Courtside with the Tigers

Opening Week Wrap Up

2011-11-21T08:13:00.000-08:00

There were definitely ups and downs while going 2-1 in the opening week of this 2011-12 season. On Wednesday we traveled to Kerrville, TX and won a very exciting game against Schreiner University. Overcoming some mistakes down the stretch, two major plays were made by the Tigers within the final minute - John Boxberger '13 took a charge with 38 seconds left and the score tied, then Robert Kitzinger '14 knocked down a three-pointer with a few seconds left to give the Tigers the victory (as seen in the above clip). It was encouraging to see our guys regroup in the clutch moments at the end of a close and hard-fought game. On Friday, the team headed up to Georgetown, TX to take on Concordia University. We rarely face an opponent like Concordia in conference play, with their up-tempo style of play, full court pressure defense and tremendous athleticism. The guys really held their composure and handled Concordia's waves and offensive spurts through out the game, which resulted in a solid 14 point victory. On Saturday, we took on a very good Claremont McKenna and just didn't match the effort and energy of the opponent.

Overall, it was a good first week of the season and we have plenty to learn from - not only from the loss, but also from the wins. This upcoming week won't be any easier as the Tigers are on the road for three more games - Tuesday in Seguin, TX against Texas Lutheran, and Friday/Saturday in Ashland, VA for the ODAC/SCAC Classic against preseason #1 Virginia Wesleyan and host Randolph-Macon. These should be great games to prepare us for the following week's opening play of conference games against Hendrix College and Colorado College.

King of the Court - Fall 2011

2011-10-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Usually King of the Court takes place on the first day of practice (Oct. 15) to kick off the new season. With gym availability conflicts, this year's KOTC was pushed back a day to this past Sunday, Oct. 16. There could have been concern for tired legs for the testing, but after the results were compiled, the 2011 Trinity Tigers proved to have come back in spectacular physical condition this season. Team averages improved in every test! The personal and team dedication to working hard in the offseason is apparent, as every returning player made improvements from last year's KOTC. We couldn't be more excited!

While everyone gave a great effort and performance, only one individual can be crowned as the King of the Court. This year's champion is sophomore forward Jonathan Wilt. Jonathan placed in the top five in four of the five tests (1st in the sprint and 2nd in conditioning!), as well as recording high improvements in all but one test. It was a very close competition that was only determined by a few points, but in the end, Jonathan's consistency carried him to the crown!

Coach Taylor Takes Head Coaching Job

2011-08-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

It is bittersweet to announce that Assistant Coach Hunter Taylor has taken the head coaching position at Spring Hill High School in Longview, TX. Coach Taylor is excited about the transition, as he will be taking over a talented Panther team that went 23-9 last season and was crowned the District 16-3A champion. Having gone to rival high school, White Oak, Spring Hill is a familiar school for Coach and he will have the opportunity to make an immediate impact. In fact, he will be putting his multiple talents to good use also serving as an assistant football and track coach, as well as teaching geometry.

His experience, enthusiasm and genuine interest in his players will ensure that Coach Taylor enjoys a great amount of success at the high school level. He was a tremendous influence on our team and we wish him nothing but the best.

Congratulations Coach Taylor!

Alumni Perspective

2011-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

D3Hoops.com began a terrific conversation via twitter raising the question of why student-athletes and schools would choose to participate at the Division III level. This struck the interest of one of our Trinity Basketball Alums and spurred him to submit an insightful recollection in our latest Alumni Perspective.

MY TIME AT A DIVISION III SCHOOL

Sometimes people ask me what I would do if I could go back and do it all over. To be honest, I’ve asked myself the same question. If I put in more work in high school, could I have played at a big-time D-I program? What would it be like to play college ball in front of 30,000 fans or in an arena like Cameron Indoor? Even though I can’t answer those questions, as I look back at the time I spent at Trinity – the experiences, the games, the friends – I find myself wondering, if I could change things, would I even want to?

It’s going to sound cliché, but attending Trinity allowed me to be a true student-athlete and still have time to be a normal college kid. I went to all my classes, made friends, had fun, goofed off – and played a very high level of basketball. I truly believe Division III schools hold this unique advantage over D-I and D-II institutions. You are expected to be a student first, an athlete second. Please don’t get me wrong, we took basketball very seriously. During my time at TU, we won conference championships, competed for national championships, finished the season ranked in the top 5 nationally, took a Big 12 team with two future NBA lottery picks down to the wire, and won more games than any other stretch in school history. If you really wanted to get Coach upset though, you didn’t mess up on the court, you messed up off it. We were expected to be model students and model citizens. I’m not sure this sentiment exists at higher levels of the NCAA.

Because we were held to a higher standard, we worked harder than the average student. We did every bit of school work and found time to put in 3+ hours a day for basketball. We learned how to multi-task, how to juggle commitments, and how to manage our time most efficiently. We learned how to be grown men. We didn’t have notes handed to us – we learned class material and put in the hours to get good grades. We weren’t one-and-done players moving on – we became friends for life. We didn’t have a tutor doing the work for us – we juggled class, basketball, and a social life successfully. When we graduated, we could not only look back with pride on what we had accomplished at our time at Trinity, we could look forward to the future with confidence that those years had prepared us for what lie ahead.

In my mind, this is what makes Division III athletics so special. The expectation to succeed not only on the court but in the classroom forces you to become a well-rounded individual. Your time as an athlete will come to an end. Mine did, but I’m grateful every day for the lessons I learned as a Trinity University athlete and how ready I was for life after basketball.

Go Tigers.

