Knights mens basketball coach talks season expectations
Head coach Gary Martin is looking forward to his players meshing and playing well to win
By Dalton Koller
Knightly News Reporter
dalton.koller@mymail.centralpenn.edu
The Central Penn Knights men’s basketball season is underway, and there’s a lot of excitement around the team.
Last season didn’t go as well for the Knights as they wished it would, but they’re looking to right those wrongs with a large influx of new talent as well as returning players who are looking to take on more important roles.
I had the chance recently to speak with head coach Gary Martin about his goals and expectations for the upcoming season.
Martin is excited for the season to begin, and he’s interested to see how the players perform and gel with each other on the court.
I asked him how he thought his recruiting went. He said he prioritized players who are interested in good academic standing as much as they are in the team. He then mentioned that all the recruits are showing a strong work ethic on the court and in the classroom.
When asked about how all the new players are bonding with the returning players, he said they’re are all meshing well.
He then went on to say: “The returning players can be territorial of their position, which can lead to everyone bringing their best work to the court.”
This mindset should create great production on the court from all the players.
He then spoke about who is expected to become the team leaders, and he mentioned Khalil Dukes, Kaeden Campbell, Sahih Smith, Riley Young and Darius Wallace.
When I asked him about the two games against Division-I opponents Liberty and Morgan State, Martin said, “It gives us an opportunity to experience how major universities operate.”
He then said that playing these opponents “provides us opportunities to compete against a high level of competition to improve our level of play.”
His goals for the season are to win the ESAC (Eastern States Athletic Conference) championship, as well as to make a trip to the national playoffs. He believes the Knights have the team to accomplish these goals.
The interview was concluded with Martin addressing what fans can expect from the team this year.
“We will play intense defense extending 94 feet, communicating on offense and (will be) looking to score often,” Martin said.
It sounds like the Knights will be running a very explosive offense and an enveloping defense. We all can’t wait for the season to begin.
If you’re interested in finding out when the men’s team plays home games this season, you can find the schedule here. You can also visit the Knightly News Media Club’s YouTube page to watch the archived livestreams of all the men’s and women’s home basketball games this season.