsh capitalized on. The loss was and is bitter. I never enjoy losing to a team, but especially Walsh.
As always, we must learn from our mistakes and mentally recover. We host Spring Arbor on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. I hope the boys are prepared and ready to go.
See you on the Foote-Side.
February 28, 2012
It was both a disappointing and rewarding week for the men’s team. We had two difficult matchups last week on our home court. Tuesday we faced off against an athletic Central State and on Saturday competed against a methodical Malone.
We had played Central State early in our season last semester. The game had proved to be difficult until the very end, but ended in a 10-point victory. At that point it had been our most well-rounded game. On Tuesday we played pretty well, that is until halftime. At the half we had a 16-point advantage, which we took for granted. It was a classic game of letting our foot off the gas and coasting. We played complacent and to a degree had mentally checked out. Wewere 10-0 at home and always seemed to pull out in the end. Not this time. We started the half with a couple of fatuous fouls, which turned into a laid back and unaggressive posture from a defensive standpoint. Central State quickly climbed their way back into the game. After trading a couple of buckets, they made a run in the final minute of the game to give them the victory. Ultimately, we deserved to lose the game. We had a lack of urgency, intensity,and passion. We had relied too much on our ability to push through the adversity. The loss came as a shock and remained a bitter truth for the next couple of days.
Losing against Central State gave us a nagging desire to beat Malone. Nonetheless, our starting five came out incredibly flat. Deservingly so, coach pulled all five of us and replaced us with a complete line change. Fortunately, they came out with a defensive mindset and began to change the direction of the game. We had anticipated a close game till the very end. Our assumption was proven correct as Malone continued to hang with us until the final seconds of the game. Our victory was a team effort, but I must give a shout out to Zimmy Nwogbo who scored the last 12 of our 14 points. He threw down three dunks and absolutely electrified the crowd. With that being said, thank you Zimmy. You the man! Our victory was crucial in providing us with the ability to host the Ohio Independent Championship Tournament.
Our season is quickly approaching its end. Although this can be exciting due to such a long and strenuous season, tournament play is the most exciting part of the season. Although we as a team are not traveling to Branson, Missouri for the first time in quite some time to play in the NAIA National Tournament, I hope the guys remain both excited and determined to win both the Ohio Independent and the NCCAA National Tournaments. It will be incredibly important for everyone to think about tournament play. It is single elimination and everyone’s throat is on the line.
See you on the Foote-Side!
February 21, 2012
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February 14, 2012
At this point, we are playing some of our best basketball. Although many of the guys can be worn down, it is truly exciting to watch ourselves perform with some of our best basketball. We have not reached perfection, nor will any team, but it has been rewarding to watch us grow and mature from day 1 to now. We have only three remaining regular season games until tournament play begins. It is crucial that we win out from this point on in order to obtain home court advantage during the Ohio Independent Tournament. A couple more games with home court and with our fans would be a plus and advantage. We currently remain undefeated at home and have every intention of remaining so till the end of our season.
This week consisted of another successful week of wins for our team. We played Wilberforce and Walsh. Wilberforce is one of those teams where you can never anticipate the outcome. At times they struggle, but other times they can be incredibly talented. Obviously this is true of any team, however, with Wilberforce it simply fluctuates more than other teams we play. It was important for us guys to remain focused. In spite of this understanding, we came out incredibly flat. We literally let them take any shot they desired within the paint. At half time we only led by two. Coach Estepp came into our locker room and gave us a stiff pep talk and we deserved it. We had no passion, urgency, and nobody was having fun. Coach made sure we changed that for the next half. His pep talk worked and we came out playing much sharper. At the end of regulation we came away with a decisive win. Although we should always learn from our mistakes, this was one of those games that you simply put behind you and move on.
I believe part of our problem was the idea that we were playing Walsh in a couple of days. I could tell we were all eager to play them and beat them after losing by two in the final seconds of our last encounter. We were ready to play when Saturday came. It was Li’l Sibs Weekend and our game was the hottest event on campus. We had an awesome turnout and the theme was a Whiteout. Both teams played with passion and urgency. As intense rivals, losing to each other is a bitter taste. At the half we led by one. We expected this one to go down to the wire. I was proved wrong. We played incredible defense and held Walsh to shooting 26% in the second half. To our satisfaction, we won by 16 points. Our goal, in fact, was to beat them by 15.
Mission accomplished.
