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“Blue Devils Get Off to a Fresh Start” -Tyler DeVooght, UW-Manitowoc Campus News

The UW-Manitowoc Blue Devils men’s basketball team has had plenty of changes. Including a major roster change that rosters 13 freshman and only one returning player, sophomore- Montreale Rucker, from last season’s roster. Last season, the UW-Manitowoc Blue Devils basketball team had an up and down year. The beginning of this season has been mostly positive. The team is ranked 2nd in the WCC Eastern Conference with a 5-1 conference record and an 8-5 record overall.

The team has electrified the crowd and the scoreboard in many games this season. UW-Manitowoc is averaging 81 PPG (points per game) while allowing 75 PPG. On top of that, the Blue Devils have scored at least 82 points in 9 games this season and have an 8-1 record in those contests, but are 0-4 in games in which the team fails to reach 82 points.

The high scoring games most likely are in large part due to the squad’s quickness and athleticism. The athleticism is spread throughout the young team. “On any night, there are multiple players that step up,” said 3rd year Head Coach Scott Farr. Matt Irizarry leads the team, averaging 17 PPG, while many players are not far below that average. Brandon Fish averages 14 PPG, Austin Posvic has been the most consistent with 12 PPG, and Carrington Harris has stepped it up as of late, averaging 16 PPG in 4 of his past 6 games. Plus not to mention Wayman Newman, who averaged 26 PPG in a 4 game stretch to start the season.

The fairly even distributed scoring could indicate how well the players play as a team. “Our team chemistry has really gelled,” said Coach Farr. “This season has been possibly the most enjoyable season because the team has become such a tight knit group.”

Many players on the team happen to be walk-on basketball players, meaning the individual attending UW-Manitowoc joined the roster after enrolling at the school. Coach Farr is fine with that, as he stresses the importance of education. Coach Farr stated, “I’m really big on academics; student first, athlete second.” A few players had to be suspended from basketball to send a message that grades are important.

As for on the court, “We’re just going to take one game at a time and try to win each game,” Coach Farr attested. The Blue Devils have been competitive in each game, with 4 of its 5 loses coming by single digits. However, its wins have been dominant, as the average win is by nearly 17 points. Many of those blow-out wins came at home. UW-Manitowoc is 5-1 on its home court and the home games in the second half of the season will pick up on January 11th. The team will face Ripon College JV at 7:30 PM in the Fieldhouse at Hillside Hall. Coach Farr will be sure to get the team ready to play. “We always talk about defending our home court,” Coach Farr said. “Nobody comes into our house and beats us.”

media type="custom" key="11532896" Photos by Cindy Gruett