February 27, 2018
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was the last week of the season, and it was important to us that we finished on a high note. Our season didn’t go as planned, which was in large part due to several close losses and an injury we suffered. Winning these last two games was important to us because our team really enjoyed playing with each other on the court, and had a lot of fun off the court. This team has remained close knit through the ups and downs of the season, which can be difficult when a season doesn’t pan out the way you expected. It really speaks to the relationships that were formed over this year and the character of each individual on this team. We decided this last week was going to be taken seriously and attacked it like any other week.
Our first game was against Davis & Elkins, and we pretty much blew them out. We came out and took the game over from the very beginning. They struggled to handle our press, and it was a big reason why we had such a big lead. Our second game was against Alderson Broaddus, which we knew would be a tough game. It was also Senior Night, so that added a little bit more of an incentive to win. It was crazy to think that Saturday would be me, Evan, and Pat’s last college game ever. I’m sure I can speak for the three of us when I say the past four years have flown by, and even though we experienced some tough times we never turned our backs on each other’s or cut corners. We were always committed to the program, and that could be seen in our leadership and work ethic. The game was closely contested and we had a small lead going into half. We eventually pulled away in the second half to win. It was fun to share that night with our families because they have just as much to do with our success on and off the court as we do. All three of us seniors have great families and support systems that have been there for us through life, so that night was a celebration of them also.
I would also like to thank all the parents who supported us this year. It meant a lot to have you at the games cheering us on whether we were winning or losing. Big S/O to Joey’s mom for also blessing us with cookies and different snacks after the games :). Thank you to all the bus drivers who got us to and from our games safely. Thank you to all the people who were constantly praying for us, and students that came to our games to support our team. It always meant a lot to us to see you guys there, and definitely did not go unnoticed. I would lastly like to thank all of our coaches for the numerous hours they spent in the office and at practice preparing us for our games. It is tough being a coach especially when you have a family or a lot of other things going on because there are long days spent cutting up film, meetings about the team/upcoming games, and actual practice. It definitely did not go unnoticed, and every player on the team appreciates it.
It was fun writing the blog the past three years and it is something I am going to miss. Big thanks to Coach Estepp and the Yellow Jacket Sports Information office for giving me the opportunity to do it.
Yours truly,
SeanB
February 21, 2018
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was a tough one. We had two games, which consisted of one being against a nationally-ranked opponent, and the other against a team we needed to beat. It was also a weird week because we played Tuesday and Saturday, which is odd for us because we usually play Thursday and Saturday. The short break between our Ohio Dominican game and Findlay game didn’t help because we were dealing with some nagging injuries that needed time to heal. We were going into the Findlay game short-handed, so we knew we pretty much had to play flawless. Findlay is ranked #13 in the nation so it was already a tall task to beat them in itself.
We didn’t play our best game and struggled in the second half to score. It was a tough game for our team, but we had plenty of time to regroup, get healthy, and prepare for Lake Erie. The Lake Erie game was a battle throughout, which consisted of both teams making runs. We had two big performances from Grant Zawadzki and a blog regular Conner TenHove. Grizz had 22 points (shot 64% from the field) and three steals. Conner also added another 22 points (shot 77% from the field) and five rebounds. These two have played great all year, and Conner has really stepped up and led our team with his play, which is rare for a freshman. Not to mention, he has made the blog three times this year now so that is a new freshman record :) Keep working Conner! The game came down to the final seconds. It was a tie game and Lake Erie had the ball with ten seconds left, so we had to get a defensive stop to win the game. Lake Erie ended up hitting a tough shot in the lane that won the game. Definitely a difficult way to lose a game, but we are looking to bounce back this week with two wins.
Our first game is Thursday (2/22) against Davis & Elkins (start time is 7:45 p.m.) and our second game is Saturday (2/24) against Alderson Broaddus, which is Senior Night (start time is 4:15 p.m.). It is also Ninja Night so come in your best ninja outfit, hope you can make it out to support!
