Story by Kurt Miller
After finishing the 2014-15 season in seventh place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Kalamazoo College men's basketball Head Coach Eric Dougal feels this year's team has the tools to make a breakthrough in the conference standings.
The most notable change from last year to this year? According to Dougal, it's the players' commitment to each other and their sheer love for the game of basketball.
"These guys made a commitment to get together during the summer and play in leagues that they haven't been able to compete in before," Dougal said, who's beginning his fourth season as head coach at Kalamazoo. "There's a league over in Detroit that the guys played in—so half the team was playing over in Detroit together and the other half of the team was over here in Kalamazoo playing in a local summer league."
On top of the team's commitment to each other, health and experience look to be key factors in the team's success this season. 2015-16 marks the first year Dougal will have a class of players he recruited that have gone through the program and are now upperclassmen.
Of the upperclassmen returning, juniors Adam Dykema and Josh Miller headline the group. Dykema, a 6-3 guard, led the Hornets in scoring in 2014-15 averaging 12.1 points per game. He also corralled 3.6 rebounds per game, the third-most on the team and the most of any guard on the team.
"He has the ability to put up some big numbers if teams don't pay close attention to him, so he'll play a big role in what we're doing," Dougal said.
Miller, a 6-9 center, started in all but one game last season for the Hornets despite being hindered by a broken foot and a couple of bum ankles in the final two months of the season. Even with the injuries, he still managed to average 7.9 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game, the most on the team.
"His size and his ability to rebound are great," Dougal said. "I think he'll be able to pick up some slack offensively that last year he wasn't necessarily asked or ready to do as well."
Seniors Cam Schwartz and Mike Oravetz return to the team as well this season, and Dougal believes they bring the intangibles and leadership any team hopes to get from its seniors.
"These guys are exactly what we want at the senior level—they're great leaders, they work really hard, they're not going to get outplayed and they bring an intensity to both practice and games that really helps us," Dougal said. "Both of those guys will contribute significantly on the floor."
Other notable players returning to the Hornets this season include Chase Baysdell, Jake Whitney, Jason Hugan and Charlie Carson. Baysdell led the team in rebounding two seasons ago, and hopes to regain his form of his freshman season. Whitney, Hugan and Carson averaged 4.2, 3.7 and 3.3 points per game, respectively.
Dougal also noted Roger Hood will be one of the team's top defenders and he hopes a class of four freshmen will find their way into the mix.
The Hornets begin their season on Saturday, Nov. 7 when they stay within Kalamazoo, but head over to the campus of Western Michigan for a preseason exhibition match up. The game between the two teams is something both teams look forward to and is an exciting way for Dougal and his team to start the season.
"It's a really competitive game," he said. "Our guys are going to get after it. They know they're playing against a Division I opponent, but they don't care. They want to get out, they want to compete and that's a game they want to have."
The regular season gets underway Nov. 14 when Oberlin comes to the Anderson Athletic Center. The Hornets host two more home games before they spend nearly the entire month of December on the road including two non-conference tournaments.
League play begins Jan. 6 when Kalamazoo hosts Alma.
While Dougal noted there are a few games the team really wants to make an impression in this year, he expects his team to have the same mentality heading into every game.
"Our expectation is to compete in every game and compete for an MIAA championship," Dougal said. "That doesn't change year-to-year but I think we have a better opportunity to do that this year."