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Men's basketball senior trio faces one last challengeBy David Goldenberg
This season, the three seniors have done nearly everything in their power to lead the team to success, and have solidly filled their respective roles. They have scored almost half of the squad's points and have each been the team's high scorers at different points in the season. Each player uses his unique abilities to contribute to the team. Whitley, the team captain, has consistently produced for the Bulldogs. In addition to averaging 16 points and 6.8 rebounds per game at forward, he is also one of the Ivy League leaders in steals and free-throw percentage. Despite these lofty statistics, Whitley has been disheartened by this season's results. "I expected a lot more," he said. "Everyone had plenty of devotion and effort, but as far as wins and losses go, I was disappointed." Ricketts, meanwhile, has recently stepped up his play. Averaging 15.9 points per game in Ivy League play and 10 points per game overall, he has overcome his early-season inconsistency and stepped up his level of play, in both point production and intensity. He owns the best free-throw percentage in the Ivy League and set a Yale record with eight three-pointers in the recent 77-74 win over Cornell. "It's a confidence thing. I've been shooting a lot and after I make a few I feel like I can't miss," Ricketts said. Coming off the bench, Hunterton averages 5.8 points per game, down from 9.3 last year, mostly due to a significant decrease in his playing time. Going from leading the team in minutes played last year to playing as a substitute as a senior has been a difficult transition for Hunterton, but he has made it without complaint. Hunterton has come through for the Bulldogs in many key spots, giving them a necessary spark off the bench. At the Phoenix Classic in early December, Hunterton was the only Yale player to be named to the all-tournament team for his solid effort. The consistent play of the seniors, however, has not necessarily translated into consistency for the team as a whole, and they will be the first to tell you that they are disappointed. The seniors' final home game last weekend against Columbia was something they would prefer to forget--a 14 point loss to the struggling Lions. "It was really sad," Whitley said. "We didn't play together and we didn't do what we needed to do." Missed opportunities: the story of the season, and the unfortunate story of the trio's overall experience at Yale. Playing at Pennsylvania's Palestra on Fri., Feb. 13, Yale was up by over 20 points with only 10 minutes left, but nevertheless managed to squander the lead and lose 76-69 in overtime. "I don't know what happened," Whitley said. "Everything that was going right for us just stopped working." Ricketts agreed, adding, "We lost our composure and [the Quakers] took advantage of it. Our 6-6 Ivy record is not indicative of how well we can play. We are just inconsistent." If the Bulldogs bounce back to defeat Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend, the trio will finish their careers without four consecutive losing records. Whitley feels that senior leadership will play a big role in determining the outcome of these matchups. "It should have been a tri-captaincy to begin with," he said. "Matt and Gabe have been huge keys to the season, and I expect them to come up big against Harvard and Dartmouth." With victories over the Big Green and the Crimson, the Blue will end the season with a .500 record and, for the first time since 1993-94, a third-place league finish. For the team, a final shot at league respectability; for the senior trio, a final opportunity in a career of missed ones. |
