Sports

Short on seniors, Laker basketball teams face MSU

By Emanuel Johnson GVL Senior Reporter
11/4/2009

Football season is in full swing right now, but when Jimmy Berezik and Brad Iciek are through tearing the GLIAC apart, basketball will make its way into the picture at Grand Valley State University.

But while the GVSU men's and women's basketball teams each enter the season against starkly dissimilar conference competition, there is one glaring parallel connecting the two that does not derive from their practically identical schedules.

Both teams will need to find a source of senior leadership essentially without the seniors.

Coming off of a 20-10 season that yielded a regional berth in the NCAA tournament, the women's team enters the 2009-10 season ranked No. 13 in the nation.

The Lakers have been slotted as the second best team in the GLIAC North division behind the No. 1 nationally ranked Michigan Technological University Huskies.

But despite putting a year under their belt for growth and maturity, the Lakers find themselves in a very similar situation to the one that they encountered last season. This year's team is comprised of six freshmen and five sophomores -- the team only has one senior on the roster.

"We have a lot of youthfulness to overcome," said GVSU head coach Janel Burgess. "The kids that returned worked really hard to get faster and stronger for the season. But for us to be successful, we'll need to focus on improving the entire team. That means embracing six new freshmen, who are very talented as well, and continuing to work hard together."

Because of this, it has become necessary the team find leadership in other places. One strong candidate for the task is sophomore point guard Jasmine Padin, who last year made 73 3-pointers to break the GVSU single-season record.

But she admitted taking charge has proven to be more difficult than she originally thought.

"It's hard, it's really hard," she said. "There have been times this preseason and in practices when I just wanted to climb in a hole and stay there. But through my wonderful coaching staff encouraging me and my teammates keeping me going with their own love for the game, I've been able to get through the tough times."

The women will have two exhibition games, one at Indiana University today and another at Michigan State University on Sunday, to open the season.

While they are young, at least the women have one senior in returning guard Jocelyn Ingram. The men, on the other hand, do not have a single senior on the roster.

But GVSU head men's basketball coach Ric Wesley said he sees this as an opportunity to cultivate the team's talent.

"In 29 years of coaching, I don't think I've ever been in this situation," he said. "It really provides a unique opportunity for us as to grow a group, but I'm hoping that we can get it down now rather than wait. It's only an advantage to have young talent when you can improve and get to a high level quickly -- then you can enjoy that ride for a longer period of time."

The men come into this season as the No. 7 nationally ranked team after finishing last year with a 21-10 record and making an NCAA tournament appearance. GVSU represents its conference as the only GLIAC school to crack the national top 10.

The men will have an exhibition match against Michigan State on Monday.

ejohnson@lanthorn.com

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