Mike Gilb ‘08

Nine Tigers Make Academic Honor Roll

2011-07-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

We are extremely proud to acknowledge nine of our Trinity Tiger basketball players for making the SCAC Spring Academic Honor Roll. The athletes are:

Clarke Allan '14
Ryan Beall '12
John Boxberger '13
Sam Dworkin '11
Matt Feldman '14
Sam Harris '12
Gil Melchior '12
Joe Shotland '14
Joel Van Essen '13

These guys embody what Division III and being a student-athlete is all about. Not only did they dedicate themselves to their teammates and contributed to our successes, but they also were able to balance their time and excel in the classroom, earning over a 3.25GPA for the semester. There are no mandatory study hours. We do not have special "athletic department tutors" specifically assigned to overlook our players' grade point averages. These guys are able to figure out how to be successful on both an academic front, as well as athletic.

Congratulations gentlemen - keep up the good work!

Class of 2015 Commitments

2011-06-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Trinity Basketball has now received five commitments for next year’s incoming freshmen class. The following players will be wearing maroon come October 15:

Charles Allen 6’3 Guard – Second Baptist School, Houston, TX – Averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds for a Texas 4A TAPPS semifinalist. Voted First Team All-District and Second Team All-State. Charles is an athletic guard who rebounds/defends very well, while combining deep shooting range and the ability to score in various ways off the dribble.

Jimmy Clark 6’3 Wing – Rockford Lutheran School, Rockford, IL – Averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists his senior season. Voted to the Big Northern All-Conference Team, Illinois 1A/2A All-State Fourth Team, and a Rock River Senior Classic All-Star Game selection. Jimmy is a very physical perimeter player with the ability to score the ball in various ways and willing to do the dirty work for his team’s success.

Matt Hopper 6’4 Wing – Rock Canyon High School, Highlands Ranch, CO – Averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists while shooting 40% from the three-point line. A three-time All-Continential League selection, while being named to the First Team his season year. Voted a Colorado 5A All-State Honorable Mention and Academic All-State selection. Matt brings tremendous athleticism to the wing position, with the ability to step out and make the deep three-point shot. He will also be playing on the Trinity Football team, where he was a First Team All-South Metro selection at the quarterback position.

Craig Saltarelli 5’11 Guard – Fairview High School, Boulder, CO – Averaged 14 points and 5 assists for a Colorado 5A State Runner Up. Named to the All Colorado State Tournament Team his junior season. Voted First Team All-Front Range League and Second Team All-Region, as well as, a two-time Academic All-State selection. Craig brings a great amount of versatility at the guard position, with the ability to score from anywhere on the court, along with a natural sense of finding open teammates.

William Young 5’10 Guard – St. John’s School, Houston, TX – William is transferring in from Arizona State where he was a redshirt freshman last season for the Sun Devils. In high school, he averaged 18 points, 8.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. A two-time TABC Large Private All-State and three-time All-Southwest Preparatory Conference selection. William is a gifted ball handler/passer and a true point guard with the ability to make big plays.

We are thrilled to bring in this athletic and skilled group of players, all of whom epitomize today’s “student-athlete.” Please join us in welcoming Trinity’s Class of 2015!

Guardian of the Game

2011-04-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

Every year the National Association of Basketball Coaches holds their convention in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Men's Final Four. During the convention, the NABC hosts its annual awards show honoring many different levels of accomplishments throughout college basketball. This year, our own Coach Pat Cunningham received the "Guardian of the Game - Advocacy Award." This is quite the honor, as there are only four "Guardian of the Game" awards given each year - Leadership (Don Meyer, Northern State), Education (Charlie Coles, Miami, OH), Service (Bill Self, Kansas), and Advocacy (Pat Cunningham, Trinity), and recognizes Coach Cunningham for his years of hard-work serving the NCAA and NABC.

If you know Pat Cunningham, and haven't done so already, feel free in joining the Trinity Basketball Community in congratulating Coach for this tremendous (and most necessary) recognition.

2011 SCAC Tournament Wrap Up

2011-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

There was some terrific basketball played at this past weekend's SCAC Tournament in Jackson, MS. The Tigers came out of the gates on fire Friday against Rhodes, but came up two points short of making the championship game against DePauw on Saturday. It was a tough way to end the season, but our guys "left it all on the court" and we couldn't have been more proud. For our players that are returning, this will hopefully motivate them to continue to improve over the off-season and build on this year's successes.

It was amazing to find ourselves in position to make a run at the SCAC Title this season, especially considering the slow start we had; but, that is a testament to the type of players we have on our team. They bought into what we were trying to accomplish as a group and therefore were successful. That attitude and dedication to the team was apparent in Saturday's game against DePauw. We were down early by double digits and it would have been very easy for our guys to start trying to take over the game individually, but instead, they continued to play the way the coaching staff was asking them to and gave themselves a chance to win the game at the end. Collective efforts like that often go unnoticed when a team loses, but it was really a defining quality in this year's team.

We're Goin' To Jackson

2011-02-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

As much as we didn't want to call it a revenge game against Southwestern on Friday night, it sure felt like it. The intensity was high and the two teams fought all the way to the end, where the Tigers were able to avenge a heartbreaking loss to the Pirates on the late game heroics of Nick Caputo in early December. On Saturday night, the Tigers gave University of Dallas (who is currently a Division III Independent) a taste of what it will be like in the SCAC next year, as UDallas will join the SCAC beginning in the Fall. We couldn't have had a better "Senior Night," as our two seniors combined for 36 points (Luke Caldarera - 21 and Sam Dworkin - 15) and leading us to victory.

