With a new season approaching, Coach Bill Mangarelli, coach for The King’s College men’s and women’s basketball teams, dives into the challenges facing this semester.

As the men’s and women’s basketball teams head into the second half of the season, players and coaches consider the challenges ahead. “It won’t be easy,” said Sha Sanders, starter on the women’s basketball team.

“Most of the team hasn’t played together—and we have so few people on the team— it makes it kind of hard,” Sanders explained.

Both teams face the challenges incumbent of a new team constitution. With new freshmen players creating new team dynamics, the teams must work to establish chemistry and trust. ‘It is always tough when you have a young group of kids playing together for the first time,’ Coach Mangarelli explains.

Additionally, the low number of players on the team is an area of concern. “There is only going to be 6 of us for most of the games next part of the season,” Sanders explains. “So it will be really important that we keep our stamina up over break.”

Senior Luke Borchelt in The King’s College vs Pratt game in the 2017-2018 season || Photo Credits Bernadette Berdychowski

Despite common knowledge of the problems, the goal remains clear: “Both teams will have to come together and play well for them to make the postseason,” Mangarelli explained. “I believe at least 2 conference wins for the women to make playoffs and at least 3 for the men.”

Luckily, the teams have some excellent players to leverage in the coming season. Followers of the men’s team should watch senior Luke Borchelt and freshmen Tyler Bowen’s and Jordan Bishop. According to Mangarelli, these students show exceptional promise and are expected to play in all of the major games.

Likewise, the women’s team boasts its own stars. Sophomore Bailey Kaufman and freshman Sydni Brown show great potential for the new year, according to Mangarelli.

The teams will kick off the second half of the season with games in January. The men’s team competes at Baruch College on January 26 at 5:45 p.m. The women’s team competes at Five Towns Colleges on January 21 at 6:00 p.m.

‘‘We’re going to get through it,” Sanders said confidently. “We’ve all talked and we’re starting to understand each other better—what we’re good at and what we’re bad at. It took those first couple games to get used to it, but now we’re doing a lot better. I expect a great season.”

A Basketball Season Preview