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Mikaela Wong<\/strong> | Freelancer<\/span><\/p>\n Returning from a spectacular 2017-2018 season, the Western men\u2019s basketball team is back and ready to fight for what they were so close to achieving last season. After losing to California Baptist University from a last-minute comeback that fell just short in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball West Regional, the Wolves concluded their season at No. 3. Western\u2019s 24-game win streak was ended and finished with a 31-2 record.<\/span><\/p>\n However, after having a less than ideal ending to their previous season, the mindsets of the players are now stronger than ever. Riley Hawken, a senior business major and a returning power forward, is confident that the team will carry over its success. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis year\u2019s going to be another phenomenal year and we\u2019re going to have a lot of phenomenal players. A lot of the guys are hungry and we\u2019re all just wanting to do the best we can to represent WOU as great as we can,\u201d said Hawken.<\/span><\/p>\n The men\u2019s basketball team has gained quite the following after their previous historic season and do not plan on slowing down any time soon. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have a winning culture,\u201d stated Buster Souza, a senior majoring in business and also returning as a power forward, \u201cand that is going to come not just this year and next year, but years and years after that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Many players were wondering how this year\u2019s team would measure up to last season\u2019s, especially having nine players graduate last year. But Souza was quite reassuring. \u201cSomething we had to work on (over the off-season) was our depth because we lost so many players last year, but we really corrected that just with our recruiting and our deep line-up. Our skillset is pretty even across the board\u2026we have a lot of young talent coming in as well as veterans returning.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Hawkens adds, \u201ca lot of the (new recruits) have really good attitudes that are (just as) hungry and want to continue on the success that we\u2019ve had. The coaches did a really good job of getting guys in here who could fill the spots (of the graduated players).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Hawken was unanimously named to the 2018-19 GNAC Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team over the off-season. When asked about what things he is looking forward to most this season, Hawken said, \u201cthe biggest part of the journey is how you come together as a team. The thing I\u2019m most excited for is the new team to come together…to see how all these new pieces are going to come together…and how well we are going to progress as a team…and it\u2019s coming along really well right now.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2018\/11\/gallery-6-683x1024.jpg\")
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