The season is quickly coming to a close and we hope to continue our winning streak.
See you on the Foote-Side.
February 7, 2012
It has been an awesome, but remarkably busy week. Right about now classes begin to amp up and cause havoc and stress in all of our lives. Tests begin to emerge from the woodwork, along with projects, papers, quizzes and the whole shin-dig. At the same time, the importance of finishing out our season well is incredibly important. In order for us to receive good seeding in both Ohio’s independent tournament and the NCCAA , we must finish strong. We may even receive home court in the games to come that determine our seeding.
Basketball-wise, this past week was rewarding. Defensively we have done incredibly well and continue to remain consistent. On Tuesday we played Grand Valley State. They are a very good team and come from a very difficult and competitive conference. On a side note, our fan base and attendance has been struggling. In order to pump things up a bit, we have begun to promote our games a little stronger. We have been incorporating games, prizes, and other incentives to attract students to our games. Kids these days…hard to strip them from their video games, Facebook, Twitter, homework, or other “mandatory” obligations.
However, we were successful in our attendance by telling each dorm they would receive $300 if they wore all black, remained the loudest, and cheered the best. It was a hit and in the end the crowd was incredibly influential to our victory. Grand Valley State proved to be quite the adversary. Our game was neck to neck for roughly the entire game. At the three minute mark it was a five point game. From then on we blew open the score to 13 points. We were on fire and hit 8-of-11 from the three-point line. This particular victory was so rewarding because we had just played a very legitimate team and had decisively won.
Our second contest was in Cleveland, Ohio against Notre Dame. Cleveland carries many memories for my family and myself. As many of you know, the Cleveland Clinic stands in this city. I have struggled with shoulder injuries for quite some time since the summer of 2005. During this time I have had four surgeries, two on each, to help fix my problem. All of these surgeries have taken place at the Cleveland Clinic. Countless hours in the doctor’s office, in the city, and in the hospital have comprised quite a mental and physical memory. It was kind of surreal for me as we passed through the city and remembered all the shops, restaurants, and times my father, mother and myself spent here. Notre Dame has been a little down this year, especially with the loss of their best player to a season-ending injury. We quickly got a lead and maintained it throughout the entire game. Once again we played well defensively.
We are on a four-game winning streak and playing some of our best basketball. Hopefully we retain our mental and physical sharpness and keep the momentum going!
See you on the Foote-side.
January 31, 2012
This past week we received some good news! Coach Estepp called all of us into the locker room. Usually, most of us are somewhat skeptical when something such as this happens. Did someone mess up? Did we do something wrong? Is he mad? Is he happy?
However, as coach walked into the locker room he had a tiny smirk on his face. We knew this could be good. He explained to us that our locker room was going to be completely revamped this spring. The locker room will become substantially larger and will include a lounge area. We were jacked!
This past week we played two games, one against Rio Grande and the other against Urbana. In both games we came away with the victory. Against Rio Grande we struggled defensively and offensively. A game in which we should have been a decisive winner ended with only an eight point lead.
The next couple of days we stressed defense as well as our motion offense. Our hard work paid off against Urbana. We played our best defensive game since our match-up with Nevada. We held our opponent to 33% field goal shooting percentage. Our goal this year has been to hold teams beneath or at 42%. We accomplished this goal and were proud of it!
Hopefully, as our season continues on we can continue to build from our success and hope they continue to lead to further success.
Lastly, it was Alumni Weekend, which resulted in an awesome turnout for the game. I would like to thank everyone who came out to help support the Jackets as well as the University. I also had the pleasure of seeing my parents this weekend. It was the first time they had the opportunity to fly down since the school year had started. All in all, it was an awesome weekend.
See you on the Foote-Side!
January 24, 2012
Our locker room had a tasty addition this past week. Isaiah and Grant Estepp brought all of us a massive box containing 850 Dubble Bubble chewing gum balls. Apparently, the box had been sitting in their garage for quite some time before Mrs. Estepp had decided they needed to go. What better place than a men’s locker room? Now, these gum balls are quite large. Also, they are quite hard due to the cold conditions of our locker room. As a result, it is important to keep the gum ball in your mouth for a couple of long seconds before proceeding to chew. As for myself, I grab one as I go into the locker room and as I depart the locker room. It is amusing to look around the locker room and also see the majority of the guys chewing away. Unfortunately, the flavor lasts roughly 5 seconds and has a chewing-life of about 20 seconds before turning into a rock. Kind of funny how something so simple is something we enjoy so much.
