After qualifying for the national tournament last year for the first time since 1941, the Baker University men’s basketball team will attempt to make another trip to Kansas City, Mo. under first year head coach Sean Dooley.
Dooley comes to Baker after being an assistant coach at Columbia College and will replace Brett Ballard, who joined Danny Manning’s coaching staff at the University of Tulsa.
The Wildcats will return nine members from last year’s team, which finished 21-12 and third in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, and they have been picked to place third again in the HAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. BU is also receiving three votes in the NAIA Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
“With so many guys back from last year and getting a chance to taste the national tournament and the success they’ve had, we really just want to try to focus on the little things and just getting better each and every day,” Dooley said.
The only other teams ranked ahead of Baker in the HAAC are defending conference champion MidAmerica Nazarene University and Evangel University. The Pioneers and Crusaders are ranked No. 16 and No. 21, respectively.
BU will have an experienced team as six of the nine returners for the Wildcats are seniors in Samer Jassar, Kevin Lysaught, Baba Diallo, Corey Anderson, Ben Steinlage and Jordan Honore. Dooley indicated that having several returners and experienced players has benefited the team in practice, but they are going through a learning process as well.
“There is definitely a lot of transition because even with our returning guys due to the fact that our system, especially offensively, is going to be different than what they are used to, but over the last month of practice, guys have been working hard,” Dooley said. “They are picking things up pretty quickly, but it will be a work in progress throughout the year.”
Along with Dooley, the team will welcome six new players to the roster. Two of the six additions come to the Wildcats as true freshmen. Cody Sunderland joins the team after playing at Jayhawk-Linn High School in Pleasanton, while Carson Sonnenberg is from Althoff Catholic High School in Millstadt, Ill. Freshman Nick Wilson will provide another post presence for the Wildcats after redshirting last season.
The Wildcats added three transfers in juniors Julian Mills and Christopher Lockhart and sophomore EJ Carter.
“(The newcomers) have been doing well,” Dooley said. “It is very competitive in our practices. We kind of tell our guys every day that it is an evaluation from a coaching standpoint of who can do what. We’re trying to fit the pieces together. I think a lot of our new guys are definitely pushing our returners and will play significant minutes for us this year, no doubt.”
Baker will play its season opener against Hastings College at 3 p.m. Saturday in Collins Center.
“They are a very good offensive ball club,” Dooley said. “They scored in like the high 70s each game last year … Their top three scorers are all back, so it will be a couple of wings and a post player that will put a lot of pressure on us defensively. They like to get the ball and push it in transition, so we’ve been really focusing on our transition defense and try to get them to play in a half-court game.”
