The top seven reasons men’s basketball will win

Victoria Alarcon
Sports & Health Editor
With the men’s basketball season set to start in just a few days and players getting ready on the court, there’s no telling what the final out- come will be this year.
This year might just be the one the team clinches the title, though, as the York Lion players have all the key ingredients to make it to the top this season. Here are the top seven reasons the team is bringing home the title this year.
7 David Tyndale
Still pumped from last year’s finish, third-year shooting guard and point guard, David Tyndale is making sure his teammates are giving it all they have this season to reach their ultimate goal. East rookie of the year for 2008-2009, Tyndale brings a lot of skill and composure to the court.
Along with his dynamic plays, the York Lion is recognized for his sharp swiftness on the court. “Definitely David Tyndale,” said second-year shooting guard and point guard Ostap Choliy when asked who’s the fastest on the team.
As this year’s co-captain, Tyndale is excited to get the season started and show his opponents what he has been practicing.
6 Supreme rookie Turnbull
When you spot the rookies standing side-by-side on the court, you might be surprised to see first-year player Travis Turnbull among them. The six-foot guard comes from St. Anne’s High School where he dominated the basketball court, point after point.
In high school he averaged 18 points, four rebounds and six as- sists per game, and was one of the biggest factors in helping his team move on to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations tournament.
New head coach Tom Oliveri recognizes him as “the depth in the backcourt that we wanted” and ad- mires the young man’s work ethic. Turnbull is already working on becoming a dominant player for his team as he works on directing the passes and controlling plays as shooting guard.
5 Height
They don’t call them giants for nothing. The team’s average height is about six-foot-four, and Turnbull knows that height advantage is definitely going to be a key for the players this season. “We have height in our front court and that builds athletics, so hopefully that will help us a lot,” said Turnbull. The two tallest players on the team are Stefan Haynes and Dejan Kravic, both six-foot-ten.
4 Steven Haynes, the persevering force
Haynes will be co-captaining the team as centre and will be responsible for gathering the rebounds near the basket. Haynes, one of the tallest players on the team, is also the oldest, playing for his fifth-year this season. He’ll bring knowledge to the team, he said, and make them stronger in any way possible.
“He performs well in big games and he knows how to deal with the pressure,” said Tyndale. This will be Haynes’ last year before moving on and his goal is to make this year the one that counts.
3 New Coaching Staff
After Bob Bain retired as head coach after 37 seasons last year, the team was handed over to new head coach Tom Oliveri. Previously the assistant coach, Oliveri is going to use what he has learned from the team in the past and their strengths to move forward.
York Lion Choliy notices a big change from last year and sees the coaching staff as a big help for the team in the long run. “It’s a lot tougher compared to last year. The coaches are more strict, they’re on us for everything and they want us to be perfect, but it’ll definitely help at the end,” said Choliy.
Oliveri has said that this season he will implement a more “up-tempo style” and “a fast, straight style” to get the team moving.
2 Practice makes perfect
When it comes to improving and fixing any mistakes on the court, the York Lions turn to practices to help keep them strong. The team practices Monday to Thursday, every week with practices going as long as two hours. A lot of the drills are on increasing speed, making accurate shots and building strength.
The York Lions recognize that practices are the best place for the team to learn and will hopefully help them reach nationals. “It’s definitely our intensity and our preparation that we put into practice that is going to help us become a running team,” said Haynes.
1 Experience
The team is comprised of many rookies this year, but the nine players who are in their second, third, fourth and fifth year will use the experience they have built over the years to help keep the team alive. “Everyone is getting older, the older you get the more experience you get and the more mature you get. Experience is going to make a big difference,” said Tyndale.
For the veterans of the game, experience in playing against opponents in the OUA and CIS championship will have a huge impact on the team. Oliveri sees the maturity of the experienced players as a helpful tool for the rookies this year and something the rookies can rely on.
“We expect a lot from those guys because they’re not young kids any- more and a lot of these guys are stepping into roles where we’re going to expect more of them.”