The 2013-2014 season has been a roller coaster for the UT men’s basketball team, but the ride isn’t over yet.
The team will wrap up its regular season schedule March 1 when they take on Palm Beach Atlantic, and following that will be the annual Sunshine State Conference Tournament, where the Spartans will be looking to make some noise this year.
Following a 2012-2013 season that saw the Spartans start out with a record of 12-0, only to falter once conference play began. Consistency is what the team has been searching for this season. Although their overall record at this point of the season is similar to last year’s, their conference record has been a significant improvement and a point of pride for the team.
Vincent Cornu, the 6’7” French senior, has been a huge part of the Spartans’ success thus far. As of Feb. 20, Cornu has started all 22 games and been a major contributor, as he is fourth on the team in points (190) and second in rebounds (130). When asked what he thinks the improvement in conference record this season can be attributed to, the senior forward pointed to the Spartans’ strength as a team.
“We really have been playing better as a team this year,” Cornu said. “Whenever we have a couple bad games and bad moments, I feel like we do everything we can to make it right and bounce back and get a win.”
Ryan Kidd, a senior guard from Jacksonville, has also noticed better team play, especially on defense, in the conference match-ups. “I think a large part of our success against conference opponents this year has been our defense. For the most part we hold most teams well under their scoring average, which gives us a great chance to win every time.”
Kidd has been another key player for the Spartans this season, having started in 7 of 13 conference games and posting solid numbers consistently. The senior is top five on the team in points, three point percentage, rebounds, steals, blocks and minutes.
In addition to the consistent, high level play of Cornu and Kidd, Da’Marcko Foster has been a team leader for UT. Foster leads the team in points as well as scoring average.
As the regular season winds down for UT, the hopes of seniors Cornu and Kidd revolve around postseason success.
Kidd was not shy with his aspirations for the upcoming SSC tournament which will be held in Kissimmee, beginning on March 5.
“I definitely think we can not only make noise in the SSC tournament. I think we can win the whole thing. I think we can beat anyone,” Kidd said.
However, the sights of Kidd were not only on the SSC tourney but beyond it.
“Not only do we want to do well in the SSC, but we also want to make it to the national tournament. It’s been a while since Tampa has made one so that is one of our goals as well,” Kidd said.
Cornu shared the confidence of Kidd and when asked whether he thought the Spartans could make postseason noise, he answered with an affirmative “Definitely.”
Josiah Kachelmeyer can be reached at josiah.kachelmeyer@spartans.ut.edu.