This season presents an opportunity for senior forward Alex Welsh and his Colorado at Colorado Springs men’s basketball teammates to show they belong among the NCAA Division II elite.
They will get their chance right away. The Mountain Lions open the season against Western Washington on Friday at the Disney Tip-Off Classic in Anaheim, Calif., and play Minnesota State-Moorhead and Alaska-Anchorage the following two days. All three foes are regular NCAA Tournament entrants.
The WWU Vikings were picked to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with the Seawolves fourth. The MSU-Moorhead Dragons were predicted to place second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
“It’s a level of Division 2 basketball that we are working to be at consistently,” said Welsh, the Mountain Lions’ top returner scorer (16.3 points) and rebounder (7.4). “(After winning the program’s first NCAA Tournament game) we know what it takes to compete at that high level. It is an honor to be invited to this tournament and an opportunity to show we are more than one player.”
UCCS expects to overcome the loss of leading scorer and record-holder Derrick White (25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds), who transferred to Pac-12 Colorado this offseason.
“We were a good 1-2 punch but I was always No. 2,” Welsh said. “Now, I have an opportunity to step up. I am looking forward to this opportunity. I think we could be a better team this year.”
The preseason pollsters were not so sure. The Mountain Lions (27-6 last season) were picked fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference behind Metro State-Denver, CSU-Pueblo, Colorado Mines and Colorado Mesa.
That motivates the Mountain Lions.
“We love coming off a RMAC (playoffs) championship and still being considered underdogs,” said coach Jeff Culver, who expects to have a deeper, balanced team.
Senior Dalton Patten and the addition of redshirt freshman Ian McDonald and Weber State transfer Ryan VanPelt bolster a frontcourt corps led by Welsh.
“We are confident that (Welsh) is fully capable of being the No. 1 guy,” Culver said. “He does a little bit of everything for us. He is difficult to defend. Having three front-line players who are 6-9 or 6-10 and can move and defend gives us good depth.”
Guards Kendall Godley of Peyton, Injiya Crawford and TreShawn Wilford, a three-year starter at point guard, are known for their defensive intensity. Godley has offensive potential as well, Culver said.
“I think TreShawn is the top point guard in the RMAC,” Culver said. “When you have a point guard and good front line in place, you’re off to a good start.”
They will start to find out this weekend.
“This will be a good test to see where we stack up in Division 2,” Welsh said.