Davis talks team progress at Media Day Tuesday

A lot has happened since Keno Davis was introduced as the 20th head coach in men’s basketball history on April 2.

On Tuesday, Central Michigan held its Media Day in McGuirk Arena to get caught up with the team and find out Davis’ expectations for his fast–approaching first season.

“Since we started our summer workouts, our team has come a long way,” Davis said. “We knew when we stepped on the court it was going to be a learning process, but our young players and our returning guys have worked extremely hard.”

Coming off a 12-22 season with only five returning players, expectations aren’t at an all-time high.

Especially when of those five returners, only one has experience starting.

“As a team, we just want to get out there and win as many games as possible,” sophomore guard Austin Keel said. “As a team goal, we want to be playing in March.”

What fans can expect from the team is a high tempo offense and a lot of three-pointers, Davis said. The team makes up for in energy and range what it lacks in size, he said.

“The overall concept that maybe we’re above from where I thought we’d be is the ability to shoot from 3-point range,” Davis said. “Every position, guys like Blake Hibbitts and John Simons as freshmen, you wouldn’t know they were freshmen by the way they shoot, and they’ll be a tough matchup problem.”

Davis also expects this team to be hard–working both on and off the court. He wants his team to be known not only for its hustle on the court but for its hard work in the classroom as well.

“I want our supporters to leave McGuirk knowing that the Central Michigan basketball team didn’t get outworked,” Davis said. “We want the character of our team to be tough; we want to have the best GPA of the basketball teams in the MAC and to be ranked academically in the country.”

As far as the season goes, Davis knows his team has a long way to go before the Chippewas take on Iowa on Nov. 12.

“No, I don’t think we’re ready for our non-conference schedule,” Davis said. “I think the opportunities to play in games against Michigan and in tournaments at Utah or down in El Paso will really help us down the road.”