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Transy’s ‘OneTeam’ Hosts Spikeball Tournament, Bringing Students Together

Jack Thomas
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Transy’s ‘OneTeam’ Hosts Spikeball Tournament, Bringing Students Together

On Sunday, January 29th, Transylvania’s One Team Hosted a Spikeball Tournament and invited the campus community to join in the fun. The organizer of the event, junior student Ysa Leon, took the time to discuss the event with me and shared their thoughts on its success, purpose, and more.

Spikeball is a unique, relatively new activity that consists of two teams of two “spiking” a ball onto a circular net. Despite the niche nature of the game, it has cemented its popularity on Transy’s campus, and Ysa could see the excitement surrounding it. The sport is “easy to learn,” stated Leon, making it appealing to those who are new to the activity. “While we didn’t have a huge turnout, the event was a success. We had fun together and brought new members into our club.”

This isn’t the first time that OneTeam has brought students together with fun activities. In the past, events such as trivia and bingo have been tools to gather the student body of Transylvania. While these are fun events to be a part of, Leon highlighted that the true goal of OneTeam goes beyond fun and focuses on community and connection. “One Team is Transy’s only student organization by and for queer athletes and allies,” they stated. “We hold events. . . in hopes of making our campus more educated on the issues that queer athletes face.”

Ysa and the rest of OneTeam host meetings on the last Sunday of every month at 4 p.m.. These meetings are geared towards inclusivity and education on being a queer athlete, both on and off the field, and invite all athletes and allies to come. For more, follow @TUOneTeam on Instagram, or contact Ysa at yeleon24@transy.edu

Student Life Opportunities Reintroduced at Second Engagements Event

Nate Brother
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Student Life Opportunities Reintroduced at Second Engagements Event

On the night of January 26th, the Transylvania Student Life staff hosted “Second Engagements” at the Campus Center, an event designed to re-energize the campus community ahead of the winter semester. Assistant Director of Student Success Corrine O’Bryan spoke with the Rambler about why this event was created, saying, “I think it is really important in the second semester to have some events and opportunities for students to connect with their campus community again.” O’Bryan also emphasized how important opportunities like this were for first-year students who, after the beginning of year events like First Engagements, maybe had yet to find a club or organization they could participate in. 

The event consisted of several areas throughout the campus center where various clubs and organizations had set up fun activities for students to participate in, and also get a sense of what joining said clubs might be like. In the game room, students enjoyed playing games such as Mario Kart and The Jackbox Party pack in an area sponsored by Transylvania’s relatively new Esports team. When asked what he hoped people would learn about the team through this event, Esports coach Dylan Osborne said, “ We’re a really inclusive program. We have programs available to everyone, even if you want to compete in one of our tournaments …and we have a lot of stuff to offer if you consider yourself a casual gamer and don’t want to be involved in high-level competition, we do offer everything for someone at Transy.” 

Beyond the Esports team, a large focus of the event was to highlight organizations and clubs based out of the multicultural center, such as the Transy Black Student Alliance, the Transy Muslim Student Alliance, TUnity, and several more. On the night of the event, stations for students to connect with these organizations, as well as a collaborative banner and opportunities to design mugs and coasters, were set up in the Multicultural Center. “We’re trying to highlight that area [the Multicultural Center] more. It is on the backside of the campus center, so we have tried to draw a lot of the events into that hallway to get students to go back there” said O’Bryan. Other notable features of the events were stations where students could learn more about Greek Life, and an arts and craft area set up by the Student Success staff where students could decorate journals, paint mini-canvases, and collect affirmation postcards. 

When asked what would be considered a success for Second Engagements, O’Bryan responded, “My idea of success is an opportunity for the students to have a good time. I want to make sure that I am seeing students interacting with each other, laughing, and interacting with people they maybe haven’t seen before. Anything under that umbrella would be a success in my book.” Second Engagements had a large turnout among the student body, and only time will tell if new connections were made through the event.

Blast from the Past; Exploring Past Editions of The Rambler: Part 1

Nate Brother
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Blast from the Past; Exploring Past Editions of The Rambler: Part 1

The Rambler as an institution, while having served the Transylvania University community since 1915, has drastically evolved over its 107 years of existence. This evolution can be seen in several vintage issues of the Rambler, which were released from 1955 to 1966. The formatting, issues covered, and even the name of the Rambler all changed over the 11 years from 1955 to 1966 and in the 56 years since to the present day. 

