After dismal start, Bulldogs discover winning ways

It was the worst way to start a season. On Sat., Nov. 15, the men's basketball team knew its season opener could be ugly. Still, after an 88-57 loss to the nationally- ranked Connecticut Huskies, the Bulldog squad was severely discouraged.

A month later, the team found itself in a 1-6 hole heading into a contest with Vermont. That game turned out to mark the turning point of the season. It was an unusually grueling game, and when it was all over, the Bulldogs came away 83-77 victors.

"Beating Vermont was the turning point and ever since then, it has been like a snowball effect. After that game, we kept on winning," David Tompkins, SY '99, said. Tompkins' comment does reflects the team's recent success: the Elis have won six of their last eight games, falling only to nationally-ranked Princeton and New Mexico.

Julia Tiernan/YH Emerson Whitley, SY '98, flies by the St. Francis defense in a recent game

So what took so long? Will the Bulldogs' winning ways continue? It may have been one game that initiated a certain spark in playing ability, but in many ways, it was that one game that displayed the team's quick progress during the season. It is certainly not an overnight success story.

"This year's team is a mix of players, young and old," coach Dick Kuchen said. "Some of the returning upperclassmen didn't have too many minutes last season, so most players were coming together for the first time."

Perhaps, finally, the basketball team has indeed come together. The team's chemistry, which was so blatantly lacking at the outset of the year, has seemingly fallen into place. Since the victory against Vermont, the Bulldogs have displayed smoother teamwork and more patience. The players say the reasons for the turnaround are simple.

"Everyone else is stepping up," Matt Ricketts, TD '98, said. "We're not just relying on Emerson [Whitley, SY '98] now and it's more balanced."

Kuchen added, "The guys stepping up on different occasions helps a lot, may it be Whitley on scoring, Ricketts on ball handling, [Marlon] Simpkins, MC '99, on defense, Tompkins on scoring, or [Jason] Williams, PC '00, on just improving as a player."

One key to a sustained winning streak will be continued consistency on defense, where the team has stepped it up a level since its opening performances. "No matter what, if you're strong on defense, you're still in the game," Simpkins said. With the tougher defense, Yale has been able to match up with bigger and faster opponents, slowing games down to a more controlled pace.

Better chemistry. Stronger defense. Doesn't sound like a fluke. According to Kuchen, "We've actually been playing and beating better teams than those we were beaten by [earlier in the season]."

Like the tortoise in the fable, Yale was slow to get out of the gate. But now the unit stands as one of the hottest teams in the Ivy League, looking to make a run at a winning season. After a 1-6 start, one could have easily written off the 1997-98 Bulldogs as just another link in a chain of disappointment. The team, however, is looking to remain on-track.

Kuchen remarked, "So many coaches say it, but it's true: we have to take it one game at a time. If we just stay on this road there is a big chance of being successful."

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