Little Things Mean A Lot

CHICOPEE, MA – For the men’s basketball team in 2009-10, any success that emerges will come from a five-word concept: Little things mean a lot.

Since 2004, the Blazers have gone 111-34 (.766 winning percentage), won 20 or more games in each of five consecutive seasons including a season best 26-2 mark in 2009, earned five consecutive conference tournament titles including the inaugural New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship in 2009, and appeared in five consecutive NCAA Division III Championships.

“Each year, we start out with an idea or theme,” ninth-year head coach Ed Silva explained. “We revolve around that theme. The theme this year is ‘little things mean a lot’. Focusing on the little things on a daily basis. I thought last year we may have neglected to dot a few I’s and cross a few T’s and maybe that cost us. The little things that are really the big things – yes you want to go win the conference championship, go to the NCAA tournament – but it’s the process you have to focus on. You need to have a vision of that goal and see it, smell it, taste it, feel it; but if you don’t focus on all the steps that lead up to it, you aren’t going to get there.”

The men's basketball team stepped into the national spotlight in 2008-09 as it earned the program's first-ever ranking in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll. Elms College remained a fixture as it was ranked in all 15 polls with a high ranking of 11th and a final ranking of 22nd. The squad was also honored as the NCAA's 2008-09 national statistical champion in steals per game (17.3) and scoring margin (22.9).

“We have more overall talented basketball players this year who can play on both sides of the ball,” Coach Silva noted. “The overall talent level with the new guys is a lot higher than last year from top to bottom.”

The 18-man roster features five seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen.

BACKCOURT

“Division III basketball needs to have great lead guard play,” Coach Silva observed. “We need them to be steady and solid all year long. They need to run the team and create opportunities and push the ball on a consistent basis. I’m excited about what we can do.”

The Elms backcourt will be directed by senior point guard Juan Maldonado (Holyoke, MA). Maldonado (formerly known as Galdon) was a First Team All-NECC selection in 2008-09, averaged a team-best 13.8 points per game and also shot a sensational 47-percent from beyond the arc.

“Maldonado, since he hit the scene as a freshman, really embodies the identity of Elms College men’s basketball,” Coach Silva said of the four-year starter. “He plays the game with a relentless passion and attack mentality. He will take charges, he will box out, dive for loose balls, push the ball a million miles an hour on offense, and shoot the three.”

Maldonado scored 387 points last season, highlighted by six 20-plus point performances en route to becoming third on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,161 points.

“He’s the poster child for Elms College men’s basketball,” Coach Silva added. “He’s a 5-foot-4 undersized overachiever. I think some success and the fact that our program has been relatively competitive over the past five or six years is that he and our program are akin. They are like the same thing. Our men’s basketball program is a 5-4 program that is able to play with the big boys even though we shouldn’t be able to.”

Comlementing Maldonado, junior Arsenio Avant (Southwest, FL) and sophomore Bryant Corcoran (Wolcott, CT) bring a tremendous amount of passion and experience to the Blazers’ backcourt this season.

“Avant is a bulldog as a defender and can knock down shots,” Coach Silva noted. “Corcoran has grown immensely. Up to this point he has been remarkable. He goes 100-percent, 100-percent of the time. He will play a really solid role for us.”

Junior transfer Robert Hargrove (Detroit, MI) will join the mix and will be a scoring threat from the start.

“He is a legitimate 6-foot-4-inch guard. He can shoot the three, he can handle the ball and slash to the rim and finish. He is very athletic and can defend smaller guys. We haven’t had too many guys his size that can play a legitimate two-guard spot,” Coach Silva stated.

Four freshmen round out the squad’s backcourt for 2009-10. Brittain Purcelle (Tarrytown, NY) and Andre French (Torrington, CT) will help spark the Blazers off the bench and one will start.

“[Purcelle and French] can handle and distribute the ball; they can make the people around them better; they can get to the lane and finish; and they defend the heck out of the ball,” Coach Silva commented. “Both those guys are going to play big roles as freshmen. We are ecstatic to have them playing for us and going forward for three more years.”