The September 23rd, 1955 edition of what was then called the Crimson Rambler was primarily focused on the start of the new academic year. The cover story of the edition was a report on the demographics of the new Freshman Class. 174 new students enrolled at Transylvania that fall, which included students from a greater variety of states than previous years and a collection of “valedictorians, salutatorians and other students with high scholastic records in high school,” as the story composed by the Rambler staff as a whole wrote. Other cover stories included an announcement of a new language curriculum, which included new laboratory methods of teaching and introduced French, German, and Italian to the university. The front page also notes the hiring of four new professors to the Transylvania staff that Fall, with the most notable being that future Basketball Hall of Famer C.M. Newton was hired to his first head coaching job at Transylvania that summer. 

This issue of the Crimson Rambler was primarily concerned with being an introduction to the new Freshman class, most noticeably through a large message welcoming the freshmen at the bottom of the front page. A large section of this edition was a letter from the Rambler editors to the Freshman class that urged the Freshmen to “maintain that [Transylvania] spirit, to keep it alive while you are in Transylvania’s halls and to see to it that it is passed on, a living tradition, to every class of freshmen that shall come after you.” This letter was followed by an anonymous letter from a Freshman who emphasized the many feelings the class may be having. The anonymous Freshman wrote “I shall have to be guided, yet when I left home I thought I- the great I- would just have to enroll and then be on my own to conquer the world. Little did I realize how small I am. I have met several freshmen, just as lost as I am.”

The issue also included a guide of the important figures on campus, from the Student Council President to the presidents of various fraternities and sororities. By far the largest section of the edition was an overview of the Student Council Constitution and a piece written by Student Council President Willis Frey accompanying it explaining the importance of the student council. Transylvania was also still considered a Christian College at this point, so significant portions of the issue are taken up by the “Crimson Rambler Prayer” and a piece by the editors urging new students to “get out of the rut of Sunday morning sleep” and regularly attend church. 

A special thanks to SGA President Tate Ohmer for providing physical copies of the papers discussed in the story, and a reminder to be on the lookout for new stories in this continual series on past editions of The Rambler.

Morlan Gallery Presents MASCS: Masculinity Reimagined

Madalyn Stump
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Morlan Gallery Presents MASCS: Masculinity Reimagined

Masculinity Reimagined is an artistic journey about the combatants of toxic masculinity through different perspectives. The name MASCS was created with the intention of a dual meaning, Masculinity and the “mask” of being brooding, strong, and manly. This duality shows that being masculine does not just mean one thing. Justin Korver, Moises Salazar, Betsy Odom, John Paul Morabito, and Darryl DeAngelo Terrell have come together to show us collections of magnificent pieces of artwork that will have everyone thinking about the way they see masculinity. 

Justin Kover – Left: “Reshooting Predator Pronouns” 2022 Archival pigment print on Hahnemuühle paper with pearled cotton embroidery, Center: “Reshooting: Filled” 2022 Archival pigment print on Hahnemuühle paper with pearled cotton embroidery, Right: “Reshooting: Prey Pronouns” Archival pigment print on Hahnemuühle paper with pearled cotton embroidery

Justin Korver – Left end: “I guess I think of pink as the complement of green” 2018 Artist’s father’s hat and embroidery floss, Left inner: “We’ve all got our little addictions” 2018 Artist’s father’s hat and embroidery floss, Right inner: “A flower crown isn’t a laurel wreath trees are more manly” 2018 Artist’s father’s hat and embroidery floss, Right end: “Clyfford still spent a lot of time looking at fields” 2018 Artist’s father’s hat and embroidery floss

Justin Korver: Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M for the Arts, who focused his thesis on, “The critique of the social construction of masculinity.” brought us a collection of artwork that showed us the intimate relationship within masculine hobbies. Justin uses hunting, camo, and baseball caps to encapsulate the unspoken vulnerability of hobbies and items that are by society’s standards, masc. 

Moises Salazar – “Untitled” 2022 Glitter on canvas

Moises Salazar – “The Winner Takes It All” 2022 Glitter on board, fabric, faux flowers

Moises Salazar: A nonbinary, queer, Mexican American artist. They show intersectionality in their work between queerness, ethnicity, gender, race, and self-identity. In Mascuilty reimagined Moises tied sports, such as boxing and soccer, which are usually seen as very masculine into feminine and dainty using glitter, flowers, and embroidery. 

