"I swear, I'm so excited, I may not sleep tonight. No, jokes."
This the response from junior point guard DeAngelo Alston, who will be making his first appearance, representing Eastern Nazarene, in over a year, when asked, the night before opening night, if he was excited for the first game of the 2010-2011 season.
Alston missed all of the 2009-2010 campaign due to a stress fracture in his left foot in which he injured during the preseason. If Alston was trying to hold back a smile, he failed miserably. Alston's beam, from ear to ear, may have been induced by the BBQ pork chops he was having from the ENC cafeteria, but I have a hunch the food had nothing to do with his titillated glee.
"I just can't wait to get out there and play," said Alston, "I feel real good about this team, we have a chance to turn some heads."
Turn some heads is exactly what they're going to have to do to earn respect around the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Lions were voted by TCCC coaches to finish 13th, of 14 teams and two spots lower than 2009-2010, in conference this season.
This is nothing short but a blow to the face, as ENC graduated one basketball player from a season ago and he played a minor role, averaging 6.9 minutes a game. Alston's response to the poll, "that's why we play the games."
A year of experience under the belts of Aaron Johnson, Josh Butler, Corban Clinkscale, and second team All Conference selection, Chima Ezeigbo will surely help. While upperclassmen CJ Gonzales, Mike McCoy, Jon Atwater, and DeAngelo Alston look to improve from years past.
The group of first year's, Kendall Sutton, JJ Johnson, Brian Hard, Matt Jayne, Johnny Flakes, John Cramer, Eddie Allen, Jesse Anderson, Larry Jackson, and James Bertier, look to provide all that they can for the betterment of the team.
With such talent on the roster, it may take time for Coach Aller to establish an eight or nine man rotation he is comfortable playing the bulk of the minutes. Like the beginning of any year, teams play a few non conference games to establish rhythm and chemistry. The Lions have 11 games to get their act together before they invade, TCCC opponent, Endicott's court.
"I believe we have a talented roster," said Alston, "and definitely have seven or eight guys coach can rely on in big situations."
Tonight is the night fans, player, faculty and staff have been waiting for for weeks. The opening season tip-off is always special, but for the Lions it's the start of something special. A season in which they believe they have something to prove, that they belong in the playoff conversation, and tonight, at 8:00 P.M., when the ball gets thrown in the air, at center court of Suffolk University, the opportunity allow the unexpected to be expected begins.
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