The key to team sports giving a team effort to pull out a win. A star quarterback cannot win a football game on their own if receivers drop perfect passes, an elite third baseman is nothing if first base cannot catch, and an outside hitter with the best jump in the league still needs a half-decent setter. But basketball’s five on five aspect creates a new scenario: one where smaller clubs can stay in games with larger rosters.
On the men’s side of the league, Kappa Sigma Tau and Chi Lambda Phi both brought back several stars. Chi’s Rylan Schlup, and Kappa’s Micah Tatro, Grant Dunham, Kohl Kirby, and Desmond Rolle may all be gone, but the remaining athletes like Carter Neal and Parker Landes (Chi), and Cade Berkey with Brayden Olson (Kappa) are more than good enough to step up for their respective clubs. Returning A team champion Jake Hergert spoke on how Kappa felt going into the season.
“We’re hyped to be back,” Hergert said. “We didn’t know if Cade was coming back to school this semester at first, but it’s looking good. It’s gonna be a good season for us.”
As always, where the prior year’s freshmen go is the main headline that can change the club dynamic for years to come. Out of last year’s starting five for the A league semi final, Landon Parker, Jacob McWatters, and Luke Patterson have rushed Chi, Josh Goodell is not in club, and Cole Osburn and Teagen Henson are playing for Delta Gamma Sigma. It is worth nothing that due to injury Jacob McWatters will not be competing this year. Chi athletic director Parker Landes spoke on the new rushees.
“Not having Jacob kind of sucks, we’re gonna miss that,” Landes said. “But having a guy like Landon Parker on our side of the ball this time makes me glad.”
Despite Delta going 0-3 on their opening night for A,B and C, Garrett Webster showed optimism, talking about the need to find the right spot for each player.
“Getting the right guys on the right teams and keeping everyone competitive is what we gotta do,” Webster said. “That and finding the right coaches can be really valuable, because some guys have never played basketball before.”
If a competitive fourth place freshmen squad brought enough talent to change the club dynamic, how about a championship roster? The freshmen girls took the championship last year, beating out Theta Theta Theta 32-20. Out of the reigning champions, championship MVPs Sydney Hampton and Kourtney Willingham have rushed Lambda Chi Zeta, while Addie Neal, Katie Ellsworth, and Josie Floyd all play for Gamma Rho. This team only lost to Gamma in the regular season before winning out, and these players all have a chance to turn their respective clubs into the number one team.
Another major headline this season is Natalie Smith becoming eligible for intramurals. Varsity athletes must wait out a year before being deemed eligible for competing in the same sport but at the intramural level, so after sitting out last year the forward-center hybrid is back and better than ever. Combining returners Leah Weber and Shaylee McCandles along with new rushees Addie Neal and Josie Floyd has given Gamma the roster needed to avenge their losses to Theta last year, winning earlier this week 40-16. Assistant coach Hunter Jones spoke on the team’s performance.
“We have really good chemistry,” Jones said. “All of our girls coming off the bench are great players, and most can shoot threes. This really helps out our offense and opens up the paint for us.”
Another team that has used rush to fully reload is Lambda. Picking up Sydney Hampton provided a roster to run through the freshmen in a way they could not last year. Athletic director Olivia Hampton spoke on the new and improved Lambda depth.
“We had only sig starters last year,” Hampton said. “ We had at least three or four girls out with injuries, so having a full roster that allows players to take breaks will be great.”
Defending runner-ups Theta may have had a tough start playing Gamma to kick off the season, but athletic director Allie Neilson explained how winning was not the main goal.
“I want it to be fun this year,” Neilson said. “Last year was really stressful, and intramurals are supposed to be fun. I want them to be fun with my girls, and we’re gonna have a good season getting closer together.”
So far only seven games have been played across five divisions. Gamma beat Theta in the A and B leagues, Lambda A beat freshmen while freshmen B took down Lambda, Alpha forfeit to Chi, and freshmen beat Delta in the A and B leagues.
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