 Betsy Odom – “Softball Bat” 2010 wood, athletic tape, tooled leather

Betsy Odom – “Bulldog 30 (shoulder pads)” 2009 Molded plywood, tooled leather, fabric, foam, ribbon

Betsy Odom: A lecturer in fine arts sculpture and 3D design, an artist, and a curator. Betsy was the only woman in this gallery, giving us a woman’s perspective on masculinity. She took football and softball and made them her own. Growing up she was in awe of women’s sports, specifically softball. In an interview, she states, “Personally, I’m quite bad at it and grew up envious of the girls who could play, not only for their prowess and talent but also for the freedom in the invisibility of women’s sports. The magical thing about women’s athletics is that no one is watching, so little suggestions of defying the patriarchy seem to naturally seep through”. Betsy’s football shoulder pads are a statement about the violence in football using embellishments like ribbon.

John Paull Morabito – “For Félix (yellow like twilight and then the dawn)” 2021 Cotton and glass beads, Courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery

John Paul Morabito – “For Félix (rose like sweet and sweaty intoxication)” 2021 Cotton and glass beads, Courtesy of Patricia Sweetow Gallery

John Paul Morabito: A queer, nonbinary artist who specializes in weaving. John created a collection of tapestries that are hand beaded onto very beautiful vibrant colored cotton. Their “For Félix” collection is a story of care and nurture within the resistance to AIDS, COVID-19, and the colorful world of drag. 

Darryl DeAngelo Terrel – “Here’s a list of what I deserve #1” 2022 Video

Darryl DeAngelo Terrel: Identifies as a black, nonbinary, queer, fat artist who shows that through photography, video, performance, and text. Darryl’s entrancing films projected on the wall challenges the idea that black men can not be vulnerable. Within these videos, they demand respect within busts portraits and flower crowns. 

Josh Porter, the galleries curator, was interviewed by Madalyn Stump

M: “What is your favorite piece in the gallery?”

J: “Honestly has to be this one right here (Moises Salazar: “Untitled” 2022 Glitter on canvas), this sort of green soccer player in a field of flowers. I just love the use of material which I think is something that is present throughout the entire show. Extravagant use of glitter, beads, and soft of using a lot of traditionally feminine techniques and materials as a way to counteract those as not being high art, there’s a lot of sort of gendered bias in that. And incorporating masculine sports and saying hey it doesn’t have to be represented in a singular way and challenging these binary understandings of gender, so yeah I definitely think that is my favorite piece by Moises”

Special thanks to Anthony Mead

SGA President Ohmer Paves Way for Student Seat on Board of Trustees

Tate Ohmer
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SGA President Ohmer Paves Way for Student Seat on Board of Trustees

Some exciting news has come up this week as SGA President Tate Ohmer makes the first step in securing a student seat on the Transylvania Board of Trustees.

As promised by his campaign, Ohmer has been putting together the pieces to accomplish this goal for the entirety of his senior year. Below is his statement on the matter.

Ohmer: The beginning of any new term on campus naturally feels electric. Each of us, including myself, are inspired by those hopes which can be achieved. Having served three and a half years in SGA and graduating this year, I am reflecting on my time here at Transylvania. Our university has changed in many ways for the better, from providing student support to new campus buildings. Nonetheless, a shared issue among many SGA predecessors and students still needs to be solved. We will no longer accept Transylvania University’s absence of a student’s voice and vote upon the board that governs us all. 

As President, I picked up and will continue this multi-year effort. Unfortunately, it was expressed that our university will not consider the most modest of proposals for student representation. As good students, we understand the importance of having representation, especially where some of the most impactful decisions are made. Indeed, I am disappointed by our institution’s decision to continue a history of denying what many see as fundamental.

We, as students, are not limited by our institution, and my administration shall not repeat history. Last year, I had the opportunity to work with the Student Rights Coalition and their efforts in Kentucky’s General Assembly to pass the nation’s largest student due process rights bill in the nation. This bill passed through both the House and Senate with bipartisan support and was signed by the Governor. 

The Kentucky Student Rights Coalition is dedicated to standing for student voices in higher ed across Kentucky. Introduced last session, the organization had a bill to require additional undergraduate and graduate students to serve on a university’s governing board, raising the total to three legally required voting members on each public university’s governing boards in Kentucky. 