Yours truly,
SeanB
February 13, 2018
Our game was against Ohio Dominican University who is another solid team in our conference. We knew the game would be tough, but we prepared all week and we were mentally locked in. Not to mention it was Alumni Weekend, so we were excited to see all the "old" players and wanted to play well. Our game against ODU was a fight to the very end, and we showed our toughness on the defensive end. We played some of the best team defense we have played all year. It was fun to watch and everybody on our team was connected. In order to play good team defense everybody on your team has to be on a string, which means when the ball moves everybody moves with it. This was a big reason why the game was so close down to the wire.
The game came down to the final four minutes and just came down to us missing shots. One of the NBA’s better coaches Doc Rivers said it best after a game his team lost when he stated, "It’s a make or miss league" and that’s the case at any level of basketball. We definitely played good enough to win that game, but we just did not hit shots we normally hit. I doubt we will shoot that bad again, so if we continue to play defense like we did against Ohio Dominican we won’t lose many games.
We have two huge games this week and our first one is Tuesday at Findlay, who is the top ranked team in our conference (Start time is 6 p.m.). We would appreciate prayers for safe travels. Our second game is Saturday against Lake Erie and would love to get as much support as possible. It is Li’l Sibs Weekend, so we expect to have a good crowd! Thanks for all of your continued support throughout the year.
Lastly, make sure you keep the Ohio Dominican women’s team in your prayers. They witnessed a horrific injury to one of their players, so make sure you pray that she has a speedy recovery.
Yours truly,
SeanB
February 6, 2018
As most of you have already heard we experienced a tough injury to one of our senior leaders. Patrick Bain was instrumental to most of our team’s success this year, so it was tough to see him go down with a season ending injury. It is hard for me to tell you what Pat meant to our team, so I am going to let my teammates tell you.
Below you can read quotes from each individual player stating what Pat has taught them and what they admire about him:
Patrick Bain
"Pat is the hardest, most loving dude I know" – Colton
"Patrick is a very authentic person with an inspiring work ethic. A genuine leader who takes as much pride in the success of those he loves as he takes in his own success. An extremely humble and respectable person"
– Ethan
"Pat is the most selfless and caring person I’ve come across in my short time at Cedarville. If it weren’t for the man he is my transition from transferring schools would not have went as smoothly as it did" – Demond
"Man, my heart is broken for Pat and what he’s going through. However, Patrick’s legacy as a leader and player will leave an impact on this program for the generations to come" – Grant
"I appreciate Pat because of his servant leadership. He’s always been there for me as an encourager, as a captain, as a friend but most importantly as a brother" – Gabe
"Pat has taught me a lot about what it means to be a leader, by putting his team on his back and pushing them to be better mentally and physically even when he is just as tired as the rest of the team. I have also really admired how he is still willing and constantly serving his teammates even though he doesn’t have too. Pat has shown me what it means to lead" – Steph
"Pat is the guy you want to go to battle with. You know he’s always going to fight with everything in him and he’s always got your back no matter what" – Joey
"P-Bain is a different breed. My man is a born leader on and off the court, thanks for pushing everyone around you to be great" – Ri
‘One thing I admire about Pat is his work ethic and his will to constantly better himself on and off the floor. I’ve learned a lot from Pat especially through his authentic and servant leadership" – Kwenton
"Pat pushed me and everyone else to get better in every way. He would do anything for any person on this team and carried us on his back all he could this season. The best leader we could have" – Conner
‘Pat is a dawg….and he acts like one (Insider)" – SeanB
"Pat is the epitome of what a hardworking baller is. He is inspiration to me. You always can get better. In my opinion Pat is the GOAT (other than Lebron)" – Baby Q
"I’m very thankful playing along Pat, his encouragement and support has kept me going. He will always be my dawg!!!!" – Rob
"Pat is someone who I have been able to lean on over the years because he is dependable, caring, hardworking, and seeks to serve the Lord. I treasure our friendship and thank the Lord for giving me the best roommate!" – Evan
Yours truly,
SeanB
January 30, 2018
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was highlighted by a magnificent performance from a usual suspect…Patrick Bain. Every game we play from here on out is a big deal because we want to be playing our best team basketball heading into the G-MAC Tournament. We also want to get the best possible seed that we can at this point, so winning our remaining games is vital. Pat basically took it upon himself to make sure we won our first game of the week at Lake Erie. Of course we had great contributions from other players on our team but Pat really carried us throughout that particular game.
