Brett Ballard, Baker University head men’s basketball coach, hosted his second annual open tryout Oct. 8 in Collins Center. Any student on campus had an opportunity to tryout for the team.
Although none of the five students that tried out made the team, Ballard was impressed with their basketball skills.
“They all, to be honest with you, were pretty good,” Ballard said. “It is just a situation where (the team) has 16 guys on the roster right now, and I feel pretty good with the guys we have brought in.”
Ballard had the students go through drills focusing mainly on footwork, dribbling and shooting.
While there have not been any students who have made the team in the open tryout the past two years, Ballard thinks it will be something he continues to do.
BU’s roster will have a different look than from the end of last season despite no one making the team in the tryout. Baker lost its three leading scorers from last year, but Ballard believes that the returning and incoming players can help the team improve.
“I think we are ahead of where we were last year as far as a practice standpoint,” Ballard said.