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Coming off of two straight seasons with a win percentage over 60 percent, Grand View’s men’s basketball team look to continue their steady improvement in the upcoming 2018-2019 season. Players are attributing this incline of performance to the hard work and dedication that goes on during the off-season. With only one returning starter for the Vikings, all the players have bought into the ultimate goal for the team which is a appearance in the national tournament and championship.

Head coach Denis Schaefer said after the team made the transition into one of the top conferences in the country, the staff and players have escalated the amount of preparation for the year, turning into success on the floor.

“Our kids have done a really good job in the weight room during the off season,” Schaefer said. “Also, getting on the court and just competing harder and understanding the importance of that.”

The Heart of America conference has at least four teams who are sent to the national tournament every year, and Schaefer said this is a group that can work hard to be one of the top teams in the conference.  

“We have just a host of kids that just buy into all the types of leadership on the team and the brand of basketball that we want to play in terms of the toughness and the pace,” Schaefer said. 

Junior guard Dallis Flowers, who has transferred from Robert Morris University this fall, said that the team has what it takes and he noticed that while only being in the program for such a short time.

“Coming into Grand View, I knew that the goal was to keep improving and getting better, but after being with this team for the last few months, we could make a big jump,” Flowers said. “We’ve added new pieces to the team with a few players coming back and everybody is ready to go.”

Grand View opened up their season with a tough loss but bounced back with a win against the sixth ranked team in the country, Columbia University. The score had tied 10 times and had 14 lead changes. The Vikings had contributions from many players in the closing minutes of the game on the offensive and defensive sides of the court, showing just how important a player’s role can be in tough games.

“Coming into the season, you know what your role will be, and the best thing you can do is be the best at your role because it is what the team needs,” freshman guard Bryant Mayfield said. “Even though everyone thinks they can be the lead scorer on a team, it is when everybody contributes in their own way when a team can be special. Everybody plays defense, everybody hustles, everybody communicates and everybody wins.”

Coach Schaefer said the theme for the team this season is hard work, and if the team continues to give their full effort in all aspects of the game then the Vikings will be a league title contender. With the team off to a 3-1 start, the Vikings will continue to strive for a national tournament appearance.

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