The Tigers finished the regular season strong, winning their last 6 games, ending with a 15-10 (11-5 SCAC) record, and earning the West Division #1 Seed for this weekend's SCAC Tournament - as Mr. Cash would sing, the Tigers are goin' to Jackson! The Tigers will match up against the East's #4 seed, Rhodes College, who are playing their best basketball right now and will prove to be a very difficult first round game. This year, the men's tournament will play the first round games at Belhaven University's Heidelberg Gymnasium, and the rest of the tournament at Millsaps College. The Tiger's will tip-off the tournament at 1 p.m. on Friday.

Click here for the 2011 SCAC Tournament Website.

Senior-Day Saturday

2011-02-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

The last two seasons, Trinity Basketball has graduated a great deal of players (6 in 2009, 5 in 2010); each class leaving large holes to fill numbers-wise and talent-wise. This year's senior class is only comprised of two student-athletes, but will leave just as big of shoes to fill. Saturday's contest against the University of Dallas will be our annual "Senior Day," honoring the Tigers' Class of 2011. Now would be a good time to talk about these student-athletes.

#33 Sam Dworkin - 6'4 Forward - Portland, OR
Sam is definitely one of the most enjoyable personalities to come through Trinity Basketball. His light-heartedness and geniune ability to connect with his teammates through humor will never be matched, but don't let his smile fool you, Sam is also one of the hardest working players to wear the maroon and white. Seeing limited in-game minutes in his first three seasons, Sam came to work every day in AND out of practice. While others would sulk and lose motivation to better themselves as players, he jumped at every opportunity to develop his skills and athletic ability - some would call him a gym rat or workout junkie. Whatever you call him, Sam worked hard to become one of the conference's major three-point threats. This season, as a key contributor for the Tigers, Sam has kept defenses honest by being able to spread the floor and shoot with range. He is also a vocal leader on the floor - encouraging his teammates and generating enthusiasm every game. Off the court, Sam is a member of the Phi Sigma Chi fraternity and a double major in Business Marketing and Spanish.

#40 Luke Caldarera - 6'4 Forward - Houston, TX
Luke came into Trinity his freshmen year as a typical "Division III Tweener." Considered too short to play post, but not quick enough to play on the perimeter at the Division I level. Often high school players are passed up on athletic scholarships because of this "tweener" tag. The word "tweener" couldn't have sounded better to Trinity Basketball. Over Luke's career, he has been a key contributor to the success of the program through his ability to score and rebound the basketball. Having arguably the best midrange shot in all of Division III didn't come naturally to Luke though. He put in the hours (whether it was just him and a ball, on the shooting machine, or with coaches during the season outside of practice) and worked to become one of the most dangerous offensive threats the SCAC has seen the last four years (2-time First Team All-SCAC and 2-time NABC Second Team All-South Region). After Luke graduates, Trinity won't just miss a top 10 scorer in the history of the program,; we will be missing an energetic, passionate, and tremendous teammate. Off the court, Luke is a double major in Business Marketing and Finance.

Again, while it may appear that we are ony losing two players from this year's roster, what the Class of 2011 brings is so much more - work ethic, enthusiasm, dedication, passion (and always a great sense of humor, hence the above picture!). It will be exciting to see how they finish their already successful careers here in the next few weeks!

Tigers Clinch West's #1 Seed

2011-02-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

Trinity Basketball collected two major wins this weekend over Colorado College and Austin College. With Southwestern beating Colorado on Sunday, the Tigers clinched the West Division's #1 seed in the SCAC Tournament on Feb. 25-27. The team will finish SCAC play with Southwestern Friday and then a non-conference matchup with future SCAC-member, University of Dallas, both at home.

SCAC Weekend Wrap UP

2011-02-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

Trinity Basketball hit the road last weekend to two difficult places to play - Jackson, MS (Millsaps College) and Conway, AR (Hendrix College) and came out with two big victories, putting the Tigers a half game behind the top spot in the West Division of the SCAC. Everyone on the team gave a terrific effort and played as one unit. One Tiger was acknowledged for his performance - senior forward, Luke Caldarera, as he was awarded SCAC Player-of-the-Week, making it the second time this season, and third time of his career, that he has earned the honor.

Friday night's game in San Antonio against Colorado College will be crucial if the Tigers hope to earn that top West Division seed for the SCAC tournament in two weeks.

Looking Brighter In 2011

2011-01-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

2011 couldn't have come any sooner for the Tigers. Ending 2010 with a loss to Colorado College on New Year's Eve was a difficult way for our guys to end the year, but instead of hanging their heads, they came together as a group and ran off three great wins against SCAC West Division opponents (Austin College, Millsaps College, and Hendrix College). Senior Luke Caldarera was spectacular, averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds in the three wins, earning him the honor of SCAC Player of the Week. While the rest of Trinity's student body was at home for holiday break, our guys brought the enthusiasm and intensity needed to carry the Tigers to victory - there were even a couple of energy plays the last two weekends (who knew we had players that could dunk?). If the Tigers can continue to improve each week, then this season could be very interesting by the end of February.

Getting On Track

2010-12-22T21:57:00.001-08:00

Trinity Basketball took a much needed step in the right direction this past weekend in Georgetown, TX at the Southwestern University Holiday Classic. With two quality wins against Albion and Hardin Simmons, the Tigers showed signs of the group's potential. Although we are still not 100% where we COULD be, it was a great weekend grounded by an all around team effort. With contributions coming from every healthy player on the team, the guys appear to be getting on track as a unit and gelling together on the court.

One product of the successful weekend was the recognition of First-Year Robert Kitzinger's shooting performance. Kitz was a consistent threat from the three-point line in both games, knocking down eight total, and earned the honor of SCAC Player-of-the-Week.

