Wow! It is hard to believe that ONE YEAR has already passed. I am very proud and honored to be the head men’s basketball coach at Bridgewater College and look forward to doing so for many years to come. It seems like yesterday when I was standing at the podium, meeting the basketball team for the first time, trying to match up player photos from the media guide with class schedules to make sure I was meeting with the correct player in our first individual meetings. This September has a little more of normalcy to it – my family (wife and two children) is here in Bridgewater (last year they were not able to move up here until October 2008). The players are back into their routine of going to class, participating in their “fall workouts” all while enjoying being a college student on the beautiful campus here at BC As for the staff, myself, Alvin Green and Tim Meyers, we are staying busy as well with recruiting and attending as many open gyms and high school fall leagues which we are permitted to do on top of our other duties here at BC.
It is great to have the guys stop by the MBB office for their weekly academic meetings and see that they are excited to be back on the campus after being away for the summer. The BC campus is even more beautiful when all of the students return in the fall. Several of our guys (and WBB players) were counselors this past summer at our boys and girls basketball camps which we had on our campus this past June.
Our incoming freshman seem to be adapting well at BC. Those freshman are Joey Geary, guard, from Fauquier High School (which is the same school Justin Reavis attended); Kordero Thompson, guard, from Liberty – Bedford High School; Lyndon Humphries, forward, from nearby Riverheads High School, and Russell White, center, from Halifax County High School. These four freshmen have been well received by the returning players. Their smooth adjustment, so far, is largely due to our returning players taking these youngsters under their wings and showing them what is expected of them on and off the court in our program. Also, we as a staff, have a weekly meeting with the freshman where we meet on academics and provide them the guidelines on “time management of a student-athlete”.
The returning players are upbeat and excited for the upcoming season. The schedule which was released on our new website http://www.bridgewatereagles.com/ (a job well done by our Sports Information Office –Steve Cox, Tim Leister, and Cyndi Justice) has them excited because it is one of the toughest schedules they have played. We have a trip scheduled to Coastal Carolina University (Dec.12th Saturday) and were invited to play in a Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico over the Christmas Break (Dec. 19th – 23). Come and support us if you are free these days. Travel to Myrtle Beach and cheer us on against Coastal and you can get your shopping done at the outlets or you can golf during the day. Also, we have EMU, Wesley College and Averett participating in the Don Glick Classic on Nov. 21 -22. Wesley College and Averett both were NCAA tournament participants in 2009. Other non –conference opponents are Ferrum, Southern Virginia, Averett (again on Jan.30th )and Susquehanna University for our season-opener on Sunday, Nov.15th at 2 pm. Along with the always competitive ODAC schedule we will play six games against 2009 NCAA tourney participants as well as Division I opponent Coastal Carolina University.
I cannot have my first blog without mentioning the seniors who graduated this past May - Michael Scorsome, Kris Cecil, Justin Reavis, Matt Drewer, and Rob Rice. Once again, I want to say thank you to these guys and I am very proud of each of them because these guys kept a very positive attitude and worked extremely hard the entire season while adapting to a new system. Rob Rice and Kris Cecil were very worthy of their titles of “captains” on and off the court. They helped set a high standard for the captains in the future of the BC basketball program. These guys you will not see on the court this upcoming season but hopefully you will see them in the stands cheering on their BC Eagles this season. These guys will be fine ambassadors of Bridgewater College. I know Coach Leatherman is very proud of these graduates as well.I want all former men’s basketball players to please contact our basketball office at 540-828-5403 or 5789 or email dburgess@bridgewater.edu so we can update your current contact information. We want you to please stop by and speak / visit with “YOUR TEAM” when you are in the area. Together it is “OUR” program which we want each of you to be proud of.
Best of luck to each of our fall sports teams that are competing today and Saturday.
