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Moraine Valley men's basketball ready to set tone for a winning season
Moraine Valley Community College men's basketball team is looking for more success in the 2015-16 season.
Every member of the Moraine Valley Community College men’s basketball team has an assigned role, and therefore will play a part in making the 2015-16 squad even more successful than last season.
Coming off a stellar 2014-15 that included an outright Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship, the Cyclones want to build off that success to propel them even farther this year.
“Based on the success of last year, we’re looking to make history and do back-to-back championships. We don’t want to share. We want to be a little stingy and win just for us. I have high expectations. The goal every year is to win conference and go to nationals,” said head Coach David Howard, taking on his third season at the helm.
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Losing their top All-Conference players—Niko Cahue and Brian Townsend—is tough this year, but 6-foot-4 All-Conference guard/forward Ermias Nega (Wakefield) is back to do big things on the court and help lead the way. Nega and his handful of fellow sophomores will provide leadership to the mostly freshmen crew.
Howard is looking for a notable season from a key group of newcomers including 6-foot-7 guard/forward Tommy Demogerontas (Sandburg), guard David Gray (6’1”/Oak Forest), forward Luke Hook (6’5”/Andrew), and 6-foot-5 guard/forward Joe Ruzevich (Brother Rice). That being said, every player will have some responsibility in the team’s success.
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“If they all buy in to our coaching and stick to their roles, we will win. We will do it together. This is a group of hard workers, and we’ll be competitive by playing hard. Our chemistry is good, and the guys genuinely like each other,” Howard added. “The expectations are high, but I’m really excited and looking forward to the season.”
Howard is joined on the sidelines by two new assistants—Roosevelt Green and Keelan Donald. “I’m excited for them to be part of the family. They bring an extensive basketball background with a new perspective. They’ll help the program grow,” Howard said.
Visit www.morainevalley.edu/athletics or follow the Cyclones on Facebook at morainevalleycyclones and Twitter @MVCyclones.