The team is off for the holidays and will return to action next week to take on Nebraska Wesleyan at home on Dec. 29.

Midnight Madness - Halloween Edition

2010-11-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

The past two seasons a strong Trinity Basketball tradition has been missing, but Midnight Madness made a great comeback last Thursday, October 28th. Sponsored by the sororities and fraternities, the student body really got behind this year's Halloween theme (the winner of the costume contest was a pregnant cookie monster - although there was a strong push for Monty Python's one armed Black Knight). The event began with the introduction of the Men's and Women's Basketball teams and consisted of a few dance routines (our first-years showing their moves), a faculty/student knock-out game, a short team scrimmage, and finished off with a dunk contest. First-year guard, Matt Selling, came away the winner with the most creative dunk of the night. It was an overall fun night and did a great job of raising excitement for the start of basketball season.

King of the Court - Fall 2010

2010-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

October 15th not only marks the first day of NCAA basketball, but it also is the date for Trinity Basketball's Fall King of the Court Competition. The competition is made up of five tests (vertical leap, agility, sprint, bench press reps, conditioning) and each individual on the team is awarded points for their rankings in two categories per test (test performance and percentage increase from prior semester's test). Broken up into smaller groups, testing started from 8 a.m. and lasted for approximately three hours. The team came out and gave great effort in hopes of being crowned "King of the Court."

So with that being said, our Fall 2010 "King of the Court" is sophomore guard, Joel Van Essen. Joel placed high on the vertical leap, agility, and finished first in the conditioning. His hard work in the off-season truly showed, as he also recorded high improvements in four of the five tests. With his tremendous work-ethic, it will be a challenge for the rest of the team to claim Joel's title in the spring.

2010-11 Season Begins

2010-10-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

Even though Trinity's campus was very quiet this morning, as students were on their fall break, Sam's Gymnasium was far from silent. Today marked the first day of NCAA Basketball and the Tigers kicked the season off with a great day of competition. While most Division I programs will open their season with a Midnight Madness (we hold ours later in the schedule - this year it is October 28...mark your calendars!), Trinity Basketball was in the gym by 8 a.m. with the bi-annual "King of the Court" Challenge. We will have a write-up on KOTC soon, but in short, it was a terrific effort by all of the players and really demonstrated the focus and dedication this year's squad - just ask a few of the guys that finished the conditioning portion of the challenge (see picture below for evidence!).

In the afternoon, we had our first practice of the season. The coaching staff couldn't be more impressed with the work ethic and energy brought by all participating players. The competition level was tremendous. It will be exciting to see how this group progresses as a unit, because the talent is definitely there.

Tomorrow will be another eventful day, as one of the strength and conditioning trainers from the San Antonio Spurs will be working out our team in the morning and we will again have a team practice in the evening. Looks like the guys are going to be sleeping well the next few nights!

Tigers Add Another Seat to the Bench

2010-09-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

Trinity Basketball is proud to introduce our newest addition to the coaching staff—Hunter Taylor. In addition to assisting for the Tigers, Coach Taylor will be entering his first year in law school at St. Mary’s University. Last year, he was an assistant coach on Joe Wootten’s staff at O’Connell High School in Washington, D.C., while also working as a legislative staffer for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Coach Taylor, a native of White Oak, TX, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Texas in 2005 and earned his Master of Arts in Education from the University of Mississippi in 2008.

Trinity Basketball will immediately benefit from his passion for the game and enthusiastic approach.

What is Division III?

2010-09-01T07:24:00.000-07:00

As the NCAA continues to define the identity of Division III athletics (refer to above video), now would be a great time to share an article written a few years back (1999 to be exact) by a Cornell College student-athlete. It is a terrific perspective on what drives a Division III athlete to take on such a difficult task as managing academics and athletics – especially when he/she strives to be successful in both arenas.

Why We Play Division III Athletics

It's not about getting a scholarship, getting drafted, or making SportsCenter. It's a deep need in us that comes from the heart.

We need to practice, to play, to lift, to hustle, to sweat. We do it all for our teammates and for the student in our calculus class that we don't even know.

We don't practice with a future major league first baseman; we practice with a future sports agent.

We don't lift weights with a future Olympic wrestler; we lift with a future doctor.

We don't run with a future Wimbledon champion; we run with a future CEO.

It's a bigger part of us than our friends and family can understand.

Sometimes we play for 2,000 fans; sometimes 25. But we still play hard. You cheer for us because you know us.

You know more than just our names. Like all of you, we are students first.

We don't sign autographs. But we do sign graduate school applications, MCAT exams, and student body petitions.

When we miss a kick or strike out, we don't let down an entire state. We only let down our teammates, coaches, and fans. But the hurt is still the same.

We train hard, lift, throw, run, kick, tackle, shoot, dribble, and lift some more, and in the morning we go to class. And in that class we are nothing more than students.

It's about pride—in ourselves, in our school.

It's about our love and passion for the game. And when it's over, when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves.

We will forever be what few can claim...college athletes.

- Sean Sornsin, Dec. 3, 1999 edition of The Cornellian

First-Year Move-In Day

2010-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today was an exciting day, not only for Trinity Basketball, but for the entire Trinity University Campus – First-Year Move-In Day! Sam’s gymnasium was packed with eager first-years checking-in, bouncing between information booths, and getting their photos taken for their TigerCards. The first week of freshman year at Trinity is definitely a memorable one, with scheduled events such as lecture speakers, information sessions, dorm and mentor group activities, and the additional excitement of getting to know so many new faces from all different backgrounds.

For us, it was great to spend some time with our incoming freshmen class and their families. Only at a university such as Trinity are families from all over the country able to immediately connect and hit it off so well. We are excited to have such an enjoyable group of people join our Trinity Basketball Family.

