WCCC men preaching team-first mentality
WCCC men preaching team-first mentality
By Alex Oltmanns
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, 7:39 p.m.
Updated 15 hours ago
For Westmoreland County Community College men's basketball this season, it's all about the team.
With its team-first mentality, the Wolfpack (4-1) have already improved on last season's win total and credit the fast start to a commitment to playing more as a team.
“The big difference is the guys have bought into playing team basketball, and that is a big plus. … They've learned to distribute the ball and basically just run a fundamentally sound offense and defense,” assistant coach Kevin Bundridge said.
“All year long we've been focusing on team basketball, swinging the ball and team chemistry really. … We know where everyone is on the court,” added sophomore point guard Norman Ellis.
The Wolfpack's perimeter-oriented lineup has paid dividends this season. WCCC, which went 3-23 last season, uses its roster composed primarily of guards to its advantage through playing an up-tempo brand of basketball.
“We lack size, but we have a lot of speed, so what we don't have in size we try and make up for in speed and being fundamentally sound,” Bundridge said.
“We try to use our speed to our advantage. We get it out quick, we play quick, play defense quick, the whole main thing is defense,” Ellis added. “If we stop them early, then we get out early.”
WCCC's strong backcourt is led by the trio of Ellis, Reuben Edwards and Jordan Johnson. Edwards has led the offense this season, averaging 31.2 points on 53.1 percent 3-point shooting to go along with 6.8 rebounds per game.
“He's really improved his defensive skills, which has helped to open up his offense,” Bundridge said. “He's really become an inside-out player with the ability to being able to drive to the hoop and also being able to knock down the 3. He's come a long way since last year.”
After starting at point guard last season, Ellis (14.0 points, 4.8 assists) has epitomized the Wolfpack's unselfish mentality this year by opting to come off the bench after that provided the team with a boost in an early-season scrimmage.
“I told coach this year I'd really like to come off the bench as a leader and give us a spark,” he said. “We're a better team with me off the bench.
“I'm the first man off the bench, and I try and come in and contribute the best way I know how.”
In addition to its top three scorers, guards Daquan Moore, Giovanni Lee, Demonte Taborn and Jake Porter have helped WCCC average a lofty 89.4 points in the season's early going.
But as the season progresses, Bundridge said the team is hoping to continue its improvement on the other side of the ball as it gets set to enter the heart of its Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference schedule.
“As the year goes along, I really look for us to improve on the defensive end,” he said. “That's become something that we've tried to instill this year. … our conditioning this year, we did a ton of defensive drills which has really helped us.”
Alex Oltmanns is a freelance writer.