A year can make all the difference. This time last season, the men’s basketball team was looking down on the rest of the conference as the No. 1 seed in the Empire 8 Championships. But with three games remaining in the 2009-10 regular season, Ithaca finds itself clinging to the fourth and final seed for the Empire 8 Championship tournament, preparing to take on the best the conference has to offer.

Junior forward Phil Barera said there is definitely a different feeling than a year ago but the team is still just as confident.

“No one is worried,” Barera said. “Everyone is down about the way we have played lately, but I wouldn’t say the level of confidence is any different from last year.”

Senior Will Gaskins agreed, saying the team’s attitude in the locker room is very similar to last year. He said it is not fair to compare this year’s team to last year’s.

“People have been comparing our team to last year’s team since before the season started,” Gaskins said. “To a degree those comparisons are unfair because this team is drastically different.”

Last season, Gaskins said the team motto was to “maintain swagger,” something he believes this year’s team is doing just fine.

“Maintaining swagger is holding up the belief that you are better,” Gaskins said. “It’s knowing that no matter what’s going on, you can pull out [the win] because you are the better team. We are doing that this year too. No one is panicking.”

But before beating Utica College on Tuesday, Ithaca had lost three of four games for the first time all season. Though the Bombers are clinging to the fourth and final spot for the Empire 8 Conference Championship tournament with a conference record of 8–5, Ithaca is just 2–3 against Empire 8 opponents with winning records.

Head Coach Jim Mullins said the team has dug itself too many big holes in games against good teams.

“Our biggest issue is that we haven’t put together 40 minutes,” Mullins said. “We wait until we get in trouble to get into desperation mode and fight back.”

While some of these inconsistencies have been ongoing for the Bombers this season, they still have been fortunate enough to maintain a two game lead for the four seed in the conference tournament.

If things are anything like they were in last year’s conference tournament, being the four seed might not be a bad thing for Ithaca. Last season, the Bombers were upset by No. 4-seeded Nazareth College.

“In a way, being an underdog in the tournament isn’t the worst thing if a team takes us lightly,” Barera said.

Barera said they have not buckled down on defense until their backs are against the wall.

Gaskins, who is one of just two seniors on the team, said he hopes to go out with a bang in his fourth and final season as a Bomber. As a captain, Gaskins said he has been impressed with the attitude of this year’s team. Whether the team makes a run into the playoffs or not, he said he hopes to at least leave a lasting impression on some of the younger players.

“One thing I would like to see this team have is a sense of urgency,” Gaskins said. “If I could help the team do that, then I would be happy.”

 

Box Score - Utica vs Ithaca (02/09/10 at Ben Light Gymnasium; Ithaca, N.Y.)