CURTIS HENRY
Distribution Manager
When every student on campus received an email on Aug. 31 inviting them to an open men’s basketball tryout, reactions were a bit mixed. Some thought it was just an open invitation to try out. Others thought it was an act of desperation following a season that saw the Blue Devils only win two games. A few thought it was just coach Seymore’s sense of urgency to move forward from their troubles one year ago.
It’s actually NCAA Division III policy to hold open tryouts for sports teams. Each team on campus holds open tryouts each year, so this is nothing new.
What is new is the fact that the team went to such measures to reach out to anyone that may be interested. But Student Assistant Coach Dillon Faulkner said it was far from a move of desperation.
“We brought in a lot of recruits this year and were able to return quite a few guys from last season, which really works in our favor. Depth isn’t the issue,” said Falkner. “The email around campus was more so just to let anyone who is interested know they have the chance to come on as part of the team and play with us.”
It appears that the number of players won’t be an issue this season as it was last year for Fredonia. Last year the roster was composed of only eight players, which led to some trying times. However, essentially the entire team from a year ago will return with a few extra pieces.
“We have a couple of guys who are coming in on transfer and we have five or six freshman recruits. As far as I’m concerned, this year’s recruiting class is strong,” said Faulkner.
There will be much room for improvement this season for a squad coming off its worst record in nearly a decade. One of the bright spots from a year ago was now-sophomore Ian Helps, who went on to win the SUNYAC conference freshman of the year award. Last year he posted incredible averages of 14 points, nine rebounds, 1.3 blocks and one steal per game.
Helps reiterated that tryouts this year aren’t an act of desperation. They may be an act of urgency, but really he believes that the tryout email was a notice to get the team to avoid any complacency.
“I think coach wants each of us to know and to realize that our spots aren’t guaranteed,” said Helps. “Really he just wants to get the best out of us.”
Seymore knows how to get the best of his guys and has experience at the Division I level as both player and coach. He was drafted in the 1982 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He has played for Phil Jackson and has coached D-I basketball on both the men’s and women’s sides, on numerous occasions getting to the NIT and NCAA tournaments with Providence University. The man knows what he’s doing, and his players know it.
Incoming freshman Tyler Roberts has high hopes for his first season as a Blue Devil.
“I think we have a ton of talent. When you have the talent there just needs to be two other things, coaching and chemistry,” said Roberts, a Rochester native. “I know we have the coaching in place, last year the guys just lacked chemistry.
“I think we can win SUNYACs with what we have here,” continued Roberts. “It’s going to take a lot, but why not?”
Winning SUNYACs after last season’s dismal performance would be one of the biggest turnarounds in program history, possibly in the history of D-III basketball. If there’s a team to do it, it just may be this season’s Blue Devils.
Tryouts will take place over the course of the next few weeks, with the roster being locked prior to the first game of the year. The first game for Fredonia will take place at home on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. against Lycoming.