It is clear that the Eastern Eagles are ready to make some noise in the MAC this season.
After starting the season at 0-3 in the new conference, the team bounced back with a six-game winning streak, which included the team’s first victory over Alvernia College in 14 games with a 65-61 win on Jan. 21.
Head Coach Matt Nadelhoffer sees the improvement in his troops and wants his team to progress even more as the season goes on.
“I expect the team to continue to bond and continue to get better each day,” Nadelhoffer said. “(We have to) be better today than we were yesterday.”
The Eagles clearly have been better this month than last. In January alone, the Eagles averaged 71 points per game and have won their games by a 13-point margin.
Nadelhoffer likes the qualities he sees in his team so far. They will have to continue to play great basketball for the rest of the month to secure a birth in the playoffs.
“We are very young and the team has a very strong bond, which, in turn, builds trust throughout the program,” Nadelhoffer said. “I like our fearless mentality. Our team thinks they can play and beat anybody we go up against.”
The men’s basketball team will go up against the elite teams of the MAC in the next few weeks. The team is led by junior Jason Reels who has posted 13 points a game, helping the Eagles to average 67 points a game this season.
The Eagles’ first-years are also contributing. Tyrik Tucker is currently averaging 12 points and six rebounds. Sharp-shooting Martin Soaries averages nine points per game and leads the Eagles in three-pointers.
The Eagles look to work hard over the next few weeks to achieve their number one preseason goal: to earn a spot in this year’s playoffs.
“We need to focus more as individuals and as a team every moment,” Nadelhoffer said. “(We need to) be consistent for 40 minutes. Of the games we have lost this season, some were due to a lack of focus for just three or four minutes and it meant the game.”