Mikaela Wong | Freelancer

Returning from a spectacular 2017-2018 season, the Western men’s basketball team is back and ready to fight for what they were so close to achieving last season. After losing to California Baptist University from a last-minute comeback that fell just short in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball West Regional, the Wolves concluded their season at No. 3. Western’s 24-game win streak was ended and finished with a 31-2 record.

However, after having a less than ideal ending to their previous season, the mindsets of the players are now stronger than ever. Riley Hawken, a senior business major and a returning power forward, is confident that the team will carry over its success.

“This year’s going to be another phenomenal year and we’re going to have a lot of phenomenal players. A lot of the guys are hungry and we’re all just wanting to do the best we can to represent WOU as great as we can,” said Hawken.

The men’s basketball team has gained quite the following after their previous historic season and do not plan on slowing down any time soon.

“We have a winning culture,” stated Buster Souza, a senior majoring in business and also returning as a power forward, “and that is going to come not just this year and next year, but years and years after that.”

Many players were wondering how this year’s team would measure up to last season’s, especially having nine players graduate last year. But Souza was quite reassuring. “Something we had to work on (over the off-season) was our depth because we lost so many players last year, but we really corrected that just with our recruiting and our deep line-up. Our skillset is pretty even across the board…we have a lot of young talent coming in as well as veterans returning.”

Hawkens adds, “a lot of the (new recruits) have really good attitudes that are (just as) hungry and want to continue on the success that we’ve had. The coaches did a really good job of getting guys in here who could fill the spots (of the graduated players).”

Hawken was unanimously named to the 2018-19 GNAC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team over the off-season. When asked about what things he is looking forward to most this season, Hawken said, “the biggest part of the journey is how you come together as a team. The thing I’m most excited for is the new team to come together…to see how all these new pieces are going to come together…and how well we are going to progress as a team…and it’s coming along really well right now.”

Western’s men’s basketball team’s first regular season game is against Warner Pacific University on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in New PE.

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis