Basketball season is almost here and the Knights are ready to make it a special one.
A mix of youth and experience is key for the team as they build on last year’s accomplishments. Despite setbacks last season, the team is determined to place its best foot forward for the upcoming season.
The team is an experienced group of players and led by the trio of Paul Little, Kyhiem Chaplin and Diego Maldonado, who are all juniors. They are confident about success during the season.
“We have big expectations this year. We plan on being a much better team than how we were last year. The expectations are to have a much better season and the goal is to win the ECC championship,” Chaplin said.
Players felt disappointed last season turned out, but used it to their advantage by training much harder in the offseason.
“Defense is something I really worked on in the offseason. My role on the team is to grab rebounds and score in the post; so I worked on those things as well in the offseason,” Little said.
The Knights are in a great position as the team is full of talent with only two seniors, one freshman, one sophomore and 10 juniors.
“We absolutely have the talent to compete with every and any team in the conference. Talent has never been the issue,” Chaplin said.
“Not only are we going to be good this year, but also we’re going to be even better next year because of all the players that will come back as well,” Maldonado said.
There’s a strong belief from players this is the year they get over past season struggles.
“We have had a lot of talent every year, but we just weren’t able to come together as a team to get over that hump. Chemistry is what’s going to take us over that hump this year,” Chaplin said.
The team is also dominating off the court as well, specifically in the classroom. The men’s basketball team holds the fifth- highest GPA compared to other sports teams at Queens College.
The players are slightly anxious as the season approaches with the first game against Pace University on Nov. 13 at the ECC/ NE-10 Challenge. But, at the same time, they are eager to prove themselves.
“Everybody has a few jitters about the first game, but we’re well prepared. We’re anxious to get the season started,” Maldonado said.
