By Christopher McLaughlin
Although the men’s basketball team got off to its best start since the 2001-02 season, Head Coach Howie Dickenman still sees room for improvement.
The team came out of the gate strong, going 4-1 before dropping their next two games. Despite the strong start, Dickenman doesn’t believe they are clicking on all cylinders yet.
“We haven’t put it all together yet,” says Dickenman. “This team is like a puzzle, even though we were 4-1 we’re not in synch just yet, we have different parts ahead of schedule, but I believe we will get there.”
With the return of Ken Horton and the increased play time of the freshmen, the Blue Devils are essentially a new team this year. Like most teams with new players, the Blue Devils are still trying to gel on the court. Though they are still figuring it all out, Coach Dickenman sees the potential his team has.
“I see a lot of camaraderie between them,” said Dickenman. “It appears that they are focused and determined on having an over-achieving season.”
Thanks to the return of Horton and the continued development of Joe Efese, the Blue Devils have a stronger inside presence which will help keep teams out of the paint. Markeys Deans is another player who Dickenman feels is vital to his team’s success. All three of these players are crucial to a team that lacks a true center.
“Efese has made great progress all around,” said Dickenman. “He won’t play the next couple games because of an injury, but he is someone needed for his inside presence. Horton missed 19 months and is still inconsistent, but has shown improvement on rebounds. Deans is our most underappreciated player. He does all the dirty work that won’t show up in the box score but is what needs to be done.”
While the front court has been upgraded, the back court is similar to what CCSU had last year. Shemik Thompson continues to lead the team and Robby Ptacek retains his role of starting two guard. While Thompson is still performing at a high level, Ptacek has struggled so far.
“Shemik is having a great year. He is playing like he’s possessed,” said Dickenman. “I expect more from Robby, but I know he will return to form.”
Although Dickenman doesn’t feel everyone is where they need to be, he is pleased with his team’s mentality. Three of CCSU’s four wins have come on the road, and the losses have come from high profile teams.
“When I look at our four wins, we were successful in all of them,” said Dickenman. “Any time you put on a dark uniform and get the win is a plus, and we have three road wins. That says a lot about our toughness.”
Winning on the road is something that the Blue Devils will have to make a habit of, as that is where it will play four games in a row. This stretch of games will either build upon their hot start or erase it completely.
With losses to Providence and Fairleigh Dickinson, the Blue Devils will need to bounce back quickly to finish their road trip. “After Fairleigh, we go to Ohio to face a very talented Dayton Flyers and then it’s on to Albany. After that we can put the dark unis away as we being our home-stand,” said Dickenman.
With the win against Monmouth and the loss against Fairleigh Dickinson, CCSU is 1-1 in the conference play. In order to make it to the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils are going to have to win the conference first. Each conference game is important for all teams, as it helps determine home court advantage in the play-offs.
“After Fairleigh Dickinson we get into the league more,” said Dickenman. “We need to bring more intensity because we know that home court advantage is in the back of every team we plays mind.”
After their hot start was cooled, the Blue Devils will look to regain their momentum when they return home on December 19 and square off against Niagara to begin their six game home-stand.