The 12-4 (5-2) North Central men’s basketball team has surged into the second half of their season, winning their last nine games, most recently blowing out Finlandia University on Tuesday by 52 points. When asked about the reasons behind the Cardinals recent hot streak, head coach Todd Raridon said nothing had really changed but that the players were, “just playing better as a team.”
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have several players who rank near the top of the list for individual stats in the conference. Three Cardinals are in the top 15 for scoring, two are in the top 10 for assists (with Connor Raridon in second place), two are in the top 10 for rebounds (with Alex Sorenson at number one), two are in the top 10 for FG% (also with Sorenson in the top spot) and two are in the top 10 for steals. While names like Alex Sorenson and Connor Raridon might stick out when you look at the team’s stats, Coach Raridon recognizes the effort put in by all the players.
“Right now we are playing eight or nine guys and all have contributed,” Raridon said.
With just nine games left in the regular season, the coach was asked if there were any upcoming games that he had circled on his calendar and he replied, “The next game on our schedule is the one circled. In this conference you can’t look past anyone.”
The Cardinal men will look to keep the streak alive this Saturday when they travel to take on the 10-5 (3-3) Elmhurst College Blue Jays at 4 p.m.