Lake Erie is one of the better teams in our league, so we knew we would need to have some good individual performances and a collectively great team performance in order to win. That is exactly what we got out of our team and our best player. Pat had an incredible game, and was probably the best game I have seen him play in the four years I have been here with him. I say "probably" because he has many other games to choose from, but this one had extra pressure on it because we needed to win. He was on a different level than everybody else on the court from the tip and it was apparent that he was going to make sure we won the game. Pat finished with 41 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. It was exciting to watch, but nobody was surprised by the performance because Pat has and still does put in the necessary hours in the gym that it takes to be a great player. We also had a great performance from Robert Okoro who finished with 12 points (83% from the field) and seven rebounds. It was a great win, but we knew we needed to finish the week out with another win.
Our second game was against Ohio Valley who doesn’t look good on paper if you just look at their record, but they have actually played every team in our league tough. Ohio Valley was only down by three at half to the best team in our conference, and just came off a great win against Kentucky Wesleyan. Every game they have played for the most part has been close, so we knew it would be a fight. We made an early run to take a small lead, but after that the game was evenly played throughout the first half. We eventually pulled away in the second half to win the game.
We got two great performances from Gabriel Portillo and Evan Kraatz that won’t show up in the box score, but meant just as much as any amount of points they could have scored. Gabe was a great spark off the bench, and was a huge reason we made the run we did. He came in and rebounded, ran the floor, and had one of the better blocks of the year! Evan played great defense and got almost everybody on the court a wide open shot at one point, which is a hard thing to do. He was generating great offense for us, and showing how unselfish of a player he is. It was fun to watch Evan and Gabe have the games they did and I’m sure we will see more!
We have a big THREE GAME week coming up. We play Malone Tuesday (Start time 7:45 p.m.) then we are out of town Thursday against Kentucky Wesleyan (Start time 8:45 p.m.) and we finish up the week with another away game Saturday against Trevecca (Start time is 5:15 p.m.).
We appreciate any prayers and support!
Yours truly,
SeanB
January 24, 2018
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was a productive one. We only had one game, so we knew we had a whole week of practice to improve as a team. At this point of the season most players don’t look forward to a whole week of practice because it can be tiring, but we knew we needed to lock in the whole week. After coming off a rough game where we did not play our best basketball everybody was ready to play again. The fact that our game was against a great Hillsdale team (2nd in our conference) intensified that even more because we did not play well at all in our last meeting with them.
Hillsdale is an extremely smart team with players who have a high basketball IQ. Being athletic and skilled is a big part of basketball, but something that is underrated in basketball is being able to think the game. I know if you’re just watching a game you might think we are just running up and down the court passing, dribbling, and shooting but that is not the case at all. You have to stay one step ahead of your opponent mentally, and make the correct decision based off of what the defensive/offensive player does. That is something Hillsdale excels at, so we knew it would be a tough game from that aspect.
Everybody was prepared to play and focused on the game plan the coaches created. Hillsdale got an early lead on us due to one of their players shooting out of his mind. We went into the half down by double digits, which is something that doesn’t bother our team at all because we have worked our way back from double digits deficits numerous times. It’s not a good position to constantly be in, but we know what it takes to work our way back into the game. We did just that in the second half and cut the game to six. The game came down to the last four minutes and we could not pull out the win. Being down double digits against any team in college basketball is tough especially the second-best team in your conference so it showed a lot about our team seeing how we fought back. Digging yourself out of a hole is tough, and is a habit that we are looking to break this week.
We have two league games this week. Our first one is away on Thursday at Lake Erie College (Start time is 5:30 p.m.) and we play home on Saturday against Ohio Valley University (Start time is 4:15 p.m.).
We hope to see you all there on Saturday and appreciate all your travel prayers!
Yours truly,
SeanB
January 17, 2018
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was spent in West Virginia. I’m not usually a big fan of that trip but the weather was a lot better there compared to Ohio. It didn’t snow much until the end of the trip and was around 60 degrees, so we enjoyed that. We had two G-MAC games against Alderson Broaddus and Davis & Elkins. All league games are pretty tough, but it ramps up to another level when it is on the road.
