Talented freshmen taking on big roles for the NAIT men’s basketball team

With the ACAC conference seasons in full swing, the NAIT Men’s Basketball team is training hard for a championship. Last season, the team finished third in the north standings and placed sixth at the ACAC Championships. But with only four players returning, the team lost 67 per cent of their rebound numbers and 70 per cent of their scoring.

To combat this loss, the team welcomed a star-studded eight-player recruiting class. Even with the raw talent these freshmen have, they are still getting used to the college game.

“We have a lot of good shooters on our team, the young guys are finding their footing in the offence. Finding out what’s a good shot, when’s a good shot, and just learning the flow of everything. Just understanding, especially in the ACAC guys are bigger, stronger, and faster than in high school,” said fifth-year guard Griffin Lorenz.

Some freshmen making big impacts include

Gabriel Humilde: 5.6 points and 2.9 assists per game.

Amari Lessa Linklater: 4.6 points and 2 assists per game.

Kohl Wedman: 5.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game.

This season has proven to be a test for the team. They sit at a record of 3-3 but have challenged ACAC powerhouses in Olds College and Red Deer Polytechnic.

“Defensively, we’ve had some struggles the last couple of games matching up with the physicality of our opponents and finishing possessions. We got a couple of physical matchups to finish the semester which will be a good test for us,” Jordan Baker, head coach for the NAIT 

The Ooks wrap up their first semester play with a double header on November 24 and 25 against Lakeland College with both games at 8 p.m.

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