Walter Mfuko (Amherst, MA) and Anthony Samuels (Philadelphia, PA) will each vie for playing time this season.

FRONTCOURT

The Elms frontcourt returns six players including senior forwards Javon Mathis (East Hartford, CT) and Antoine Holder (Hartford, CT) who combined for 511 points a season ago and will play bigger roles this season.

Junior forward Juan Alverio (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) who played in 26 of 27 games last season and collected 114 rebounds will look to provide an additional spark.

Junior transfer Edgar Martinez (Springfield, MA), a two-time All-American at Springfield Technical Community College, will have an immediate impact for the Blazers.

“Martinez is going to be a good wing forward,” Coach Silva said. “I think he will play a prominent role. If we are to be successful this season he will play a big part in it.”

Seniors Chris Hartmann (Canberra, Australia), Austin Sylvia (Seekonk, MA) and sophomore Michael Walker (Mitchellville, MD) will add stellar leadership and depth to a unit that expects to be immensely productive.

The Blazers also welcome in three newcomers Darius Griffin (Winter Haven, FL), Jamal Hulum (Reston, VA) and Edwin Saladin (Stoughton, MA) who will each provide solid depth this season.

“I’m looking for our frontcourt to be productive and provide solid defense,” Coach Silva explained. “We are trying to get them to think of themselves as defensive players first. To be champions, you have to get production out of the frontcourt. We haven’t had a couple of scoring forwards ever, and now we may have more than a couple. I think we can get more scoring out of our forwards than we used to. Our forwards as a core group are going to be key for us to defend our NECC title and see if we can get back to the NCAA tournament.”

SCHEDULE

The theory goes that the tougher teams you play, the better you become as a team.

The 2009-10 slate will start on Nov. 18 with a home contest against Plattsburgh State and will feature eight first-semester games.

“Right off the bat we play Plattsburgh State,” Coach Silva said. “That is a perennial power team. I want my kids to be excited to play night in and night out. If you know that you are playing teams from bigger schools and conferences it kind of gets you up for the game a little more.”

Following the season opener, Elms will host the Blazers Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 21-22 and will square off against Arcadia ad Brooklyn during tournament action.

Elms will then play its first road game of the season at Western New England College (WNEC) on Dec. 1 before hosting the Pioneer Valley Classic (Dec. 4-5) which includes perennial powerhouse Amherst, and Westfield State.

The Blazers will then host Wheaton on Dec. 10 before wrapping up first semester play at Husson on Dec. 12.

The squad will start the New Year at the Union College Tournament (Jan. 4-5) before starting its NECC slate.

“We didn’t like what we did last time at the Union Tournament (finished 1-1),” Coach Silva noted. “We are trying to go back there this year and perform better.”

The Blazers host Newbury (Jan. 9) and Lesley (Jan. 12), before its first league road game at Becker on Jan. 16. Elms then hits the road for four straight conference games, broken up in the middle by a non-conference showdown with Connecticut College on Jan. 26.

“Our ultimate goal is always winning the league title,” Coach Silva stated. “We want to get to the NCAA tournament but along that path we need to win a league title. We feel like with our scheduling we have a smorgasbord of teams with different styles. Some teams in our league will run with us, some will play zone so I think it prepares us for league play.”

Four of the final six games will be played at Picknelly Arena against conference competition, highlighted by home games against Southern Vermont (Feb. 2), Daniel Webster (Feb. 6), Becker (Feb. 9) and Mitchell (Feb. 13).

The 2009-10 regular season will conclude at Newbury on Dec. 20 with the NECC Championship tournament set to begin on Feb. 23.

WRAP UP

From top to bottom, the Elms College men’s team has a wealth of talent, solid experience, and a desire to reach the next level of excellence.

With a clear objective and destination in mind, the framework for that success has been established.

What will put this team over the top? A collective belief in five simple words:

Little things mean a lot.