Sports

Jacks, Colvin shedding their newness

Matthew Semisch

10/28/2014

When Brandon Colvin was hired by Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) in July, he inherited a Lumberjacks men’s basketball team that wasn’t a whole lot more accustomed to Bottineau than he was.

Of the 17 players on the first-year DCB men’s basketball head coach’s roster, seven are freshmen. The Jacks’ five sophomores from last season are gone, and four of them each averaged at least 15 minutes’ worth of time on the court per game.

DCB’s leading scorer from last season’s team that finished 25-8 is also gone. Julian Vasquez, who posted 18.4 points per game in 2013-14 as a sophomore, transferred to NCAA Division II school Colorado Mesa.

Two freshmen from last season, Xavier Cruz and Gilberto Shojgreen, also left. Both of them transferred to Williston State after former Jacks head coach Cory Fehringer was tabbed on May 22 to take over WSC’s men’s hoops program.

A lot of introductions, then, have had to be made within the Jacks’ camp over the offseason. Now, though, less than one week out from DCB’s season-opener against Canadian Mennonite University on Saturday, Colvin feels good about how his group has jelled together.

“I think we’ve pretty well got the newness sorted out to the point where guys are coming together and cliques are disappearing,” Colvin said. “That’s good to see, and on the court they’re looking good together.

“They know what each other does on the court, and they know where guys will be and where to get the ball to when, and so far we’re looking pretty good.”

DCB will host its annual Kevin Thom classic this Saturday and Sunday. The Lumberjacks’ men’s team will face Canadian Mennonite on Saturday at 8 p.m. before playing against Winnipeg on Sunday at 6 p.m.

DCB’s women’s basketball team will also appear in the tournament, playing Canadian Mennonite on Saturday at 6 p.m. before hosting Providence College on Sunday at 4 p.m.

During the tournament, DCB’s student government members will be holding a canned food drive outside the Thatcher Hall gymnasium.