It is now put upon the shoulders of students of small liberal arts institutions like Transylvania to ask for one voice. Seeing as there is no more to be done in Old Morrison, we will change gears to Frankfort. Representative William Lawrence, in partnership with the and KHEAA, has worked with our SGA executives to include a provision that requires all post-secondary institutions in Kentucky to have a voting student member on their governing boards by making it a requirement to receive KEES funding from the Commonwealth- applying to both public and private schools.

The new provision will be included in an updated version of the Student Tuition Accountability and Protection Act, which will be re-filed by Representatives William Lawrence and Kim Banta. This is gaining support, and the legislation will be supported by our SGA at Transylvania University.

“For the 2023 Kentucky General Assembly, I enthusiastically stand with students across Kentucky and have filed House Bill 136, the Kentucky Student Tuition Protection and Accountability Act.” said Representative Lawrence, the Representative of District 70, “HB 136 will ensure that the voices of Kentucky’s college students are represented on the governing boards at each public or private four-year college in Kentucky.”

We are still far from seeing this done, but that important first step has been taken. Provided that this bill passes, provided that the Governor signs it, provided that Transylvania cannot function without that KEES funding, we will finally see our administration compelled to follow their commitment to the student body and allow one of us to sit with the decision makers. I hope to fulfill this campaign promise made by myself and those who came before me.

Review of Morlan Art Gallery: Mnemonic Devices

Spencer Lorenz
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Review of Morlan Art Gallery: Mnemonic Devices

The Morlan Art Gallery presented Mnemonic Devices from October 24th to November 22nd. This exhibition, curated by Emily Goodman, focuses on the memory of humans. As in the name, “Mnemonic Devices,” the pieces are meant to spark memories through captured images. These images come in many forms. Some are framed still images, some are put into video format, and one exhibit is even an entire room. 

Two pieces caught my eye upon walking in. Immediately to the right were photos captured inside the artist’s home. In remembrance of her grandparents, she projects the image of their house into her own to contrast the two times. The image of the sink shining orange in the projector light while the image of her grandfather’s sink brings out nostalgic emotions. This contrasting of time periods helps bring out the idea of Mnemonic Devices. This is meant to draw out memories of grandparents that have now passed by relating the different time periods.

In contrasting the time periods through the memories generated in the home, one piece takes a unique approach to drawing out memories of childhood. Located in the back left of the gallery, a room is sectioned off to recreate the home of their mother. This piece includes items from the actual home in order to fully replicate the feelings of nostalgia when living there. 

In video format is the time piece by Dr. Michael Mandiberg. They are not educated as an artist or painter, but they express themselves through visual art to promote “art + feminism.” This movement is moving forward to decrease information gaps in women studies and change the gender gap over time. Their piece involved their work life. Each day through the year of 2016, their laptop took a screenshot and photo through the camera every fifteen minutes. In addition, for this piece, they shaved their head and wrote a journal entry every day. This expressive piece allows the viewer to feel the time and thought process. When looking at the whole work, we are reminded of the messiness and growth in our life.

This messiness is included in my favorite piece. In a series of photos, images of people’s “junk drawers” are shown in their full glory. These messy drawers are a look into the personal life of many. It reminds us of who we are. These drawers often store essentials that we need and pieces of our life we want to hold onto, but have no place to store. Rubber bands, pens, and concert tickets give us a personal view into the lives of others and remind us to look into our own lives. When thinking about what is in our junk drawers, we remember what is important to us and we remember our history.

The Morlan Art Gallery’s Mnemonic Devices gives many artistic media to help us not only look into the memories of others, but look into the memories of ourselves. This art gallery focuses on capturing memories through videos, pictures, and recreations. Through Emily Goodman’s speech, the pieces are given new depth. The messages, and meanings behind the pieces are brought to life when you share them with others. 

Transy Abroad: Q&A with Dr. Slepyan on Trip to Prague

Grace Zimlich
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Transy Abroad: Q&A with Dr. Slepyan on Trip to Prague

Every year, the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) offers many study abroad opportunities for students attending Kentucky universities. This summer, Transy’s own Dr. Ken Slepyan, along with a few other professors from the state, will lead students to Prague. Courses offered include History of Art Since 1300, Special Studies in Art History, Prague during World War II and the Cold War (taught by Dr. Slepyan), and Memory and Cityscape in Eastern Europe, which is taught by Dr. Karen Petrone, professor at the University of Kentucky and Dr. Slepyan’s wife. Find more at kiis.org/programs/prague.

Dr. Slepyan hopes to have a lot of Transy students join this exciting opportunity. I had the pleasure of sitting down with him and asking him some questions about the trip.