The start of our game against Alderson Broaddus didn't go as planned, and we created a huge deficit for ourselves. We knew that we had to come out in the second half with a different mentality, so that we could start chipping away at the AB lead. We are a confident team, and we didn't doubt for one second that we couldn't comeback. That is exactly what we did. We were down 26 points at half, and cut the lead all the way down to two points with four minutes left in the game. We ended up losing, but it was a great effort that showed us the type of heart our team has. We had some great individual performances in that game as well. Grant Zawadzki, or as I like to call him "Grizz", played great and went off in the second half. He ended up with 26 points and was a big part of our comeback. Our next game at D&E didn’t go as we planned and we definitely learned some valuable lessons to take into the huge game we have this weekend!
We would appreciate if everybody came out and supported us this weekend. We play Hillsdale who is second in our conference right now. The game is on Saturday and starts at 4:15 p.m. It is also Chick-fil-A Night so you might win some free food! Thank you for the continued prayers for our team!
Yours truly,
SeanB
January 5, 2018
Happy New Year to everybody! I hope everyone had a great New Year and got some rest! We have had a busy break due to games, but this week was the most eventful. We got to witness some great performances from two of our freshmen in a huge league game we needed to win. We assumed the toughest part of our day would be the game, but we were mistaken…
We played at Malone University, which is about a three hour drive, this past Tuesday. We had to leave Cedarville around 8:00 a.m. at the latest so we could get to Malone soon enough to get ready for our game. Coach Estepp let us know we needed to be ready to leave by 7:45 a.m., so we were all waiting in the lobby ready to get on the bus. The bus driver let us know the bus had been running for close to an hour, which was music to our ears because we knew the bus would be the perfect temperature to go back to sleep. About five minutes before we got on the bus, our driver told us the check engine light popped on so we couldn't take that bus. Since we couldn't take that bus, they pulled up the other bus we have, but that bus hadn’t been running at all. We knew the bus would be cold, but it was on a whole other level.
Everybody
A new definition for "pre-game warm ups!"
was bundled up, people were sitting together trying to get body heat, but we knew that the bus would eventually warm up so we just had to grind it out for a little bit. As the bus begin to pull away it was running funny because it didn't have enough time to warm up. We had to pull back into the school by the baseball fields, but we couldn't even make it up the hill to get back to the gym. Then we tried to use the little Cedarville Athletic bus but everybody couldn’t fit, and as you can see from the picture it was extremely cold on that bus too! I’m not one to complain but I couldn't feel my toes, so I was ready to throw a tantrum. We finally just decided to take the vans we have on campus. As you can imagine it was a stressful situation but it was a good team memory. Everybody still sneaked in a nap, too, so it worked out.
We got to Malone a little late but they gave us fifteen extra minutes to warm up, which was nice of them. This was a big game so we needed to play well and win. We didn’t get off to the most ideal start, but we pulled it back together and made a run to take the lead heading into the half. That run was a started by Riley Matticks (#11) who gave us an instance spark of energy that we needed. He played good defense and pushed the ball up the court, which led to easy points in transition. He played a great game and was vital to getting us out of the hole we dug ourselves into. Our second half surge was led by, in my humble opinion, the Freshman of the Year Conner TenHove (#35). Conner had another great game where he recorded 30 points, and nine rebounds. Grant Zawadzki also added 15 points and hit some clutch shots (4-of-6 from the arc). He also had our first four-point play of the year! We won the game and everybody played great.
We play at Ohio Dominican University on Saturday, Jan. 6 and would appreciate travel prayers. Hope everybody gets back to school safely, and had a great break!
Yours truly,
SeanB
December 12, 2017
This past week for Cedarville men's basketball was a tough one due to our game schedule and academic requirements. As you all know we are nearing the finish line of the semester, so everybody is extremely busy preparing for final exams and final presentations. This is usually the toughest time of the semester for every student because of the mental stress, and this is also true for athletes. Worrying about classes and all the things you need to study/prepare for can make practice hard from a mental aspect. Basketball practice is something you need to be completely mentally engaged in because of all the different game planning we cover, so all the external stress can make that tough at times. I know if you come to games it might seem like we are just running around aimlessly but we aren't. There's a lot of time that is put in by the players and coaches to make sure we are fully prepared for our games. All of our players did a great job staying focused and getting prepared for the two big games we had. We also got to witness a big milestone from one of the hardest workers on our team.
