On Oct. 15, the men’s basketball team at NCC held their official practice. Last season, they won 19 games and lost nine, which includes non-conference and the NCAA tournament.
Vince Kmiec, their assistant coach, said the team is off to a good start. “There is a ton of energy and focus on the floor right now with our veterans who know their way and the young guys all hungry to learn. We have a long way to go to get everyone on the same page where we want to be, but it’s a good start.”
The men’s basketball team has 25 games this season from November to February. As with every year, they are going into this season with the goal to get to the National Championship.
“On a smaller level, we want to compete for a conference regular season championship and along with that earn our fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid which would be a first in our program’s history,” said Kmiec.
Connor Raridon, ’20, is one of the key players on the team. He averaged 13.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, ranked first in the CCIW and sixth in the nation in assists per game (6.7). He also broke NCC’s records for assists in a single game.
“We have a solid group of returning players as well as some new guys who can help contribute this year. We are focused on improving every day at practice,” Raridon said. “My personal goal is to be a leader on this team. I have a lot of experience and want to use that experience to help some of the younger guys be prepared for each challenge we will face.”
The men’s basketball team already seems to be off to a good start. On Nov. 17, they will have their first game against Heidelberg University in Gregory Arena.
