Men’s Basketball: A New Season

Men’s first game of the season is tomorrow 7:30pm at Concordia University. The basketball program kicked off the hype of their season, with their annual event known as “Pitnight Madness” last Wednesday night at 10pm. The men’s and women’s teams were introduced, games were played, as well as a dunk contest to end the night.

Free t-shirts were also given away to the first 100 students that came into the gym, in hopes that they will wear them to support the Lions at their games this upcoming season.

This year, the men’s VU lions basketball team is coming out with a new perspective, ready to take this season on, full-force! The lions received nine new players on their team this year who are excited and ready for this new season.

In total, Vanguard men’s basketball team consists of the following new players:

Brandon Brothers (FR/Glendora, Calif.)

Connor Kennedy (FR/ San Marcos, Calif.)

Jake McCloskey (SO/ Huntington Beach, Calif.)

Brandon Hood (JR/San Bernardino, Calif.)

Aubrey Meyers Jr. (JR/Newport News, Va.)

Antonio Bishop (JR/Chicago, Ill.)

Victor Evans (JR/Winnetka, Calif.)

David Swartz II (SR/Huntington Beach, Calif.)

Jaamon Echols (SR/Seattle, Wash.)

Zach Allmon, who will now be wearing his Lion uniform on the court for his 3rd year now, stated the following about the 2015-16 season, “I’m looking forward to this season. This year is going to be different than the last because there’s a whole new dynamic on our team because there are so many new players” Allmon said, “these new players bring new relationships and a new style of play to the court.”

In regards to last years team, there were seven seniors that the men’s basketball team graduated; six of which played on the National Champion team. Out of these seven, one alumni, Christopher Gorman, continued on playing basketball as he left overseas to pursue his passion on the “Oldenburg Baskets” in Germany.

Although the dynamic of this years team is going to differ from teams in the past, Assistant Coach and Vanguard University Alumni Taylor Kelly says that he’s excited to see what’s in store. “I’m looking forward to see how God strengthens and defines my relationship with our players and their relationships with each other,” Kelly continued, “We have already experienced so much growth in our team.”

Kelly believes the 2015-2016 team to be one of the most athletic and exciting groups of guys under Coach Soliday’s time as head coach for Vanguard.