Alumni Perspective

2010-08-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

With a busy summer full of camps and recruiting, it has been a while since our last update on Courtside. With the school year quickly approaching (first-years report next Friday!), things are starting to pick up again. We thought now would be a great time to post another Alumni Perspective.

"When Coach Burt asked me to write about what it means to be a Tiger I sat for about 30 minutes, sifting through all the mental highlights of my 4 year career. Countless plays and games vividly flashed in my mind, the Stroberg game winner against Southwestern, our miraculous comeback against University of Dallas on Campus of Champions weekend, and who could forget Luton's ridiculous SportsCenter top ten worthy drop step dunk against Millsaps. Even some of the low points crept back in to my thoughts, like the crushing defeat at Wisconsin Stevens Point, and even all of my "attempted dunks", for lack of a better word, throughout my career. However, the one thing that truly stands out in my mind over the course of those 4 years are the friendships I established and still have to this day. The fact that I'm writing this right now is a testament to the friendships created on the court at Trinity University. During our 5 years as roommates, Coach Burt could have probably filled the Alamodome with my complaints whenever I was asked to write a paper or anything more than a paragraph for that matter, but I jumped at the chance to write about my experiences as a TU basketball player because I knew it was important to him.

The friendships that are created on the court can not be duplicated anywhere else. Sure you can hang out with a few friends at the dining hall or say hi to a buddy from Econ 101 in passing walking back to your dorm room, but when you can take one look at your teammate and know exactly what he's thinking on and off the court because of the hours, days, weeks, months, and even years of hard work you've put in, that's a special feeling. Even when we get together today to play a little pick up ball it's still fun to know when that back door pass is coming even if we might be a few steps slower than we were in our prime.

Through all the hard practices, off season scrimmages, big wins, and heartbreaking losses the one constant was always friendship. You can't play at Trinity for more than 4 years (or an extra 5th year of intramurals if you're lucky), but the stories and memories that you'll make will last a lifetime. I will be in Arizona soon for a mini college reunion and more than half of the guys there will be old basketball teammates from Trinity. I can guarantee you we will find at least a few hours on that trip to talk basketball and tell stories about "back in the day" when the only care in the world we had was rounding up 10 of your best buddies and playing some ball."

James Lake
Class of '06

Class of 2014 Commitments

2010-05-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Trinity Basketball has now received five commitments for the Class of 2014! We are excited to see the following student-athletes in maroon next season:

Jacob Cukjati 6'7 Post - Antonian College Prep, San Antonio, TX - Averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds for a Texas TAPPS 5A state-semifinalist. Voted First Team All-District, Second Team All-State, and Academic All-State as a senior. Jacob has a knack for the basketball, a terrific work ethic and enjoys physical play.

Matt Feldman 5'10 Guard - Punahou School, Honolulu, HI - Averaged 10 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals as a three year letterman, winning a Hawaii State Championship during that time. A Hawaii All-State and ILH All-Star selection his senior season. Matt is a true point guard; quick, terrific ball handler and passer with great court vision, and the ability to make his teammates better.

Zach Lambert 6'4 Wing - Centennial HS, Frisco, TX - Career leader in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, 3pt%, and the most decorated player to come out of Frisco Centennial High School. A three year letterman, voted to the All-District 9-4A First Team two years in a row. Zach is a head smart basketball player, with an ability to score in various ways and defend different positions on the court.

John LaVanway 6'6 Forward - Brophy College Prep, Chandler, AZ - Averaged just under a double double for a top 15 team in Arizona 5A. John is a "team-first" type athlete that has a gift for tracking down rebounds and physical play, coupled with the ability to step outside and knock down shots.

Jonathan Wilt 6'6 Wing - Hamilton HS, Chandler, AZ - Averaged 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists for an Arizona 5A state semifinalist. Voted to the Arizona Fiesta All-Region First Team as a senior. Jonathan brings great athleticism/explosiveness and has the ability to shoot the three, as well as, break defenders down off of the dribble.

These five are not only accomplished on the basketball court, but probably more so off the court. They are terrific individuals who are looking forward to taking full advantage of playing championship level basketball, while earning one of the top educations in the country.

2009-10 Highlight Film

2010-03-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

It was a fun year, filled with many highlight moments - game winning shots, big defensive possessions, overtime thrillers. Below is our highlight film for the 2009-10 season. We hope you enjoy!

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

2010-03-08T14:13:00.001-08:00

When someone asks me about my experience as a college basketball player I immediately dive into the rolodex of great memories I have from being a Trinity Basketball Player, choose one and then use it to try and make that person feel what I felt everyday with my teammates. For the sake of your time, I will try to sum it up without getting too specific with vivid memories and stories.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of Trinity Basketball. It is absolutely a feather in my “Player Cap”. There were many factors that played a role in our success but one of the most important and most meaningful parts for me was our relationship as a team. We spent every waking moment together and loved it. When you are a part of a team there are so many things that you have to deal with as an individual, and it is up to you to either keep them to yourself or to let them out and open yourself up to your teammates and coaches. The great thing about being a part of a team is that you can take those issues and make them known, acknowledge them and talk them out. We did that in our own unique way and it worked.

We had no secrets in our team, no cliques and no alliances. If someone needed anything, we would be there for each other. I remember Mitch Walker staying after practice for an hour to rebound for me when I was struggling with my shot, or when Chad Stroberg came into practice early to work on his post entry passes with Peter Murray. There was an understood and unspoken bond between all of us, and that was the foundation for all of our success. We shouted out our differences (when we had them) and then healed the wounds from those scuffles off the court, we hugged it out, and then got back to work the next time we hit the court as a tighter unit.