Our first game was against Trevecca who doesn't have the best record, but they have played some of the better teams in our league extremely tough. We knew the game would be tough, so we were prepared for a battle. The game was close throughout the first half, but we pulled away to win in the second half. A big reason for our second half surge was Patrick Bain. Pat had a great performance, and displayed his perseverance throughout the game. He was held scoreless in the first half, but stayed engaged and came back to score 21 points in the second half. He also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark, which is a big milestone for any college basketball player. It shows how consistent he has been throughout his career, and how hard he has worked to improve his game. He is one of only 54 Yellow Jacket players to score 1,000 points in school history. Our whole team was happy for Pat, but not surprised because he has earned everything he has accomplished.
In our second game we played Kentucky Wesleyan, which is a team that is always one of the better teams in our conference and the country. The game went back and forth throughout but we fell short. It was a learning experience for our team, and we plan to bounce back big this next week. We have two huge games this week. Our first game is Wednesday against Hillsdale (Start time is 7:45 p.m.). We would appreciate prayers for safe travels. Our second game is home against Findlay on Saturday (Start time is 4:15 p.m.). If you are still in town we would appreciate it if you came out to the game! The basketball team is praying that everybody has safe travels back home and a great finals week!
Yours truly,
SeanB
December 5, 2017
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball went well. We are continually improving in certain facets of the game, and it is amazing to think how far we have come in such a short amount of time with all of the new players/coaches we have added to the team. We had two games this past week and one of our freshmen was a big reason we won both games. Conner TenHove (#35) is a freshman forward from Valparaiso, Indiana, but he doesn’t play like a freshman at all. He has been a huge piece to our early success this year and it was on full display against Ohio Christian and Shawnee State.
We play Ohio Christian every year and it is always a tough game. The first half was very tight on the scoreboard but we knew we could play better. Our defensive intensity wasn’t as good as it had been in our past couple games, so we knew if we gave a better effort in that area a lot of our problems would be fixed. That’s exactly what we did in the second half, and the difference in our energy level was obvious. The second half charge was led by our starting unit, and our bench didn’t let up when they entered the game. Our defense helped push our offense and the consistent scoring/rebounding from Conner was huge. Conner posted 20 points and nine rebounds against Ohio Christian, and made some key shots throughout the game.
Our next game was against Shawnee State, who is much better this year then they have been in years past. We are always focused for our games, but there was a little extra motivation because we didn’t play as well as we wanted to in the last game. The first half was close, but we were playing our brand of basketball. We were moving the ball on offense, and making sure we didn’t miss any of our assignments on defense. We knew if we stuck to our game plan that we would eventually start to build a lead and we did just that. We ran away with the game in the second half. It was a total team effort, and for the second game in a row was dominated by Conner. He posted 23 points, three rebounds, and two steals against Shawnee State. He played great all week, and we expect nothing else but great things from him.
We start league play this week, so we hope you take a break from your studies to come check out the games! Our first game is Thursday against Trevecca (Start time is 7:45 p.m.). We also play Saturday against Kentucky Wesleyan (Start time is 4:15 p.m.).
We hope to see as many people as possible at the games, and we thank you for the continued support!
Yours truly,
SeanB
November 27, 2017
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was, for lack of a better term, pretty chill. We had a game on Monday, which we knew would be tough because it was our third game in four days. Not to mention, Northwood is a solid team, and is a lot better this year than they were last year. We came into the game mentally prepared for a battle, and that’s what we got. We didn’t play our best basketball in the first half, but we were only down two points at halftime. We knew we had to step it up for the second half, or we would lose the game. Coach Estepp made some adjustments at halftime, and we came out with a renewed focus. The game was close throughout the second half, and came down to the final minute. Thanks to some late-game heroics from Colton Linkous for the second straight game we won. Colton banked in a game-winning three (he called backboard) to give us a lead with 31 seconds left. We got a defensive stop and won the game.
