Cobras look to rebound from tough start

Even with a 5-6 start to the season, the Parkland Cobras Men's basketball team is still bursting with optimism. The Cobras have been tested early and often this season, playing a number of games on the road, including a strong showing at the Lakeland Invitational. This club is still very confident in their abilities to pull things together and compete as the season rolls on.

That confidence stems from the depth of this Parkland roster. "The good news is that all 14 guys on our roster can play, and play well," said head coach Nate Mast. This is a luxury most teams do not have. The combination of depth with talent will eventually wear most opponents down which should translate into wins. Mast has the unenviable task of trying to balance his players as he will tell you. "Right now we are trying to fit all the pieces together, which rotation works best, which group of guys we need on the floor, etc." Once that solid rotation is decided upon, the team's chemistry will increase and make this team a force to be reckoned with despite its early struggles.

The coaching staff is working hard in keeping the team motivated and understanding the unique position they are in. "Our team is made of six sophomores and eight freshman, so there is a learning curve with the new guys to figure out our new team identity," Mast said. A lot of players are still getting acclimated to the college style of play. They are also becoming accustomed to the identity Mast speaks of. "Our strength will be our defense," he said. As the adjustment period continues for these players, the coaching staff is certain they will take on this role. "Over the course of the season, our defense should steadily improve, especially when we get into conference and know our opponents fairly well."

One of those players making the transition very well is not one you would expect. The surprise so far this year is walk-on Geordy Mulumba. The 6'7" forward from Brussels, Belgium has made quite the impression on the coaching staff. "Mulumba has really come on strong as the new face on the team. He is eager and works hard and has found his way into the starting lineup. He never runs out of energy, which coaches like in their players," Mast said. Mulumba is sure to spread that contagious energy and help jump start this team as they progress into the season.

Part of the cobra struggles are due to tough scheduling on the part of the coaching staff. These tests are used to evaluate this team as well as prepare them for the many challenges that wait throughout the season. The hope is that this strategy will pay dividends in the long run. Mast will acknowledge that this is a risky measure. "Playing a tough schedule can go both ways. If you pick up some early wins against good opponents, you build confidence and know that you can compete against anyone on any night." The team will rely on that confidence heavily as conference play is approaching. Tough scheduling could also work against Mast's club. "If you lose a few games, it sometimes takes time to rebuild that confidence. I think teams need to go through some tough times to define their character and identity by how they respond to that adversity." It will be interesting to see how this team responds as the season continues. All signs point toward a positive conclusion to the 2011-12 campaign, in which the Cobras will host seven of their last 10 games.

A young but talented club looks to build off the momentum from their victory over College of Lake County. Their next contest is against Kaskaskia College. Leading scorers Cody McCollum and Jamel Johnson will be instrumental in leading the charge. The coaching staff is also putting forth its best effort and understands what they want to achieve. "As long as we make strides every day, our team will continue to improve so that we are playing our best basketball towards the end of the year," Mast said. Be sure to support the men's basketball program as well as all Cobra athletic programs.