After a disappointing 12-20 record last season and the graduation of key players including Chris Doherty and Luka Sakota, Northeastern men’s basketball is back and ready to redeem themselves. As this season kicks into gear, the Huskies are focusing on accountability and putting their trust in each other in order to be successful.
“Believing in the coaches, they put us in the right places to win, so just believe in that and do what you gotta do,” said junior guard Harold Woods.
Head coach Bill Coen emphasized the progress the team has been working through this offseason and the importance of taking it one day at a time at a CAA Men’s Basketball Media Day press conference Oct. 18.
“Just trying to get one percent better each and every day,” Coen said of the team’s focus this season. “Go in the gym, trust the process, get in there, put in the work and know that if you do that, it gives you the best chance for positive results, and not be results-driven but more process-driven.”
The team has been pushing harder on all fronts. Workouts and practices have been more intense to prepare the Huskies for this season, Coen said.
“Practice has been way harder than the last two years I’ve been here. Coach Coen took more energy into it,” Woods said. “He’s focused on winning and we just gotta keep believing and keep going.”
Although five of last season’s players left, Northeastern bounced back, recruiting two freshmen, three transfers and a walk-on.
“I’m still adjusting, but I feel like I’m getting better every day, just not trying to do too much and do my part and help out the guys with the bigger roles on the team,” said freshman guard Ryan Williams.
“It gives [an] opportunity for guys like Masai [Troutman] to step into [a] leadership role,” Coen said, referring to the junior guard. “It changes a little bit of our offensive scheme on who we play through and who we’re going to put the ball in whose hands at certain times of the game. And that’s been a little bit of an adjustment for our team and we’re working through that in the preseason. But it’s also an exciting time because there’s an opportunity for everybody to rise to the occasion and fill the void.”
Despite these new losses and additions, the team has been able to build their camaraderie on and off the court.
“I think everyone is starting to connect. We have a lot of people who played with each other already but I think the new guys are still kind of getting into that connection and trying to fit in,” Williams said.
This chemistry off the court has been stronger than in other years, which has been due to team events outside of practice, players said.
“The energy on the team has been different. It feels more like we’re a family,” Woods added.
In the offseason, the team continued to work toward getting better for this winter. For Williams, it meant working harder to be able to transition as smoothly as he can from the high school to college level.
“Going into the summer before coming here, I just knew that my game had to get more mature because college basketball is a lot different than high school — you can get away with a lot more in high school,” Williams said. “I feel like college had to be more mature and [I have to make] quicker decisions with the ball in my hand.”
The team won its season opener game against Boston University Nov. 4, but fell to Princeton Nov. 10. The Huskies are looking ahead to the rest of the season, and hopefully the rest of the results end in their favor.
The Huskies play Harvard at home Nov. 13.
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