It wasn’t our best performance, but sometimes the sloppy wins mean more than the pretty ones. It’s always good to know you are part of a team that can grind out a tough win. To win a game like the one we did Monday really shows the type of heart, and mentality we have as a team. It doesn’t always have to look good, but we still need to get the job done. Coach Estepp blessed us again and gave us Tuesday off, so everybody headed to their Thanksgiving Break destination…after class on Tuesday of course :). Everybody had a great break, and came back ready to practice Saturday, except Evan. Thanksgiving break has been tough for Evan the past four years, well actually since 2011 because Michigan hasn’t beaten Ohio State since then. We still love him though.
Hope everybody had a great break, and got to spend time with family over break! We have two home games this week, and would appreciate it if you came out and supported us. We play Ohio Christian on Tuesday (Start time is 7:45 p.m.) and we play Shawnee State on Saturday (Start time is 7:30 p.m.). Hope to see everybody at the games!
Yours truly,
SeanB
November 20, 2017
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was one we will look back on as the jump start to our season. After two tough losses the previous week we came into practice ready to get better individually and as a team. We had a great week of practice, and our coaches prepared us well for both games we had. The team was excited to get our first win, and to play in front of our home crowd. Home openers are always the most exciting games because you get to play in front of family and friends. It is also nice having a huge crowd cheering you on, and the best student section in the G-MAC harassing refs, so you can get more calls.
Our first game was against Miami-Hamilton, and we played well the whole game. It was a wire-to-wire finish, which is difficult to do in college athletics. We came out focused, and it was obvious from the opening tip that we were not going to lose another game. Everybody played great, and two of our top performers were Kwenton Scott who posted 22 points (8-for-11 from the field) and Gabriel Portillo who had 16 points (6-for-8 from the field) and nine rebounds. These two individuals had breakout games, and it continued in our next game against Lake Superior State.
Lake Superior is a good team who features one of the better guards in the nation, so we knew it would take a collective team effort on defense to shut him down. We came out strong, and took a 20-point lead. Our defense was good, but Lake Superior was extremely cold from the field. We knew they would hit more shots in the second half, so we would have to weather the storm. We did just that in the second half when Lake Superior made their run. We stuck together as a team, and continued to do the things that got us the lead. The game came down to the last minute, and after learning from our first two games we did the things necessary to win a close game. We had clutch performances from Patrick Bain, Colton Linkous, and our entire bench. Our bench unit outscored Lake Superiors’ bench 33-7, which was the difference in the game. Patrick Bain scored eight straight points towards the end of the game, and Colton Linkous hit a three to ice the game. It was a great team win, and everybody played an important part.
We only have one game this week. We play Monday against Northwood (game starts at 7:00 p.m.) and we hope to see everybody there…Considering everybody still has class Tuesday, and there isn’t much else to do but come support the team:).
Hope you guys all have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving with your family.
Yours truly,
SeanB
November 14, 2017
This past week for Cedarville men’s basketball was an exciting week. It was our opening week of games, and everybody was ready to play. Usually, in athletics when you are getting close to your first game, the team can begin to get tired of each other. It is difficult practicing/competing against the same people every day, so naturally you want to play against a different team. Not to mention, you have been preparing all summer, and all fall for your first game. All the conditioning, practices, extra workouts, and lifting is done in preparation for the season, so it is a small reward when you actually make it to the first game.
We opened up the season in St. Louis against Maryville. Quick shout-out to coach Estepp for the hotel we stayed at this weekend. We always stay at nice hotels, and this one was no different. The food at the hotel was also very good, so it was appreciated coach! Maryville is a pretty good team, who is picked to win their division in the GLVC (One of the better DII conferences in the nation). It was a good game, and came down to the final minutes. We came up short, but was definitely a good learning experiences for us. As I mentioned in the last blog we are implementing about seven new guys, so there will be some growing pains throughout the process. We aren’t looking to be world beaters in the first week of the season, but we do expect to fix mistakes we made, so we can be the best team possible by February/March. Some Top Performers from that game were Patrick Bain, who finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. Grant Zawadzki also chipped in a great stat line, and finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks.