Anyways, this past week we had two games. Our first game was against Miami Middletown and our second against rival Walsh. Miami Middletown was a branch school, with a record of 16-2 and with whom we knew little about. They could best be compared to a much more talented and athletic Salem International (scrappy and athletic team we played earlier in the year). We remained ahead roughly the entire game. In about the first 15 minutes of the first half, we as a team played some of our best basketball. We shared the ball incredibly well and ran our motion offense better than we had before. The second half was slightly more messy, but in the end we cam away with the W.
Walsh was on Saturday. Last year we lost three times to the Cavaliers. Both individually and as a team, we were disgusted with our performance. We were flat, unfocused, and had very little communication on both the defensive and offensive end of the court. Despite our terrible performance we were able to bring the game within one point before time expired and sealed the loss. Coach refused to bail us out with the common, “You guys played hard and fought the entire game” speech. We deserved it. We take full responsibility for our lack of effort, passion, and focus.
I cannot wait to play those boys again.
See you on the Foote-Side.
January 17, 2012
After our emotional and successful victory at Malone, we were somewhat disappointed to have an entire week off before our next game. Coming off an awesome victory, we like to keep the momentum going and look forward to our next game. However, we had to wait for the next Saturday to face our next opponent.
Practice during this period of the season mostly consists of running through our plays, shooting, and fine-tuning mistakes. It is very important for us as players to remain mentally focused during this time. A week of practice can be extraordinarily beneficial, but only if we make it so. It can be easy to simply go through the motions. Regardless of all that, I believe we had a good week and looked forward to facing Norte Dame College.
Our game was Saturday afternoon. As a player, I love afternoon games. I enjoy them because the last thing I want to do is wait around all day for our game. I find myself thinking about it most of the day, which can be exhausting. We came out to a rough start but by the half were able put ourselves up by five. We started the second half strong and quickly increased the lead to 15. We never lost the lead and finished the game well with a solid victory.
Lastly, I would ask that any of those who read this to be in prayer for a couple of our players and staff. Brian Hecker suffered a concussion last week against Malone. He is in the process of taking tests so that he may once again be cleared to play. Daniel Hickman has been suffering from bronchitis. Daniel Kohavi continues to have health issues and has not been released by the doctors to play. Coach Ryan Neises has had health issues as well. We need all of them back as soon as possible.
See you on the Foote-Side.
January 10, 2012
Cedarville has been fairly quiet the past week. School had yet to start. Honestly, it was quite nice remaining on campus while no one had yet returned from break. Being able to relax and enjoy some time together as a team was nice before our schedules quickly filled up. After we returned from our trip to Nevada and Texas we had a full week of practice before playing at Malone University last Saturday. Practice was difficult, naturally, due to the amount of time we had before playing Malone. Fortunately, we did not have school and were able to relax in between practices.
During breaks, we usually enter “bum status”. Now, “bum status” commonly refers to watching lots of movies, TV shows, video games, sleeping, and eating when needed. To many this may portray irresponsibility, but it will not be very long until we all have to work everyday or do homework. As a result, we love taking advantage of this time to enter “bum status”.
Our team was ready for a win. Going into Saturday we were 7-6. During this period of time in our schedule we usually begin to play our best basketball. One of our traditions after winning a basketball game on the road is the tomahawk chop. We perform this tomahawk chop which is basically a victory chant as we drive into Cedarville. Let’s just say we really wanted to perform the tomahawk chop on our way back from Malone.
Malone proved to be our closest game of the year. We struggled from the field for most of the game. Our shooting percentages were terrible but we kept the game close by hitting our free throws and defending well in the second half. Brian Hecker took a charge, which resulted in a broken nose. After returning to the bench, nose bloody and eyes red, he asked me, “Was that a charge?” I said, “Oh yeah!” He was definitely glad to go out on making a great play and a great play it was.
We remained behind Malone the entire game and at one point were down 10. However, this was when our freshman guard Marcus Reineke began to play OUT OF HIS MIND! He scored 17 of Cedarville’s last 24 points. He had a career night and placed 25 points on the board, all in the second half. We tied the game in the last minute of regulation and forced overtime.
