Eagles overcome adversity, adjust chemistry
By Billy CruzThe men’s basketball season could be easily referred to as the tale of two semesters thus far. After winning nine of their first 10 games to open the season and finishing the first semester with a remarkable 9-2 record, the men’s basketball team has seen their season take a different turn.
Since starting the second half of the year, the Eagles have lost four players and have compiled a 3-7 mark, dropping their record to 12-9 overall and 2-3 in the Arrowhead Conference.
Jeremy Woodward left the team during the mid-semester. Kendall Hurns, Steve Sawyers and Chad Tungate are academically ineligible. The Eagles did, however, acquire two players for the current semester, Geoffrey Franklin and Jake Resser. Franklin, who graduated from Hinsdale South High School, was forced to sit out the first semester to regain eligibility after transferring from Kishwaukee Community College.
Also joining the team is current IVCC baseball player Jake Resser from Ottawa.
After losing players who saw quality playing time, head coach Mike Riley was concerned with the chemistry of his team, but feels they are adapting nicely to the changes.
"Obviously any time you change the chemistry of your team, it’s going to affect your team," said Riley. "We had kids that were playing quality minutes that were averaging double figures that we no longer have. It’s just a point of trying to regain some chemistry with the guys that are now seeing more playing time. We are just reestablishing and getting more familiar with each other."
The Eagles began the second half of the season dropping their first four games, three to Texas-based teams, including North Lake, Richland, and Brookhaven before heading back to Illinois and dropping a road contest to Highland.
IVCC did, however, bounce back and notch two consecutive home victories over Sauk Valley and Rock Valley, before splitting their last four ball games as of press time.
Despite starting the second semester with a 3-7 mark, Riley was pleased with his team’s performance, noting the talent they have played has been extremely good, including three tough games down in Texas, but admitted his team has looked great one day and horrible the next.
"We played against three quality teams from Texas," remarked the coach. "Those three teams have been the National Division III Basketball Champions in the last five years. We just played some very good competition. We beat a very good Sauk Valley team here at home and then we played just horrible against Carl Sandburg on the road. I don’t think we could have played worse.
"We have our ups and downs and the peaks and the valleys. We seem to go from one extreme to the next, but we are going to have that at times with the number of freshmen we have playing for us.
Riley feels that his team does not depend on just one player to kick-start the team, which makes them so dangerous because every night it is someone else that steps up and leads his ball club. Riley has been pleased with the playing of freshmen Jeremy Jones, Terrance Gladney, Dave Miller, Lee Moran, and Curt Kearfott and sophomore Sam Beyer.
"Jeremy (Jones) has been a quality point guard for us all year long," said Riley. "His stats indicate that (13.6 ppg) and he has given us great leadership. Terrance (Gladney) has picked up some scoring for us. He has moved to a different position, but has adapted and played very well.
"Beyer and Miller have had good games for us, while Lee (Moran) has sparked us a number of times. Curt (Kearfott) has recently become a new starter for us lately and has really become a valuable player for us as an outside threat.
With the postseason approaching quickly, Riley believes his team can be a factor in the tournament if they can play consistent basketball.
"We have to have consistency with our offensive and defensive efforts," said Riley. "We can be very competitive. When we get ourselves ready to play and come into each ball game with the right attitude, they are a very good ball club. Somebody is going to have to beat us because we are not going to beat ourselves.
"We are doing a lot of good things and we have some players in key positions. We have balanced scoring and we have guys that can come off the bench and be a factor in the game. If we put it all together we could be a threat down the stretch. We have all of the pieces. We just have to have the puzzle come together."
The Eagles will be in action next on February 7 at home against Highland.