The unbeaten UPEI Panthers men’s basketball team is itching to hit the hardwood for the second half.
After starting their season 6-0, the Panthers return to action this weekend with a doubleheader in Halifax versus the Saint Mary’s Huskies.
The games go today at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.
“We’re anxious to get back to regular season play,” said team co-captain Jonathan Cooper. “It’s been a long time since our last regular season game and we want to get back out there and show everyone that we’re for real.”
The fifth-year shooting guard said the team is continuing to build with every practice and game.
“Last semester’s results were fantastic,” he admitted. “But we’d like to exceed that and go well beyond where the doubters feel we’ll finish.”
The arrival of rookie head coach Tim Kendrick has sparked a cultural change in the Panthers dressing room.
Kendrick continuously preaches a mantra of positivity and success, and it seems to have rubbed off on the players.
“It really makes a difference,” the coach told The Guardian. “Once you see something happening, you start to believe. We believe we can win the title.”
He said the team’s regular-season goal is to make the playoffs with a first-round bye.
“We expect to win every game,” Kendrick told The Guardian. “We’re getting a little bit better every day. We’re happy to get back to our regular routine.”
“I think our players are confident and beginning to understand the mindset that if we work hard, success will happen,” he added.
However, Kendrick is the first to admit that the parity each of the Atlantic University Sport teams is remarkable.
“This league is very tight,” he said. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given night. We’re not overconfident and are still taking it one game at a time.”
The Panthers got a taste of that parity last week.
Participating in the Rod Shoveller Memorial basketball tournament hosted by Dalhousie University, the Panthers dropped two out of three games.
After a 78-64 win over Acadia Dec. 29 to open the 21st annual tournament, UPEI faced St. F.X. the following day, losing 78-69.
Kendrick said the Panthers simply “ran out of gas” against the X-Men, currently ranked second in the country by Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
Then facing the host Tigers in the bronze-medal game Saturday, the Panthers “didn’t respond very well,” said Kendrick, losing 74-66.
Kendrick said his players “weren’t very happy” after the tournament losses.
“We had one of the best practices of the year following the loss,” he said. “As a coach, that makes me proud of my players.”
“We’re setting ourselves up to peak for playoffs and that’s where we’re really looking to shine.”
The Panthers next home game is Sunday, Jan. 15, versus St. F.X.