Overtime consisted of a back and forth scoring from both teams. We had a huge defensive stop in the last minute to give us the last shot. As we entered the ball we all held our breaths. With our arms intertwined on the bench, we hopefully watched. Zach Brown received the inbounds pass and brought the ball the left wing. Brian Grant sprinted to the wing with a ball screen. Zach came off the ball screen, splitting the defenders, and drove to the middle of the lane where he dumped a perfect pass to Zimmy for the game-winning shot. We went nuts. Zimmy played incredibly well and had 21 along with impressive performances from both Brian Grant and Bryan Redic. It truly was a team effort. We never game up and fought our way back to an incredible victory.
We did the tomahawk chop on the way home.
See you on the Foote-side.
January 5, 2012
Christmas at the Foote family’s household was splendid. At this time in my life it is one of the rare opportunities for the entire family to see and spend time with each other. It occurs to me more often than ever how blessed I am to have both parents and siblings that love me. My Christmas break consisted of nine days in which I ate the meals I requested from my mother, spent the mornings at Starbucks reading the paper with my father, working out, Christmas shopping, and catching up with all seven members of my family. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, I was on a plane to Nevada to join the remainder of my team. I arrived around 6:30 and immediately went to practice.
The University of Nevada had an incredible stadium. As we walked in we were awed at the stage and opportunity to play a noteworthy Division I school. At one point we were up by 10 points and I could hardly believe it myself. We had played at this point one of our most well-rounded basketball games. We were working our tails off, competing, sharing the ball, and shooting well. With roughly three minutes to go in the first half we struggled - we had six of our nine first half turnovers in those final three minutes which was costly.
As the battle ensued into the second half we consistently remained behind by five to ten points. Unfortunately we were never quite able to pull out. However, we were encouraged at our ability and the acknowledgment that we can be VERY good. We also had a surprising turnout of alumni and a couple of Cedarville students cheer us on. To them I say thank you for the support. Lastly, it was pretty awesome to see our school name and score in the ESPN News bar. Also, I would like to give a shout out to Daniel (Hicky Burger) Hickman for being the ESPN top performer of the night for Cedarville University. Legit.
My alarm clock sounded at 5 a.m. Enough said. We were on our way to the airport and flying to Dallas/Fort Worth. From there we had a connecting flight to San Antonio. I understand that this is quite abstract, but Auntie Ann’s pretzels were a lifesaver especially when there was hardly anytime to grab food in between flights. Their cinnamon pretzels are to die for...but I digress. Once we landed we drove roughly 2 and ½ hours to La Posada hotel in Laredo, Texas.
Ok, for those unfamiliar with Laredo, Texas it is literally on the border of Mexico. In fact, while in Laredo it did feel as though we were in a different country. As we pulled into our parking spot we opened our door to an obnoxious sound coming from below. Puzzled we looked to see a river with patrol boats zooming back and forth. “Oh” was literally the only word from our mouths. To be honest, it was a little scary. Also, the waitress at our restaurant who began to explain to us that we should watch out for a dangerous gang did not calm our nerves. Oh, and the sound of grenades are normal and something we should not be alarmed by. We nervously chuckled. Despite the news we had a wonderful time at the hotel.
We played two games: one against St. Edward’s, from Austin, Texas, and TAMIU from Laredo, Texas. Both games were played at Texas A & M International. Probably the most surprising aspect of this university was the wildlife. As we pulled into the university, the individual helping us navigate our way to gym exclaimed, “Watch out for the deer.” Amused, we made our way to the gym only to find tons of deer roaming the university. It made me wonder… perhaps we should have a team meeting with Dr. Brown and ask for the privilege of wildlife to be allowed on campus. It would provide for an interesting interaction and an option of food outside of Chucks, Subway, and Colonial Pizza. However, that was not all. In the middle of practice, Derrick “Dougie Fresh” Hannon, came into the gym and exasperatingly stated,“Guys, I cannot get to the vans…there are wild boar out there!” We also considered this a joke, only to find multiple wild pigs roaming campus as well. We spent the next five minutes chasing them around. Fortunately, there were no males.
I was a little concerned with the condition of our team going into our first game. We had traveled many miles over the past couple of days and played a very good Nevada team. However, we proved my concerns void as we responded well to the adversity. We came out with a needed victory. Our second match up stuck true to my previous concerns. The opposing team shot incredibly well, however, we did fail to do what we needed, defensively, to provide ourselves with an opportunity to win the game. Unfortunately, our team was quickly reduced to only a few players as Hickman and myself sat the second half due to injuries. Zach Brown and Marcus were forced to play the entire second half with hardly a rest. That game ended in a loss producing a record of 7-6.
