MOBILE, Ala. – The Spring Hill College men's basketball team is preparing for the 2022-23 season, Head Coach Craig Kennedy sat down for a Q&A looking ahead at the year.
 
How has the preseason been going so far?
"Preseason has gone really well, the group we've had in here the last two years had a superior work ethic and this group here is no different. It's taken a little bit for some of the new guys to catch on to the pace with which they have to work. I think we've got everyone on the same page and the student-athletes are working hard and [we're] pretty excited about where they're progressing."
 
How are the newcomers adjusting so far?
"It's a solid class filling in some gaps from the vacancies of last year. Ioannis Giannoultsis has really come along, I always liked him as a player, he was a little slow progressing with us, but he has really picked up in about the last three week and really wants to do well. Omri Vorotizky should provide us some good shooting, but he's been battling some nagging injuries, which has kept him in and out of practice, so it's going to take a while for him and he's another one that has to get an understanding of the pace to which he needs to play at this level. Isaiah Veal has been absolutely fantastic with us, he's a real mature player on the floor, very willing guard wanting to do the right thing and knows when to shift gears, so he's been really exciting for us and he's going to be battling for a starting point guard position. Collin Coates is the true freshman in the lot and for him it's learning to play at a college speed. He's a very smart player, very fundamentally sound and he's going to be able to find places where he can step in and help us out at times."
 
How have the transfers adjusted from their junior colleges?
"It's been a good adjustment. It's been easier for Isaiah, because he's playing his true position. Ioannis is having to learn to play at the speed of this level. He's a big guard at 6-7, shoots the ball really well. He's having to learn to defend the way we want to and that's been a bit of an adjustment for him. Bo Barber has been a workhorse, he's come out of such a great program at Mountain Brook [High School]. He and Isaiah are similar in many ways, they're built like bulldogs. He's a little different scorer than Isaiah is, but he has had a tremendous work ethic both on the court and in the weight room."
 
How have the returners meshed with the freshmen?
"Really good, our guys are very embracing. We push culture so much with our guys from top down, but then our guys set the example of how we're going to conduct ourselves, so it's easy for them [the newcomers] to fall in line."
 
What goals has the team developed for this season?
"Every day for us is trying to be the best we can be. All of our drills are time and goal-related. We have certain standards that we want to meet, whether they're shooting or defensive standards. Our guys are cognizant of that when we're doing drills and they know where our team standards are and they're just trying to be the best they can be and everything else will take care of itself."
 
Who all is emerging as leaders on the team?
"Beril [Kabamba] has been the leader since he stepped on the campus in many ways. In his freshman year he didn't have the work ethic to start right away and he's learned a work ethic, because he's always been good. That's the problem when you have guys that are really good like him; you haven't had to have the greatest work ethic, because you've always been successful. Tana [Kopa] and Steven are the ones who set the tone in their work ethic and they started that last year. So you have Tana and Steven with their work ethic, Beril now knowing what he has to do as a leader and then the other one in that group is Timothy Reilly. We cannot forget how hard Tim has worked in the weight room and on the court."
 
 
Coach Kennedy took a moment to highlight his senior class, which includes Georgios Kostikas, Denys Bobchuk and Ashton Hawkins.
 
"We've got our three seniors; Georgios, Denys and Ashton. Ashton is going to be out the first half of the season, but he has just been dissecting people in practice. He has been playing at an exceptionally high level. Georgios brings a maturity and what's beautiful to see with him is the vocal leader he has become. He's a very smart player and has been able to finish around the basket this year, which was a struggle for him in the past. Denys was shooting the ball really well and then was out with a concussion, so it's just a matter of seeing what he's going to bring. Denys can be a real valuable asset for us, because he's physical, strong, makes good decisions most of the time when he shoots. We're going to need him, especially later in the year."
 
He also highlighted sophomores Eli Lenihan and Luka Erdtmann, who both had productive summers.
 
"Eli was a starter for Ireland's U20 national team that had the best finish ever for Ireland, so that was a great experience for him, really good conditioning over the summer. He's such a crafty player, because he can play multiple positions; he can play point guard at 6-5 and is a facilitator-driver and finds people, then he can play in the post, where he's just a brilliant defender. Luka missed so much of last year with a broken foot. We've asked him to embrace a 'Dennis Rodman' role of being this rebounder and defender. He throws his heart into it, we're always on him to 'crash the boards, crash the boards, crash the boards' and he just plays so hard. He has a really nice shot and is a very high-percentage shooter from the three-point arc. Those two guys will round out and really be looking to get minutes for us."
 
Coach Kennedy concluded with this statement about his Badger Basketball squad: "It's a very balanced team with a lot of individuals you can plug and play."
 
Spring Hill will tip off its regular season against rival Mobile on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m., in the Arthur R. Outlaw Recreation Center.
 
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