Now, you might ask: What does this mean for an up and coming college athlete? Where is the lesson to be learned out of this? My answer to those questions can be summed up in one phrase “Maximizing Potential”. Every team in the world has the potential to be as tight as the families that each individual that makes the team up comes from. Its up to you and your teammates to maximize that potential.

When you join a team you have options and decisions to make about what kind of a team you want to play on, what is best for the unit, and if there are things that can be changed, change them. Be a teammate first and a basketball player second. The group that I was so fortunate to be a part of recognized that actions spoke volumes louder than words and we were there for each other, no questions asked. I would recommend to anyone that if you’re going to the gym, invite a teammate, call everyone on the team and let them know that you’re trying to get better so you can contribute to the success of the team NOT to your personal success. Basketball is a team sport, it will always be that way and at the end of the day the team that can walk on to the court and compete with no internal issues will be successful.

One last tidbit of “wisdom” that I would impart onto a young athlete would be to not be afraid to look stupid. As a second unit player for a lot of my career, I spent very little time actually sitting on the bench, I was up screaming at the top of my lungs helping my teammates be successful from the sidelines and I tried my best to take that enthusiasm onto the court. Refs would have to ask me to sit down two to three times a game. You’ve only got so much time to play the sport that you love, squeeze everything you can out of that time and do it with your teammates walking right next to you. You’ll come out of it with some of the best times, friends and memories that you could ever ask for.

- Casey Hill, '07

2010 SCAC Tournament Wrap Up

2010-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Our guys fought hard this weekend and gave everything they had, but in the end, when shots aren't falling, it's tough to win three games in a row. Friday night, we battled a terrific offensive team in Oglethorpe University, but come tournament time, defense prevails. With plenty of lead changes, it took a second half offensive showcase by junior forward Luke Caldarera to earn the first round victory. With only three points in the first half, Caldarera came out firing for 23 second half points - including a spectacular spin move into a crucial three-pointer. His scoring, coupled with tough defense from the entire group, gave us a very dramatic win.

On Saturday, we faced a hard-nosed Centre bunch. The game really came down to which team could make a shot. Several "in and outs" frustrated our guys in the first half and Centre capitalized - the ball just wasn't going in the basket.

It was a tough game to end the season on, but winning 8 of our last 10 games of the season really showed the character of this year's team. When things weren't going well earlier on in the season, the guys could have easily given up and quit, but they didn't. They came together as a team and went to work. We couldn't have asked for a harder working group of players.

Next Stop, Jackson!

2010-02-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

With an embarrassing loss at home in December, our guys really wanted to get back at Southwestern this past Friday on their home court. The Pirates were having their senior-tribute night and to make things more exciting, it was their "Black Out Night." It was a great atmosphere and a very exciting game. Both teams gave full effort and energy, despite poor shooting. Luckily, we were able to scrap our way to a HUGE victory, thanks to great offensive performances by junior forward Luke Caldarera (21 pts - 8-10 from the FT line) and senior guard Bryant Wilson (18 pts - 4-7 from the 3pt line).

Not only was this win big because it was against a rival, but it was even bigger because it launched our team from a potential #4 seed to the #2 seed in this weekend's SCAC Tournament. This matches us up against Oglethorpe on Friday at 3 p.m.

Check out the SCAC Website for tournament information.

SCAC Weekend Wrap Up

2010-02-16T10:01:00.001-08:00

The last three weekends could turn any coach's hair grey. After dropping Friday nights game in Sherman, TX against Austin College, we entered into a must-win game against Colorado College up in Colorado Springs, CO. If we lost, there was a slim-to-none chance that we would make the SCAC tournament, but if we won, we clinched a seed. We jumped out to an early lead and held it for most of the game, but Colorado's Nick Rose (leading scorer in the SCAC at 21 ppg!) kept hitting tough shot after tough shot to slowly get them back in the game. Luckily, we were able to hold on to a one point victory and pull out the victory. Our guys fought extremely hard and played with an enormous amount of energy, even with the tough travel.

The Austin College/Colorado College weekend is always the toughest in regards to traveling. This year was especially tough! With a record amount of snowfall in Dallas on Thursday (the day we happened to be trying to fly through Dallas), we ended up having to bus up to Sherman due to flight cancellations. What usually is a 5 hour bus ride, took near 12 hours with roads being closed and everything else that happens when it snows in Texas! (I'm not sure if anyone in Texas really knows how to drive in snow - myself included!) Luckily, we got to all of our destinations safely and were even able to come away with a SCAC tournament clinching victory!

SCAC Weekend Wrap Up

2010-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

Another great weekend for the Tigers, with two must-win games at home. Friday night's game against Hendrix College was a perfect example of "always be ready if you're number is called." In this case, it was junior forward Sam Dworkin's number. Sam hasn't had a lot of minutes this season, but that didn't keep him from being a key reason why the Tigers were able to handle the visiting Warriors. Shooting 7-8 from the field, his game-high 17 points and great energy off the bench spurred the Tigers to a 78-56 victory. His back-to-back three-pointers early in the second half began a great run that broke open a two-point game, with the Tigers never looking back.

Before Sunday's game against Millsaps College, we honored our senior class during our annual "Senior-Day". We came out pretty sloppy, lacking energy in the first half, which turned into a 14 point halftime deficit. Maybe it was the sense of urgency that this was our last home game of the season (and last home game for the seniors' careers!), but our guys turned it up a notch or two during the second half. The guys fought hard and battled all the way to the finish. Plenty of key plays (key defensive possessions, Bryant Wilson three-pointer) built up to the final Trinity offensive possession resulting in an assist by sophomore guard Ryan Beall to senior forward Peter Garatoni's game winning layup with two seconds remaining. (Above is the clip of Garatoni's game winner - special thanks to alums Mitch Walker, '06, and Charles Houston, '09, for the broadcast play-by-play). Luckily, we held on for a one point victory!