Although our trip, from a basketball perspective, did not end as we would have liked, we truly had an enjoyable time as a team. We spent New Years on the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas, and enjoyed some fine cuisine such as Pappasito’s and Texas De Brazil. One of the most prominent highlights of the trip was a Twitter war. Bryan Redic, Ryan Neises, Daniel Hickman, Chris Cross, Derrick Hannon, and myself participated in an escalating desire to make fun of each other, insult, and embarrass each other. It came to a point where you began to vigilantly watch your back so that you would not be set yourself up for the most recent news on Twitter. All in all we had a blast. We are glad to be back, except for the weather, and look forward to playing home games this semester and turning up the heat.
See you on the Foote-side.
December 19, 2011
Finals had finally ended. During this time, it is quite obvious that the minds of every individual on the team are exhausted. Coming into the huddle, the expressions alone are a fair indicator of how we are feeling both mentally and physically. I do wish I had the mind of guys like Bryan Redic, Brian Hecker, Zimmy Nwogbo, and Jason Reep. These dudes are incredibly smart, and although their finals are difficult, I wish I had their mind power to soar through my Communication finals. I know, says a lot about my difficult work schedule! It is during this time that our team seems to struggle the most. Finals defiantly take its toll and at times are evident in ourt mental focus and performance on the court.
We had another week of practice to help prepare ourselves for Southern Indiana. Once again we left on Friday for Indiana to help give ourselves a good rest for the game as well as practice in their facility. We began our practice at roughly 6’oclock and had yet to eat dinner. Obviously, going into practice we were very hungry. Understanding this, coach gave us an incentive that if we had a good practice we could go to Outback Steakhouse. However, if we did not have a good practice we would get Taco Bell. The problem with this contrast was that we LOVE Taco Bell. As college students you learn to love cheap food and Taco Bell is a favorite. As a result, the running joke was we get good food regardless. In spite of all that, we had a great practice! We did end up going to Outback Steakhouse. I was completely famished and as a team we polished off two platters of 20 wings and another two platters of Outback's famous bloomin’ onions! On top of that was countless servings of bread.
We left completely satisfied and enjoyed the rest of the evening by relaxing. In the morning we went through our normal routine: breakfast at 9, tape at 10, pre-game meal at 11:30, relax for about 30 minutes, then game time.
Southern Indiana was a very good team. They deserved their No. 2 ranking. We had yet to play a team that was as well-rounded and defensively consistent as Southern Indiana. They held us to only 18 points in the first half. It was very difficult to get in an offensive flow as well as get the shots we really wanted. It was a tough loss for the Jackets, but we remain positive.
Everyone is on Christmas break now and enjoying the time off. It's a wonderful time to spend time with family and reflect upon the blessings each of us have and most importantly the greatest gift given to us: the birth of Jesus Christ. May we praise Him and meditate on what He has done for us!
Merry Christmas and see you on the Foote-side!
December 12, 2011
It was a long week on the road as we traveled to Salem, West Virginia and Owensboro, Kentucky. Both locations exceeded five hours; however, we were fortunate enough to have the ‘sleeper bus’. Honestly, this bus has saved us from the long trips. The layout consists of beds on the bottom and the top. On the bottom, the beds can be used both as a bench to sit up on or used as a bed. Normally, we all start out on the bottom, but as soon as our trip time reaches 45 minutes to an hour we gradually begin to hit the beds. Like I said, it’s a lifesaver.
On Tuesday we played Salem International. If you have been tracking our season you would know this team. They quickly became known as the strangest team we have played this year. Hardly anyone exceeds 6-foot-5 and they run, slap, and press for an entire 40 minutes. Tirelessly. In fact, Salem had committed 32 fouls in our first game against them on November 19. Although this team is neither dirty or un-sportsmanship like, they are simply very aggressive. Needless to say, we left beat up and tired both the first and second time. They definitely gave us a run for the money as we consistently went on runs. In the end, we were able to pull it out and it was a good win to prove our toughness and mental resilience.
Our second contest of the week (Saturday) was against Kentucky Wesleyan, which proved to be as tough as we had expected. Currently 8-0 and ranked #5 in NCAA II, they were a very well-coached team with very good talent. At one point we had closed the gap to three, until they made an impressive run in which we were unable to recover from.
