Underclassmen reflect on impact of men's basketball senior class
Central Michigan mens basketball seniors talk during Senior Night after the basketball game on March 5 at McGuirk Arena.
In Central Michigan men’s basketball's 94-89 win over Fort Wayne in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, this year’s senior class got its first postseason win ever.
For someone like captain Josh Kozinski, it’s a quintessential memory in the final days of his career, much to the extent of fellow seniors Luke Meyer, Cecil Williams and John McCarty.
That’s why the March 16 tip-off against Wofford at 7 p.m. in a second round matchup means so much to the Chippewas.
“Those guys, having been here for this duration, has really helped the program moving forward,” said CMU head coach Keno Davis.
Wofford earned a first round bye in the tournament. The game is being held at Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina. This will be the first time both teams have faced each other.
“When you go through tough stretches, you don’t feel like the team is separating, and when we had tough losses, it brought us closer together,” Davis said. “That’s because of the seniors, who have been able to show that lead to the younger guys and you expect the younger guys to do the same when they get older.”
Responsible for Fort Wayne’s first home loss since 2014, the Chippewas reveled in the underclassmen not undergoing the woes of no prior postseason experience.
“Like how experience goes, if you have more if it, you’re better for the future,” Meyer said. “Just having those extra games played and having that pressure on your back, it makes that next one count more.”
Meyer, along with the other seniors, have taken on an important role in helping the younger corp properly conduct themselves as both players and students. He considers himself more of a lead by example personality.
“You have to learn how to lose, especially when there’s another game in two-or-three days and not beat yourself up,” Meyer said. “And if you see something that you know is wrong, you have to say something or else you’ll never get better.”
Those lessons provided haven’t gone unnoticed, whether it’s from someone like freshman Matt Beachler or redshirt sophomore Corey Redman. Both of whom have valued the seniors’ contributions in working towards a common goal.
Beachler, the former standout guard from Lowell, Michigan, who’s averaging 4.6 field goals per 100 possessions, thanks Kozinski for the countless tips and advice this season.
“Josh has taught me everything I needed in order to play for Coach Davis,” he said. “He helps me every day at practice. He always tells me what to look for and stuff like that. It really feels like we’re losing four assistant coaches.”
Redman, after electing for the redshirt last year, has shown improvement in 32 games played, receiving double-digit minutes twice during the nonconference stretch and tying his career-high of six points against Eureka.
Having lived with Meyer in his three years at CMU, the 6-foot-6 guard appreciates the close brotherhood he’s maintained with the seniors.
“(Kozinski) seems like he’s got its all together,” Redman said. “I mean, he has his job lined up, he’s getting married this summer. He’s that mature that’s been there for me. With Luke, I’ve learned a lot from him. Any questions that I have, I go to him, and he helps me out immensely.”
When this year’s senior class moves on, Davis hopes they can return and look back at what they’ve done with delight.
“They’re going to come back to games, they’re going to come back to events, they’re going to talk about their special time,” Davis said. “It was about how they were treated, how they represented the school and of course the experience.”
