- Early in the season, inside a column touting the Hopkins men's basketball team, Head Coach Bill Nelson was quoted with a phrase that has to be recalled when talking about the current state of the men's basketball team.
"We need to stop turning the ball over," Nelson said at the time, clearly and concisely explaining the problem that has been hurting the Blue Jays all season.
Having returned from break for the second half of their basketball season, the Blue Jays stand at 13-2. They are now ranked 22nd in the nation, and hold a sizable lead over the rest of the Centennial Conference. However, for this team, which includes five seniors and two juniors with a significant contribution provided by two sophomores, there are higher goals in mind. To reach these goals and play past the Centennial Conference tournament, the Jays will have to cut down on their turnovers.
"Certainly, with the talent we have, we hope that we can reach and win a few games in the NCAA tournament," senior forward Zack Armen said. "At this point you really just take it one game at a time, and we have been doing our job thus far in conference games."
Over the winter break, the Blue Jays suffered their only two losses, dropping a game against highly ranked Mississippi College in a tournament on the West Coast and falling to Haverford in a terribly played game at the Goldfarb Gymnasium.
Since then, the Jays have turned things around, winning important road contests at Franklin & Marshall and Ursinus while additionally dismantling fellow conference rivals Gettysburg by 37 and Muhlenberg by 30.
"The Haverford game was a wake-up call for us," Armen said. "While that was a terrible loss, the wins over Ursinus and F&M were very important. It's always a good win when playing on the road against a good opponent."
In those two losses, the Jays committed a total of 46 turnovers, 22 against Mississippi College and 24 against the Fords. This will, come March, be unacceptable for a team of such talent. Currently, the Blue Jays have three players averaging double figures in points. Senior forward Matt Griffin averages 15.6, senior forward Dan Nawrocki averages 12.8 per game and senior guard TJ Valerio has been scoring 11 per game. Nawrocki is also averaging over 10 rebounds per game.
These impressive statistics don't capture the full extent of the team's prowess, however. Attend a game against any other Centennial Conference opponent and it is obvious to the educated observer that the Hopkins team just has more talent than their opponents.
Nawrocki and Griffin dominate play inside, standing taller and playing stronger than any other pair of opposing forwards. Valerio and junior guard Doug Polster have been shooting lights-out from the outside and are currently two of the top shooters in the league, hitting 41 percent and 49 percent from three-point range, respectively. It is this combination that makes the Jays so dangerous, however if they keep turning it over, where averaging over 18 per game, they will be susceptible to teams like Haverford.
The Jays play next on Saturday at Washington and next Wednesday at Swarthmore.