We continue to learn and improve upon our mistakes from our losses. Although this is tough, it is necessary for us to move forward and prepare for our next contest.
On a last note, it’s finals week. At this point there is little motivation and desire to accomplish any form of school work (not basketball). As brain dead as we are, it is important we still show up to practice mentally and physically prepared. I am excited for break and look forward to seeing my family.
See you on the Foote-side.
December 5, 2011
After returning from a difficult loss to Saginaw Valley, we as a team knew we needed to make changes. Our most needed change was heart and attitude. We needed pure passion, desire, and even a chip on our shoulder. We knew we could not allow ourselves to be out-worked by any team. When we came to practice on Monday, I could tell that the mentality had changed. We were ready to go to battle.
A rare week of full practices helped prepared us for our upcoming games against Wilberforce and Central State. Our approach to practice slightly changed, as almost every drill was competition oriented. This helped give us a desire and will to win each competition. I believe this played a crucial role in getting passion, desire, and of course…some swag.
One great thing about these two past road games was that they were practically home games. As many of you know, Central State stands roughly 10 minutes or less from the campus of the ‘Ville. A minor detail that many of us enjoyed, especially in regard to upcoming finals and projects as the fall semester comes to a close. Regardless, we came to play. Wilberforce played an incredibly good game and gave us a close game until the very end. I would personally like to give a shout out to our former assistant coach Terry Futrell. He recently took the head coaching position at Wilberforce this past year and has truly done an incredible job. Good job coach.
After a rewarding win against Wilberforce we immediately turned our attention to Central State. If one is not familiar with the atmosphere at Central State, it is quite the experience. As a team we scouted the first half; however, it was actually quite difficult to focus on the game itself. We quickly concluded that Central State has been the ‘crunkest’ gym we have been too. Side note: Crunkest means – to be hyped beyond belief and excitement and to acquire an incredible amount of swagger. There were dance teams, cheerleaders, and one incredible drum line. It was literally a show, and a very loud one at that!
We knew that we had to be focused going into our game due to the environment. The environment was crazy as well as the game. It was very close all the way through until our boys finally had enough and finished the game with a win by nine points. I believe it’s appropriate to mention three teammates who had incredible performances. Zach Brown, our ever-composed point guard nailed 10 of his 12 free throws to help us clinch the game. Caleb Maxwell decided to enter ‘beast-mode’ and crash the boards harder than anyone on the court. Lastly, Zimmy Nwogbo caught the ‘crunk syndrome’ and threw down four dunks and literally destroyed the rim.
Proud of all the guys and the ability we had to respond and play through adversity.
See you on the Foote-side.
November 28, 2011
Losing is never the first choice. It proved to be a tough week for the team as we went 0-2 for the week. We were dealt our first loss against the NCAA II No. 7-ranked team, Findlay. Our second loss came from Saginaw Valley State in Saginaw, Michigan this past Saturday.
Although we are disappointed and frustrated both individually and as a team we must remain positive. Suffering back-to-back losses can be demoralizing, but it is during these times where we learn the most. Rather, we must learn the most. Our flaws have been clearly plastered before us, minor nuances that constitute bigger problems have been accentuated, and our need to fight back more than ever is critical. On the road, we are always the underdog regardless of our talent. Never should we take for granted our abilities and even potential. We must always walk into our opponent’s gym expecting a fight.
Mentally, we cannot assume that our season has been determined by our last two performances. Mentally, we cannot deceive ourselves into thinking we are something we are not or that we are not capable of reaching our goals. Mentally, we cannot shut down. Rather, we take a situation that looks gloomy and look for the bright spots. We have an opportunity to capitalize on our mistakes and make each of us a better player and competitor. We have another chance to fight back.
In conclusion, I understand this particular blog is somewhat short and possibly even preachy. But, I hope it provides somewhat of a personal and collective glimpse into how we view these losses and what we intend to do to fix everything in our power.
See you on the Foote-Side.
November 21, 2011
“Were undefeated, were undefeated”. Those were the words of Brian Grant’s infamous and almost tuneless song as we entered the locker room on Saturday. It was a rewarding week as we went 2-0 and are now 3-0. Although all of our wins have been fairly decisive, we are in for a different tale as we hit the road for the next 11 games.
These first three games have given us the opportunity to gain confidence, develop chemistry, and work on our mistakes. For this we are grateful because road games are considerably more challenging when you factor in bus rides, hotels, different courts, different refs, and the list goes on.
