Quinnipiac Men's Basketball on the Rebound: The Real Surprise Team at TD Banknorth
By: Michael Feldstein
On any given night the Quinnipiac Men’s Hockey team is treated to capacity crowds and a true home ice advantage and in return, the fans witness a gifted unit that deservingly steals most of the headlines on the back pages of the Chronicle.
Many fans forget that there are three other teams that also play at the TD Banknorth Sports Center. To me, the real surprise this season has been the men’s basketball team. Albeit they are in a weak conference, they stand at 9-5 in the NEC, which as of right now is good for 2nd and if the season ended today, the Bobcats would have two playoff games at home. Considering the struggles the program has had over the last few years, there is some positive to draw from the ’06-’07 campaign.
For those who regularly attend games, they will agree without question that biggest spark on this team is junior DeMario Anderson. Playing as the sixth man off the bench, he is simply one of the best players not starting in the NEC and our secret weapon. A starter at CCSU and now in his first year at QU, Anderson has shown the kind of intensity, passion and desire that has not only won over his teammates, but also the fans. A catalyst on both ends of the court, he can change the tempo and momentum of a game at any time. The two games that have best exemplified these qualities recently were his 31point effort against Sacred Heart and his 18 point performance that helped the Bobcats overcome an 18 point deficit vs. Mount St. Mary’s. His style of play has earned him the nickname “Super Demario” and it seems whenever he is out on the hardwood only good things can happen.
The play of seniors Adam Gonzalez and Victor Akinyanju has also been key in the teams turnaround. Adam always has a smile on his face and loves firing up the crowd any chance he has. Akinyanju when staying out of trouble has shown great poise in the low post and has put together some impressive double doubles this year including a 20 point 21 rebound performance. The 21 bounds made Victor only the fifth player this year in Division I hoops to accomplish the feat at the time. The key to his success is staying out of trouble and if he can improve upon his foul shooting (a lowly 37%) he can be a force to be reckoned with.
Finally the big surprise has to be freshman Casey Cosgrove, who along with Gonzalez has been one of the court generals setting the tempo and running the offense. He has grown signifigantly since the early stages of the year. His confidence has skyrocketed and he isn’t afraid of taking a big shot or foul shot if the situation arises.
The point that I am trying to make here is that this is a fun and entertaining team to watch. Yes sometimes you will shake you head and be let down, but then again no team is perfect. In the instances that this group has gelled on the court as one, they have shown how much talent and potential they possess. They are 9-2 in their last 11 with those two losses coming against Central Connecticutt State. While the Bobcats haven’t figured out the Blue Devils yet, the same can’t be said for their play versus the rest of the conference, which is 9-3.
With only two home games left come out and cheer for this team. If we could pack out Lender Court, it could create the same intimidating atmosphere that we give men’s hockey and can make our presence felt. While I have been there along with such die-hards as James Rose, Justine Cohen, Drew Davis amongst others, we need more fans to help push this team to a possible NEC championship game. I know a few of you might thinking I am crazy saying that but in reality I think this group has a good chance of making it because all they need to do is got hot for two or three games and we could be talking NCAA’s!!!
My prediction is CCSU vs. QU in the championship with the bobcats emerging victorious. It is a bold prediction, but I am starting to believe in this team and put my faith in them and I think they deserve a fair chance and I for one am along for the ride.