The Saginaw Valley State University men’s basketball team tips off preseason action with a record of 1-1 and prepares for the regular season.
The first game of the preseason started out with high stakes as the Cardinals faced Division I Central Michigan University. Although they fell short against the Chippewas, they persevered in the next game, beating Hope College 80-76.
Chris Fowler, the new head coach of the team, reflected on the preseason games.
“I feel like the team has progressed in a positive way during the first two games,” he said. “The exhibition games are learning experiences for everyone involved, and I believe the team and I learned a lot through the first two games that will make us better heading into the start of the regular season.”
Trenton Taratuta, a redshirt freshman, shared his thoughts on how the team is performing under Fowler’s leadership.
“The season is going well so far,” he mentioned. “We are competing every day in practice, and we are all eager to get to play our first regular season games coming up. It has been great to learn a new system under Coach Fowler, and I am excited to see how we continue to improve daily over the course of the season.”
Although the season has not officially kicked off yet, the team has high standards to help separate itself from the competition.
“The main expectation for our basketball team is to continue to improve and prepare like champions daily,” said Fowler. “We want to continue to separate ourselves with our discipline, consistency, and attention to detail. The first two games were tune-ups on how to do that. We all believe that we can continue to improve in those areas, and we will keep striving for perfection in those areas.”
For the Cardinals, team success often depends on both skill and team chemistry on and off the court.
“I believe that we have a very unselfish team, and we are very versatile in our skill sets,” said Fowler. “We have a team full of guys that can complement one another both offensively and defensively. I believe we need to improve our rebounding and continue to stress the importance of the little things that lead to winning.”
“This group of guys has been great to be around all year,” said Taratuta. “We all enjoy each other’s presence and respect each other enough to have accountability as a team. The energy is always contagious in the gym, and understanding the goals of our team makes it easy to want to go out and compete every day with guys that think the same way.”
For Taratuta, basketball is more than just a game. It’s about the relationships built and the community rallying behind the team.
“As we continue the season, I am excited to build memories with my brothers that will last a lifetime,” he stated. “I am eager to have the community come support us and make the environment at our games electric. It is truly special to be a part of this team, and I am thankful to be in this position with these guys.”
The Cardinals will make their next appearance at O’Neill Arena Friday, Nov. 14, where they will face Hillsdale College at 7 p.m.