However, these road games are the moments in which our best memories are created and the relationships continue to develop. Cards are always a favorite activity on bus trips and in the hotels. Unfortunately we lost three major card-playing contributors: Jason Bestcha, Brandon Sok, and Matt “Mr. Buckets” Harner. Fortunately, we have a couple of returning players who are quite talented and are chopping on the bit to test the “new meat”, such as Daniel “Doo-Hick/Hickey Bread” Hickman, Bryan “Redshirt” Redic, and our most esteemed trainer Chris “I’ll cross you over” Cross. All that being said, road games have their toll on each of us but, the experiences and memories more than make up for the cons.
Tuesday we face Findlay. Were excited and if you ask me…we’re ready. We expect a challenge, we want a challenge, and I know Findlay will get a challenge.
We will see you on the Foote-Side.
November 14, 2011
It was one of those weeks. A complete blur. I honestly could not tell you what I heard or did in class. To the professors out there, I'm sorry, but the first game of the season is quite a dominating thought. Besides the feeling of opening up gifts on Christmas day as a kid (and maybe still so), the first game is equal in excitement and anxiety (not over-exaggerated). It makes it one of those weeks where you can't remember what you did the day before because all you are looking to is what's ahead. For the guys and I, it was game day.
On Saturday, Dr. Scott Dixon gave us his first game day devotional. We all grabbed a basketball and sat in a circle at center court. He gave us the back story of how the Israelites always gave God the first of their crops as an offering. In the same manner, Dr. Dixon reminded us that basketball is a gift we have been given to bless Him. He comes first and we should always offer ourselves and our gift to Him. Always a great reminder to start the season.
Finally, after painstakingly waiting around...game time finally came. We were jacked and we came out with a punch. Our opponent was Roberts Wesleyan from New York. Last year we split with them 1-1 and beat them in our last game to make it to the national tournament. We were not expecting no "lay over and die team", as coach commonly says. However, being at home, first game, and with deep bench talent, we hardly let up. We came away with a decisive victory.
Oh, and the post-game pizza always tastes incredibly better after a solid win...even when it's cold.
See ya on the Foote-side.
November 7, 2011
I have never been an incredibly fluent writer. However, without the skilled narratives of our previous blogger, Kenny Reep, the responsibilities have befallen me. Coach Estepp recently asked me to blog for the team and after asking whether my teammates were interested, which they respectfully declined, I decided to follow through with the responsibility. Throughout these blogs I hope to provide insight into the activities, successes, disappointments, and memories of our team. Here goes nothing…
First and foremost, I think it’s appropriate to mention some of the newcomers on our team. We recently acquired Zach “Mr. Composed” Brown from Lipscomb University. Zimmy “Freak of Nature” Nwogbo also joined our ranks from Charleston Southern University in South Carolina. Marcus “Aralius” Reineke is freshman from New Knoxville, Ohio. Lastly, our previous redshirts, Bryan “Redshirt” Redic and Leighton “The Giraffe” Smith are now active players.
Roughly seven weeks ago our coaching staff began to whip us in shape. Weeks of 6:30 a.m. workouts were the remedy to our endurance and stamina difficulties. Amidst the brutal mornings and grumblings, we were ultimately grateful to run up and down the court without having a blackout or asthma attack. After what seemed like eternity, practice had finally started. We were excited for the change of pace and the opportunity to compete, but mostly excited to finally “beat up” on each other (in a friendly manner of course).
Our team had its first scrimmage against Shawnee State on Oct. 29. It was not the prettiest performance. I believe we had to work out the jitters and for the first time, learn how to work together without playing each other. Our second scrimmage was against Ashland on Nov. 1st. Our journey to Ashland, Ohio almost turned into a disaster when we were alerted by a waving and honking semi-driver that our tailgate was swung open. Quickly pulling off to the side, we were relieved to see that all of our bags had remained intact. However, the real highlight was watching Zach Brown wave and pump his fist back at the semi driver. He was under the impression the driver was simply an avid Cedarville fan. Lastly, our third scrimmage was Nov. 5 against Charleston. Although we struggled in a couple of areas, I am pleased with where we are as a team. All the guys are beginning to work together and quickly learning from our mistakes.
God bless and as I like to say, see you on the “Foote” side.
Austin Foote is a 6-foot-0 junior guard from Castle Rock, Colo. He is in his third season with the Yellow Jackets and is majoring in sport management.
