The Le Moyne Dolphins men's basketball team has returned pretty much all of their key players from last season, but "return" may not be the best way to describe it. Most of the Dolphins' core spent the summer working out together, getting ready for a season where they hoped to change the culture of Le Moyne Basketball.
"What we're trying to establish is more accountability," says junior Brian Zapisek, who scored 24 points last week in a tough two point loss to St. Rose, "people owning up to their mistakes and learning from them and getting better, and we're trying to be a smarter and tougher team."
"We have high expectations for this team," agrees junior center Jim Janson, "this is a crazy league, anything can happen, most of these games are going to come down to five or six plays and five or six points."
Le Moyne kicked off this season with a 73-56 win over Pace, but it's the pace of their game that's been the most noticeable. A much faster paced tempo has been established, creating a brand of basketball that not only might be more entertaining, but to the players themselves.
"We have a lot of good players that are athletic and can get up and down the court," says Zapisek, "and we have a good passing team that can find the players when they're running, so if you find the lanes you should get a bucket."
"They definitely improved themselves this summer," says head coach Steve Evans, "now it's up to the team to come together and improve as the season goes on, but the individual work that each and every one has done on the team top to bottom is probably as good as any team that I've coached since I've been here."
The young season continues on Wednesday when the Dolphins travel to American International for a 7:30 tip-off.
