Although March Madness is still months away, college basketball season has officially begun. On Nov. 14 and 15, the Generals traveled to Grantham, Pa. and defeated Salisbury University and St. Joseph’s University by double digit margins.
While these were the team’s first official games of the season, their exhibition game against James Madison University garnered the attention of many on campus. The game aired on ESPN+, and the Generals performed admirably on a national stage against a DI opponent.
Despite being undersized, the Generals stayed within reach of the Dukes for the majority of the game. Connor Amorosi, ’28, scored the most points with 14, and Addison Newkirk, ’29, led the team in minutes, rebounds and assists.
The final score was a 56-70 loss, but the Generals said they were satisfied with their play. The Dukes beat Coppin State University, another Division I program, by the same margin of victory.
Kevin Die’, ’29, described the game as a “very spirited team effort.” He also said that the win “gives us confidence for the upcoming season and shows that we can compete with anybody.”
“The experience of being in the arena with the fans and ESPN was amazing,” said Ishaan Bhadouria, ’27. Die’ even called it “life changing.”
With two official games under their belt, the Generals will take more steps towards their goal for the season: winning an ODAC championship. To do so, they will need to do better than their 7-18 record from the previous year.
But this season, there are a myriad of reasons for optimism. Besides opening 2-0 when they were 1-1 last season, the Generals have returned most of their production, including their top five average scorers and top six rebounders. And the team’s two tallest players are first-years. Mill Chapman, ’29, stands at 6-foot-9, while Newkirk is 6-foot-6.
Newkirk has already made headlines. He’s one of four first-years on the team, along with Chapman, Die’, and Daniel Buttemere, ’29, from North Macedonia.
The squad has seven sophomores who now have a year of college basketball under their belt, including Amorosi and Jackson Ransom, ’28, who started against JMU. Bhadouria says the Generals have a versatile and deep roster.
Die’ said he believes the Generals have strong team spirit and energy. Both Bhadouria and Die’ say that the team is a close-knit group that spends quality time together off the court.
Next up, the Generals head to Staunton on Nov. 19 to face off against Mary Baldwin University. They have 13 home games in Holekamp Gymnasium before the ODAC tournament in late February. Their home opener will be against Southern Virginia University on Nov. 25.
With the season still in its beginning stages, the team will look to capitalize on the momentum they have gained and bring home an ODAC championship for the first time since 1980.