Our next game was against Truman State, which has also been a great team in the past. We came out energized, and were playing well. We took an early lead, but Truman State came back and had a lead for most of the game. We were fighting an uphill battle for a decent amount of the game, and it was good to see the competitiveness in our team. We continued to chip away at the lead Truman had, and we never let up no matter what was on the scoreboard. We eventually cut the lead down to three points, but fell short. It was another learning experience for us, but this weekend was definitely nothing for us to be discouraged about. We have some good things to build off of, but also have some areas we need to fix. Top Performers from that game were Patrick Bain - he finished with 17 points and one block. Robert Okoro had 12 points (shot 67% from the field) and six rebounds.
Our first home games are this week! We play Friday and Saturday in the Don Callan Classic. We hope you can make it out. Our first game is Friday against Miami-Hamilton (Start time is 7:45 p.m.) and our second game is Saturday against Lake Superior State (Start time is 5:15 p.m.).
We appreciate all the prayers last week for safe travels, and the continued prayers we receive. Hope to see everybody at the games this weekend!
Yours truly,
SeanB
November 9, 2017
Cedarville Men’s Basketball is back! I’m glad to be writing to you guys again. It has been an eventful preseason as usual. We added seven new players, and three new coaches to our team this year. Four of these six new players are freshmen, and the other two are transfers. The four freshmen are Riley Matticks (#11), Stephan Graham (#15), Ethan Leist (#24), Quinton Green (#30) and Connor TenHove (#35). The two transfers we have are Grant Zawadzki (from Indiana Wesleyan #52) and Demond Parker (from Wilberforce #1). Lastly, we added two new coaches this year whose names are Terry Futrell and Matt Matoh.. As you can see we added a lot of new pieces this year, but the adjustment was a lot less painful than it could’ve been. All of our new players adjusted well to the system, and the new culture Coach Estepp is putting in place. Not to mention Stephan asked plenty of questions, so nobody was ever in doubt about what we were supposed to do. Great job Steph!
This preseason was one of the tougher ones we have had to date. A lot of that was due to the early morning workouts we had because some of our players (Patrick Bain and Evan Kraatz) had HORRIBLE class schedules. We were waking up about three times a week, around 6 a.m. for track workouts and practices. For a while there it felt like we were getting ready for a full track season instead of a basketball season, but we definitely got into great shape. Other than our bodies getting into great physical shape these workouts helped us grow closer as a team. In most cases, when you go through tough times in life with somebody else you naturally grow closer together, and that was the case with our team. Waking up early is already tough, and when you add running on a track on top of that you are in for a challenging time. Our team handled it great, and was extremely encouraging to one another throughout the whole process….I’m still happy I only had to do that for one year though:). We did get two big treats during the preseason that ended up being a lot of fun.
After about two weeks of conditioning we entered our third week expecting nothing much to change. We woke up early on a Wednesday morning expecting to do a track workout, but we were surprised to see Wes Stevens (Head Athletic Trainer) on the field with a Frisbee. We got to play Ultimate Frisbee, and it was a lot of fun. I honestly think we could’ve done anything other than run on the track, and it would’ve felt like the best thing we had ever done. Ultimate Frisbee was truly a lot of fun though, and we appreciated it. Lastly, we had our annual trip to Scioto Hills, which is always a great time. It also marks the beginning of regular season practices. We usually practice the first day of Fall Break then leave for Scioto, and practice the next two days we are there at Coach Estepp’s old high school. This year was different because Coach Estepp’s son Isaiah was running in the Cross Country District Championship, so Coach Estepp gave us the day off Saturday. I know you might think I’m being dramatic, but it was a huge blessing. Keep killing it in cross country Isaiah, the basketball team greatly appreciates it!
Overall, the preseason was a great time because we grew closer as a team. All the new players on our team have become well acclimated to our team, and to Cedarville, so we are looking to have a great year. Everybody is excited for the season, and we hope you are too! Lastly, our team was extremely excited to welcome Colton Linkous back to our team after his surgery. He handled the whole situation great, and we are just so happy to have him back.
We start our season on the road Saturday against Maryville, and also have a game Sunday against Truman State. We encourage you to watch/follow online if possible. We would also appreciate prayers for safe travel this weekend!
Sean Blackburn is a senior from Columbus, Ohio and a broadcasting and digital film major. He played two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, served as a student assistant last year and has returned to the roster for the 2017-18 campaign.
