By Andrew Chirico
Sports Editor
The approach of a young and determined Men’s Basketball season quickly approached.
Now his in second season as head coach, Aaron Goodman is ambitious to turn the tide from last season. With the team’s two leading scorers returning, and nine newcomers in the mix, the Shoremen will have a diverse group on the floor. Goodman feels he is creating a culture he sought to instill when he first arrived at WC.
“We have a much more positive attitude and we are much more coachable consistently than we were last year. It’s hard when you have a change in coaching staffs. It’s hard to adjust,” said Goodman “I feel that this year we have student-athletes who care more about basketball. Our four pillars are family, faith, academics, and basketball. We had difficulty having basketball be the fourth. There were other things that got involved.”
With a focused group this season, Goodman feels that enthusiasm, positive energy, willingness to get better, and to be coached is at an all-time high. “It’s been fun to coach these guys’ first three weeks of practice this year,” he said.
The young group will look to the team’s leading scorer from last year, senior guard James Drury, for contributions in all aspects in the game. Drury averaged 11.9 points per game and has improved his versatility on the court in the past three seasons.
“Coming into college, I was mostly only a shooter, but I have since developed into a much better all-around player,” said Drury. “I am good at getting into the paint to score and finding open teammates.”
Goodman feels Drury has grown as leader and has embraced the younger guys, holding them accountable. “He’s really matured and is ready to make a significant step in his play on the court but also his leadership style.”
Juniors Tas Dixon and Joey Shelton have had an impact on the program from the moment they stepped on campus their freshman year. Dixon, who led the team with 3.4 assists per game last season, will have a large role in getting his teammates the ball in an up tempo style of offense.
“I think Tas has shown significant strides. He is a much different player than he was last year. He has taken a leadership role,” said Goodman. “Defensively, he is leading us in charges during practices. He is really playing with energy and playing within himself offensively.”
Shelton, the team’s second leading returning scorer, who averaged 11.0 points per game, will look to bounce back strong after he suffered a season-ending injury last season. After working on improving his body, Shelton can “make a significant impact,” Goodman said. He also feels that Shelton has the chance to be a “really good player in this conference.”
With his hard work, Shelton finds himself with a much larger role both on and off the court.
“I think I have developed mentally in the sense that I know what’s going on and I know how to control a collegiate game. I’ve developed physically because I’ve grown a decent amount since my freshmen year,” said Shleton “I will be used in just about every position especially the four, considering our lack of size but we make up for it by being faster than most teams.”
Four returning players make up Goodman’s sophomore squad, including guards Brandon Berry, Gabe Ceribelli, Kevin McCormick, and forward Kaiden Williams. McCormick will play the role as the three-point shooter, as he shot 38.6 percent from downtown last season while he averaged 5.7 points per game. Berry, who averaged 19.6 minutes per game with 5.5 points per game, now finds himself competing for a starting role in just his second season. With the quality playing time from last season, Berry has learned what it takes to compete on the floor.
“I learned a lot my first season with the team. I learned the importance of the little details in games and practices and how much they matter towards the success of a team. I have developed a better basketball IQ during my first year with the team,” he said. “This season I want to be more of a vocal leader. I can use that experience from last year to be a leader on the team. I also want to be able to impact the game more on both ends on the ball.”
Goodman’s first recruiting class includes nine freshman who have brought renewed energy to the team. “I expect many of them to contribute right away,” said Goodman. The increased athleticism and talent allows the new group to play multiple positions, which will allow the Shoremen to be a deeper team.
After going 3-22, with a 1-17 Centennial Conference record a season ago, Goodman sought out what the team needs to do to win more games. “For us to be competitive in games we need to reach our goals. We have to be the best defensive team in the conference, the leading rebounding team in the conference, and take care of the ball. If we can get to those points, then we’re going to be in every game.”
WC will travel to Annapolis, to take on the Naval Academy in an exhibition match on Sunday, Nov. 13. Goodman is excited for the opportunity to compete against his old team. The Shoremen will be faced with competing against Division-I players, who are stronger and more athletic. “We are going to have to learn how to execute and to be competitive on the floor. It will be a great experience and honor to be able to play somewhere where I have spent almost a decade in my coaching career,” he said. The game against Navy will be streamed on the WC Athletics’ webpage.
Just two days following the exhibition, the Shoremen will tip-off their season on Tuesday, Nov. 15 when they host Shenandoah at 8 p.m. The team will then travel on Saturday, Nov. 15 to take on Cairn for a 1 p.m. start.
“Our goal will always be to be the best team we can be by the end of the year. I don’t know what that is. I certainty will like to win more nonconference games and conference games and close out wins that we kind of let go a little bit last year,” said Goodman. “All I want to do is get better each day and learn from each game. We are a younger team, so we are going to have some ups and downs, but I just want to bounce back as quickly as possible to prepare for out next opponent.”