The Men’s basketball team at Bucks will look to build upon what was a positive season in 2017/2018 in which they made the playoffs for the first time under Coach Dominic Farrello.
The 2017/2018 season saw Bucks improve from a 9-16 (7-11) record in Farrello’s first year as coach to 12-13 (9-7) as well as a visit to the first round of the conference playoffs.
This season, however, things will be looking a lot different for the Centurions on the court. Dominic Farrello is still the head coach and they will be returning a solid core of players, but Farrello is looking to rebrand the program while still sticking with what worked last season.
This season he’s looking to move the team away from a more guard-oriented system into a game plan that revolves more around the play of his big men, “This season we are actually look for a new identity from the past two seasons,” Farrello told me. “We have been primarily a guard oriented team. We will still rely heavily on guard play, but this season we have some size to work with and be more effective in the paint.”
The size that he referred to will be coming from freshman forward Keith Howard and six-foot-six sophomore forward Elijah Pittman, who returns for his second season with the team. Both are players that coach Farrello will rely heavily on to make an impact in the paint this season. “Last year was rough for me. I believe I could have done more for my team and this year it’s my goal to show that,” said Pittman.
Farrello noted that this season the roster isn’t nearly as deep as it was in years past, only carrying nine players on the team. The three returning student athletes are going to have to carry a leadership role and help elevate the play of the first year players.
He will need each and every player, both new and old, to play a role in order to repeat last season’s success, “Our returning players we will look for leadership from are Ronnie Garrison, Adjewoda Sanoumega, and Elijah Pittman.”
“All three had an excellent season last year and are projected to do well again this season,” He continued. “I think all of our first year players are going to make an impact. Our roster is small and we will be looking for contributions from everyone,” said the young coach.
“It’s our responsibility as second year players to show the new guys the right way to play in order to help them develop.” said the second year big.
Even though there is a strong class of returning and incoming players on the roster, the Centurions will have their work cut out for them with a difficult out of conference schedule to begin the season.
They have already dropped their first five games of the season, making each game from here on out that much more important. “We look forward to every game,” Farrello said on how the team is going to approach the season. “Every game is a ‘statement game’ in one way or another.”
Despite the rocky start, Bucks will look to rebound one game at a time. Another trip to the playoffs is of course on everyone’s mind here at Bucks, but approaching the season one game at a time is something that the coaching staff heavily preaches to its squad, “We do not develop goals that are cut and dry. We take each game as an individual competition,” he said.
“A lot of things can happen between now and the end of the year,” he continued. “Mentally, I find it to be healthier to take it one game at a time.”
The Centurions will play Mercer College next and will look to get there first win of the season. The team returned home on Tuesday, Dec. 4 for a matchup with Rowan College at Burlington County. With only a few games left before winter break, the Centurions will try and get a winning streak going to make up for the bad start.
