New staff brings energy to men’s b-ball
Nathan Humpherys
The new men’s basketball program at MCC anticipates an exciting season with all new staff and an almost completely new team.”We want to restore MCC’s tradition of academic and athletic excellence,” Sam Ballard, the new men’s head coach said, adding that in recent years it’s been one or the other.
The men’s basketball program has only three returning players from last year, the rest, along with the staff, are brand new to MCC.
“We’re way close. We hang out more,” said Jason O’Brien, one of the returning players, when reflecting on the differences between this year’s team and last year’s.
The unity is by design. Ballard has made bonding and chemistry a priority, and held a summer class specifically to get team members to learn about each other.
Ballard also wants his team to be intelligent on the court and to be able to speed up or slow down the game and adapt to different teams.
Tyler Molesworth, another returning player, said while the team is focusing on things one step at a time, he believes the team will go all the way to nationals in Kansas.
MCC is hosting the “Day on D” coaching clinic on October 18, where Ballard and the team will demonstrate drills and strategies for other coaches.
Ballard is looking forward to this season with the new staff and players and the challenge of coaching the only Maricopa division one team.
Ballard also hopes the character and skill of the players will draw students to the basketball games to support the new team.
