The 2017-2018 men’s basketball season has officially started and the energy and excitement around the potential of this year’s team is readily apparent.
7 players returned from last year’s squad followed by the addition of 5 new faces to round out the 12 man roster. Head Coach Dan Rathmell says this group has worked harder this pre-season than any of his previous 8 teams during his tenure as coach of the Falcons. “The dedication they have put in to the weight room, skill development on the court, and through leadership training meetings has been fun to watch.” said Coach Rathmell. “It’s a great group of young men to be around.”
The balanced, relentless approach this season will be led by captain and third year starter, Spencer Bath. Sophomore Jackson Henri will start at the wing and can contribute in many ways whether it’s shooting, driving, rebounding, or defending. Three freshman round out the initial starting rotation; workhorse Ben Waterman can play all 5 positions on the court, Anthony Gathings is an intense and athletic forward and Corban Usry is a play-maker and facilitator at the point guard position.
Sophomore Kelvin Tompkins is a true scoring machine off the bench and Derrell Calloway’s constant motor make him an impact player on both ends of the court as soon as he enters a ball game. Josiah Waterman is a new transfer that is a knock down shooter and solid rebounder. A trio of juniors will also be big contributors to the success of the team; Tim Swan is the team’s sharpshooter, Ernestas Puzaras is a dangerous offensive creator, and Titus Geday is a very crafty forward. Co-Captain Corey Collins joins the team during his senior season as the team’s vocal leader.
The Falcons have already started play and won their opener in convincing fashion as they took down Paul Smith’s College by a score of 93-65 last Saturday. Over the next 2 weeks the Falcons will play 6 road games as they compete in 2 separate tip-off tournaments. They return home just before Thanksgiving on November 21 for a 7:00 p.m. game against Penn State Lehigh Valley.