With these two wins, the Tigers moved up to third place in the SCAC West Division by 1/2 a game above Colorado College (top 4 teams of each division make SCAC tournament). This weekend the Tigers will travel to Sherman, TX to play Austin College on Friday night and then Colorado Springs, CO to play Colorado College on Saturday night. With only three SCAC games remaining (all on the road), each game becomes more and more important.

Senior-Day Sunday

2010-02-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

With Senior-Day taking place on Sunday's home game against Millsaps, now would be a good time to talk about the great group of guys we have graduating this May. From left to right, we have:

#10 Terrance Blakely - 5'10 Guard - Seattle, WA
Terrance began his career at Trinity by playing on the JV team his freshmen year and working his way up to a very solid role player off the bench for us this year. Very few players have come through Trinity with such a great work ethic outside of practice. Whether it is spending the extra time in the weight room or working on his fundamentals in an empty gym by himself, Terrance's dedication to the game of basketball has been an inspiration. Off the court, Terrance is a member of the Phi Sigma Chi fraternity and a double major in Business Finance and Sociology.

#45 Michael Tobolowsky - 6'4 Guard - Dallas, TX
Michael "Tobo" also began his career at Trinity by playing on the JV team and working his way up to a starting role this season. Every offseason Michael has put in great work to get better for each season. His versatility in being able to play the 3 or 4 position has played a huge part in the Tigers' successes over the past two seasons. Off the court, Michael is a member of the Phi Sigma Chi fraternity, a double major in Business Finance and Marketing and is on pace to graduate cum laude.

#42 Peter Garatoni - 6'5 Forward - San Antonio, TX
Like Michael and Terrance, Peter began his career at Trinity by playing on the JV team and working his way up to a starting role this season. When you think of what type of athlete should be a role-model for Division III athletics, no one would fit better than "Pete". When it comes to basketball, he is a dedicated hard worker that doesn't take a day off in practice. Off the court, Peter is quite possibly the most involved athlete ever to come through Trinity. Not only is he an engineering major (with a math minor) graduating cum laude, but he is an active member in the Trinity Choir, a member of a student led acapella group called the Trinitones, a representative in the student-government for two years, and the President of the Trinity Chapter for the professional engineering organization, AEEE. It's still unknown how he is able to balance everything, but he does with style!

#34 Bryant Wilson - 6'4 Guard - Dallas, TX
Bryant has taken full advantage of his NCAA eligibility over the last five years. Prior to this season, Bryant was the starting quarterback and an all-SCAC performer for the Trinity football team. This fall, Bryant made the decision to come out for the basketball team and has been a great asset this season, starting a majority of our games. He has been an outside threat that defenses have had to keep an eye on, opening up our offense. Off the court, Bryant is a Business Finance major and a member of the Bengal Lancer fraternity.

#21 Bart Taylor - 5'9 Guard - San Antonio, TX
Bart did not start his career at Trinity, but we are glad that he will be finishing it here. Transferring in from Concordia Univeristy, Bart has brought nothing but energy and effort since the day he stepped foot into Sam's Gymnasium. His speed and quickness is rarely matched at the Division III level and has proven to be a vital key the past few seasons for the Tigers, especially this season as he has played the second most minutes on the team. Bart has also been a "crowd favorite" with his creative facial hair over the years - last year's "Stachey Friday" event was heavily inspired by Bart's "70's Stache". Off the court, Bart will earn his degree in Mathematics.

If you have (or have had) the opportunity to get to know this group of seniors, you'll know what a great mix of personalities these guys have brought to Trinity Basketball. Every day is an enjoyable one around these guys, and for that, we thank them. It will be exciting to see how they finish their careers here in the next few weeks!

SCAC Weekend Wrap Up

2010-02-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

It was a great weekend for the Tigers! Birmingham Southern is still considered a "provisional" member in the SCAC and Division III, meaning they are not able to compete in our conference tournament or the NCAA tournament this year. However, this does not mean they are a push-over team. In fact, they are just the opposite. Their SCAC games still count in conference play and they came into last Friday's game as the top team in the SCAC. It was a defensive battle from the start, and we nearly squandered a 15 point halftime lead; but that's basketball, a game of runs. In overtime, a huge three-pointer by sophomore guard Ryan Beall (video above) and a few huge steals by senior guard Terrance Blakely carried us to the victory. As we are in a tight race to make the SCAC tournament, learning how to win tough games is essential and the BSC game definitely fit that mold.

A main concern when you play back-to-back nights is that your team will have an emotional let-down from a great effort the night before - especially an overtime game. At the start of Saturday night's game against Rhodes, it looked like that was going to be the case. We didn't get off to a very good start, but the Tigers were able to come together and pick up the energy to take a convincing win against a talented Lynx team.

If the Tigers are able to maintain the same energy this weekend, it should make for another exciting two SCAC contests. Hendrix comes to Sam's Gymnasium Friday for an 8 p.m. game with revenge on their mind for the earlier loss to the Tigers in Conway on January 8th. Nick Heathscott had a monster game with 27. He is a tough matchup for the Tigers' inside players.

Sunday's game against Millsaps should be a very hard fought one. We are currently tied for the final SCAC tournament spot in the West Division. It also is our final home game of the season and will be "senior day" in honor of our five seniors.

Be sure to catch both games live on our "Tigers LIVE" tab on the basketball homepage!

