Badgers edge Rams in opener

Expect Brock’s men’s basketball team to be a work in progress this season.

“It’s a long season and it’s still early and the reality is we’ve only been together for a month and a half now,” new head coach Willy Manigat said. “It’s coming along and every day we are getting better and trying to establish our identity.”

That identity is all-out effort.

“They have decided they want to be a team known for their hard work and their compete,” he said. “We have to come in every day and be hard working, disciplined and able to defend.”

Manigat brought in several new players this season, but it will be awhile before Brock fans get to see some of them in action.

“The reality this year is a lot of the players that are on the roster are going to be red shirts this season because they have transferred from other universities or whatever the case may be.”

Players on last year’s team who didn’t get much playing time will have a chance to shine under Manigat’s regime.

“Top to bottom, every single player on our roster this season is being asked to be completely different than they were last year,” he said. “They are going have a chance to make a name for themselves.”

Much of last year’s offence came from the departed Cassidy Ryan and Johneil Simpson and that scoring will be replaced by many.

“It is going to be done by committee, but that’s the style of play I like any ways, where everybody is a threat to score,” Manigat said. “We expect everyone to perform in a next man-up mentality.”

Among those expected to lead the committee scoring are Daniel Cayer, Kascius Small-Martin, Tyler Brown and Emmanuel Owootoah, a fifth-year transfer from Carleton.

“Even guys like Daniel Caldwell, who has been part of the team and hasn’t been asked to play too many minutes. Now he is going to be one of the players coming off the bench looking to support our starting five.”

Former St. Francis star Tyrell MacLennan will also get some minutes this season.

“In the preseason, we got him in all the games and gave him an opportunity,” Manigat said. “Essentially he is a first-year player who didn’t get a chance to do anything last year. He will have his bumps and bruises along the way but hopefully down the line he is someone we are high on for the future.”

No one player is expected to dominate the stat sheet.

“Everybody is going to have to play their part and I don’t think it is fair to put the pressure on any single one player and say that he is going to carry the team,” Manigat said.

The Badgers went 18-9 in regular season action last season, but Manigat isn’t concerned about his team’s record this season.

“It’s not about wins and losses,” he said. “I just want us to come in every single day, lace our boots up, work for each other and come playoffs, see where we are at.

“I’m hoping by the time our final game rolls around on Feb. 16, we are a team that nobody wants to see because we have developed over the year.”

Brock played four exhibition games and two controlled scrimmages during the preseason.

“We have been trying to focus on what we need to do on our end as opposed to loading up the schedule with games,” he said. “We are a new team and we want to build our culture.”

With the exception of perennial powerhouse Carleton, Manigat feels parity will rule in Ontario University Athletics play this season.

“The reality of our division this year is that every game that you play you get tossed into the fire because, other than Carleton, everybody can win a game at any point,” he said. “Every game we don’t come ready to compete, we are going to get annihilated.”

Brock opened regular season play Saturday at home with a 65-62 victory over the Ryerson Rams. The Rams outscored the Badgers 24-14 in the third quarter to erase a 10-point deficit before Brock rallied late for the win.

STAT PACK

Badgers 65 Rams 62

BPSN Player of the Game: Brock’s Tyler Brown with 22 points and five rebounds

For the Brock Badgers: Brown 21; Kascius Small-Martin 16; Godsman Kwakwah 9; Daniel Cayer 8.

For the Ryerson Rams: Jayden Frederick 25; Tevaun Kokko 13.

Games stats: Field goal percentage: Brock 34.2, Ryerson 34.9. Free throws: Brock 9-17, Ryerson 11-15. Rebounds: Brock 45, Ryerson 37. Turnovers: Brock 12, Ryerson 16.