The Hamilton men’s basketball team finished this past weekend 1–1 in two home games. Taking on Colby in front of a sizable crowd on Friday night, the team largely dominated from start to finish, bottling up Colby’s leading scorers Matt Hanna and Noah Tyson to a combined 6–21 shooting from the field. The team was flying around the defensive end of the court, finishing the night with a ridiculous 12 blocks and seven steals en route to a 66–54 win. The next day, the team again put on a defensive show against Bowdoin, but fell in the final minute 59–58 on Senior Day. Senior captain Nick Osarenren ’22 was a standout on both ends of the floor as he has been all season long. On the weekend, Osarenren averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 steals.
The Spectator
sat down with Osarenren after the up-and-down weekend as the team looks ahead to the end of the regular season and postseason play.
What are the team’s goals for this season?
[Our goal is to] keep getting better every day. Hopefully, that culminates in a NESCAC championship.
What was the key to the win over Colby on Friday?
We played as a team, especially on defense. We knew they had two guys who could really go so we had to key in on those guys and get stops. Once we did that, our offense naturally took care of itself.
How does the team try to improve from losses?
Just by getting back in the lab and continuing to work on the things we need to get better at. We cannot dwell on the losses too much or else that will bleed into our other games.
What is the team’s mindset as NESCACs approach?
To compete. I feel like if we compete consistently and play team defense there is no ceiling for us when the playoffs arrive.
You and the team have excelled at defense this season. How do you practice your defense?
It’s all about the principles and schemes that we run. Coach Stockwell and Coach Dobbs really do a good job of helping us prepare for teams defensively. We also are one of the bigger teams in the league (especially at the guard positions) so we definitely use our length to our advantage.
The team played on back-to-back days on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5. Was that challenging physically?
Yeah, it’s definitely challenging playing those back-to-back games, especially in a league as tough as this one. But this is the life we chose and we got to fight through it.
What is the most difficult part of playing basketball?
I would say that at this level it’s being locked in for 40 minutes of gameplay. Every little detail matters in getting wins which you don’t really experience growing up.
What is the best part of the team’s atmosphere?
Our camaraderie and silliness. Everybody on this team can take a joke which makes for some lighthearted conversations. That leads to everyone feeling comfortable which transfers over to the court.
Lightning Round
Favorite player?
Lebron James. Best player on planet Earth.
Biggest inspiration?
My mother. She is really the toughest person I know, so seeing her go through life definitely pushes me to go harder on the court.
Favorite thing about basketball?
The fast-paced nature of the game. There are no dull moments which I really like.
Best on-court memory?
This year against Amherst. They were a really good team and we had lost to them the last two times we played them, one being in the NESCAC championship. We beat them on a tip-in buzzer beater by another senior, Elliot Tirbaso ’22. We all went crazy and the emotions that came from that game were extremely high. It was a dope moment and one that I will remember for a long time.