King of the Court - Spring 2010

2010-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday, our guys participated in the inaugural "King of the Court" competition. With five tests (vertical leap, agility, sprint, bench max reps, conditioning), the team competes with each other for the unheralded title of "King of the Court." This competition will take place every semester and the winner is decided based on a combination of best performance and greatest increase in each category.

The Spring '10 "King of the Court" is senior guard, BART TAYLOR. Bart placed first in both agility and sprint, while placing third in conditioning. Bart's competitive spirit really showed as he was determined to test his best.

Now the bar is set and next year's returners and newcomers will look to be the future "King of the Court."

SCAC Weekend Wrap Up

2010-01-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

There is a lesson to learn from this past weekend's games. The game is 40 minutes, not just 20. Coming out Friday night against Oglethorpe, we were flat. The energy wasn't there and we got down big. The guys came together at halftime and decided that regardless of whether or not their shots were falling, they were going to play hard. Sadly, we came up short with a 66-62 loss, but had we applied that type of energy in the first half, we would have really given ourselves a great opportunity to win a tough basketball game.

It was great to see the guys took that to heart on Sunday. We were able to put two hard-working halves together and, eventhough we still didn't shoot the ball that well, we came out with a solid 19 point victory against a tough, scrappy Sewanee Tigers team.

This weekend's games in Danville, KY (Centre College) and Greencastle, IN (DePauw University) will be a great test to see if we can stay consistent with our energy and communication. When those two things are clicking, we're a very tough team to beat.

ALUMNI PERSPECTIVE

2010-01-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

Every year around October/November, Trinity University invites all of its alumni back on campus for a weekend of memories. Trinity Basketball has been fortunate to have so many returning alums continue to stay connected and be around the program. During these weekends, alumni share their "reflections" of what Trinity means/meant to them and we thought it would be a great recurring topic on this blog to have some "Alumni Perspective."

"What I remember about my time as a Trinity Tiger"

If you had asked me what I remember most about my time as a Tiger shortly after graduation, I think I would have had a very different answer than now. Then I would have made a list of victories and championships, personal accomplishments, and maybe even a step by step verbal replay of the best dunks throughout my career (ally-oop on the first play against Texas A&M is up there). The competitor in me that hates to lose might even retell some of the heartbreak losses in my career that drove me and my teammates to get better (at DePauw freshman year, Sul Ross State junior year). Mostly, my response would have been about the success of our team and the great times that we had together on and off the court.

My answer now would view the same events with a different scope. The losses fade and even the wins lose their glory. Your individual and team accomplishments are eclipsed by those behind you, but some things will never fade or be eclipsed. The memories I have with my teammates are still vivid in my mind and will always remain so. Not the on the court memories I would have thought when I graduated, but other things that seemed insignificant at the time. I remember walking from the gym to Mabee with my teammates after practice. I remember eating at Main Street Pizza with the guys on a Friday night and getting my free Trini-Tea. I remember our annual lake party in the spring to celebrate the season. I remember the little moments that had little to do with wins and losses. Those memories will not fade.

All of those unforgettable memories are shared with my teammates, my best friends. I had friends before coming to Trinity and I have made many close friends since leaving, but nothing can eclipse the bonds of friendship forged between teammates. Nothing else compares. Those relationships are what I will always take with me from my time at Trinity. I am thankful for my opportunity to play for Coach Cunningham, and attend Trinity, but I will forever be indebted to both for the relationship I have with my teammates, then and now.

Peter Murray, '05

*He didn't know we had it, but below is the clip of Peter's afformentioned ally-oop

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

2010-01-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Four games in seven days is never an easy task, no matter what team it is. Last week we kicked the year off by playing in the St. Edward's Tip-off Classic in Austin. We faced two really tough Division II teams and played both to the final minutes - losing by 11 and 9. Playing against very athletic, big, strong teams, our guys played extremely hard and gave themselves opportunities to win two ball games. With our third game on the road in four days, Wednesday's game against Mary Hardin-Baylor was difficult. They are a very experienced team and played extremely well at home. To our teams credit, we came back after two days of practice and played with extreme intensity and effort in our win on the road against Schreiner University. As this group gets experience, it is great to see them deal with adversity with such effort.

It is rare that we do not have any games over the Thanksgiving break, but I am looking forward to the rest. I know a few of our "non-Texan" guys will be flying home for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will regroup early next week and prepare for our next game (a home game, finally!) against I-35 rival, Southwestern University on Thursday, December 3. Hopefully we all don't come back too many pounds heavier!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

2010-01-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

Trinity Men's Basketball had a great turnout for our Alumni Game last Saturday. With 17 "Old-Timers" suited up - ranging all the way back to Class of '74 - the Alumni showed our guys that they still had a step or two left in them. I'd like to thank all of the alumni and friends that came in to celebrate legendary Coach Pete Murphy being inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was also great to see the whole Murphy family there! Events like these are really what being part of the Trinity family is all about.

As for our team - it's game week! The intensity has really picked up in practice, as we prepare for our first match Sunday against Division II Midwestern State. It will be a grueling first week as we play four games in seven days, but I'm confident our guys are up for the challenge.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

2010-01-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

The 2009-10 season is here! As usual, the guys have brought terrific work ethic and high energy to each practice with great anticipation of the season to come. A week from Sunday, Nov. 15, we kick off our season with a matchup against Division II opponent Midwestern St. at the St. Edward's Tip-Off Classic. Also, with Alumni Weekend this weekend, we are excited to be welcoming back so many former Tigers, as we honor the induction of Coach Pete Murphy into the Hall of Fame. We look forward to keeping you updated on Tiger Men's Basketball.