By Yuki Elkotby
After the Brooklyn College men’s basketball team took down the City College of New York Beavers on Sat. Feb. 22, they achieved the ticket to advance to the CUNYAC semi-finals to face the Baruch College Bearcats on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Unfortunately, the men’s season came in short, as the Bulldogs lost to the Bearcats via a score of 60-62.
The BC men’s basketball team has outdone themselves compared to previous years, as they closed their season with 13 wins. The last time the team upheld such a winning record was in the 2019-2020 season, when they achieved 13 wins and 16 losses, including winning the CUNYAC Championship and losing in the first round in NCAA against rank #1, Swarthmore College.
This past season was a reflection of the mentality and the team culture of BC, and the standards that were held by the coaches and seniors. Out of the 15 players, seven were seniors, and this greatly impacted the team dynamics.
“There are standards that [are] followed based in that the senior set,” Jeffrey Jean-Baptiste, head coach of the team, stated. “There’s a lot of wisdom in the gym […] the teaching we’ve done over the last couple years, they’re able to do it naturally so that the new players can not only just hear the coaches, but there is somebody to model.”
The teams put in immense effort into their training for these games. This, however, does not always mean that the outcome will be as expected.
“It has become a life lesson now. Everything that you would think you deserve, you don’t get at times,” Jean-Baptiste told The Vanguard. “You [have] to accomplish this, understand it, recognize it, put your head down, move forward, so hopefully, eventually, you can get what you deserve at the end. Even if you don’t get it, you put your best effort in so that you don’t have to feel ashamed that you didn’t give it what it deserves […].”
Jean-Baptiste shared the three core values of an athlete: hard work, toughness, and character. These are necessary foundations, especially for athletes to help cycle the negativity into positivity. These were echoed by seniors’ values and no. 11, David McFadden.
“Just keep your head down, keep working, things gonna work themselves out,” he stated. “You just gotta make sure you’re ready for your opportunity. Just staying focused and levelheaded is super important.”
Despite their loss, the team remained steadfast in their beliefs.
“Try to stay level-headed through the highs and lows and I guess don’t let your emotions get the best of you,” Luqman Ahmed, senior and no. 4, stated. “Try to just understand the process; it’s long and hard but you gotta just stick with it.”
For some, the support from their teammates was invaluable.
“I got a dunk, and the way our bench reacted, that’s my favorite moment,” Mekhi Barlow, senior and no. 34, stated.
The teammates and coaches have created strong bonds throughout the past seasons.
“Understanding what it’ll be like to be a part of this team is just family honestly,” stated Jean-Baptiste. “I love the fact that they come in from all different walks of life, but now they’re forever bonded.”