Basketball team looking good on defense

Next month will tip off a new season of North Lake Blazer basketball. On a quest for a conference championship and a berth in the national tournament, Coach Tim McGraw is optimistic as he enters his eighth season.

Seven returning players give support for a young, fast, defensive-minded team looking to pile up some wins. The opportunity will begin as they travel to tournaments in Kansas and Missouri prior to conference play, where a strong record will earn a trip to Delhi, N.Y., to represent the Metro Athletic Conference (MAC) on a national scene.

The Blazers have intentions of creating their own championship season.

“Our effort level and attitude is much better than last year. We have a lot of talent and good depth,” said McGraw. “Our willingness to learn is better. Our capability of winning should be, too. We’d better be going to New York.”

The MAC consists of six local DCCCD schools which include Brookhaven, Mountain View, Eastfield, Cedar Valley and Richland colleges. Last season’s crown went to Eastfield, who went on and competed in the national championship game. An overtime loss allowed New York’s Suffolk County Community College to capture a second straight Division III title.

NLC’s season will begin with about 15 players ready to play the great game of basketball. Since tryouts began over the summer, the coaching staff evaluated more than 140 prospects.

“This year’s team will be great on defense,” said McGraw. “We have to force turnovers and create fast breaks to make up for our lack of rebounding.”

This year’s schedule will welcome teams from Tennessee, Missouri, New Mexico and across Texas. Look for the tournament champions from Mexico on Nov. 17 for our home opener. The Blazers will be looking to make up for a loss in last year’s intense match-up with the Borregos from Monterrey, Mexico.

McGraw is hoping this year’s team can go further than his team in 2000. That year he was honored with Coach of the Year after taking his conference champions to a fourth-place national finish.

North Lake basketball attracts about 15 different universities on campus each year looking for talent. Collegiate scouts from Utah State, Northern Arizona, Creighton and many more have visited throughout the preseason.