What made you decide to take students to Prague?

Slepyan: I have taught several times in Poland, Ukraine, and other countries in Eastern Europe. KIIS wanted to know if I would be interested in going to Prague. It has been a major tourist destination in Europe since the end of the Cold War and it’s very unique because unlike a lot of cities in Central Europe, it was barely touched during the war. 

Can you tell me a little about the class, maybe some things students will be learning or excursions that are involved? 

Slepyan: The class is centered on Prague during World War II and the Cold War but we will also be thinking about Czechoslovakia and Central Europe as a whole. I’m hoping to give students an understanding of the political and social life of the Cold War. We’ll talk a lot about the crisis of 1938, what daily life was like under occupation, the holocaust, and we’ll also take a tour of a show concentration camp made for the Red Cross during World War II. Another site we’ll see is the village of Lidice, where a high ranking Nazi official was killed and the entire village was then massacred. Regarding the Cold War, we’ll also talk a lot about daily life under communism, 1989, and the dramatic peaceful revolution and the overthrowing of the communist regime. 

What do you feel students can take away from the trip?

Slepyan: On one level I think just being able to see Prague and to see what a Central European city looks like, the culture, the vibe, the environment, etc. In terms of the courses, having a deeper understanding of life under occupation or during war time, the importance of a state like Czechoslovakia in these events, the decisions that people had to make on a daily basis weren’t easy. Students will gain a more complicated understanding of what life was like for a citizen of Prague during these times. 

 

What can you tell me about some of the other classes?

Slepyan: There are a few art history courses which are super important because Prague was relatively untouched during the wars, all of the architecture is still intact. The memory and cityscape course will look at how the changes in government and regime have impacted the memory of these regimes and how they’re reflected across the city. 

How difficult is it for students to apply/how competitive is it to be accepted?

Slepyan:  Apply even if you’re semi-interested. It’s not necessarily competitive, if you have a good faith interest in going abroad there’s a fairly high chance of acceptance. Don’t worry about competition, if you’re interested just apply, the goal is for people to come, not to find reasons not to. 

Why is it important to take opportunities to study abroad during college?

Slepyan:  Study abroad fits perfectly into that kind of self-knowledge that one gets in college. It’s an opportunity for students when their responsibilities are a little more limited than they will be in the post-college world. It’s a chance to see something that is different than students are used to seeing. To be exposed to these things gives students the chase to think about other places and gain perspective. In my own personal experience, in terms of teaching, being abroad really helps to clarify and enrich perspectives.

Overall, this course is an amazing study abroad opportunity and experience. Even if it doesn’t specifically fit into your major or minor, each class will count for Transy credit. The early admission deadline is December 1, and if you apply by this date you’ll receive $100 off the program fee, the final admission deadline is February 5. If you have any questions or would like more information about the program, you can email Dr. Ken Slepyan at kslepyan@transy.edu. 

Transylvania Volleyball wins Lexington Regional; Advances to NCAA Elite Eight in Pittsburgh

Nate Brother
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Transylvania Volleyball wins Lexington Regional; Advances to NCAA Elite Eight in Pittsburgh

On November 12th, the #16 Transylvania University Pioneers Volleyball team won the Lexington Regional of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament, punching their ticket to the NCAA elite eight in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The regional, which lasted from November the 10th to the 12th, saw the Pioneers cruise to a 3-0 first round victory against Randolph-Macon, followed by back to back thrilling victories over top ten teams, with a 3-2 comeback victory over #5 Emory and a 3-1 regional clinching victory over #7 Berry. The regional, which took place at the Beck center, saw a large turnout from Transylvania students and fans cheering on the volleyball team, which has already clinched its best tournament result in program history. 

Transylvania began the regional on Thursday the 10th, with a match against the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets. The Pioneers were dominant out of the gate, cruising to a 3-0 victory that saw minimal lead changes and a 25-9 victory in the decisive third set. The Pioneers next game, which took place on the 11th, would not be nearly as easy, as they would face a perennial volleyball powerhouse and recent national champion (2018) in the #5 Emory University Eagles. The Pioneers would fall behind early, with a heartbreaking first set that the Pioneers pushed to extra points but ultimately lost 25-27, and a second set that ultimately saw the Eagles pull away in a 17-25 Pioneer defeat. Facing an 0-2 deficit, the Pioneers began their comeback, with a hot start and eventually pulling away in a 25-20 third set win, and a 25-21 fourth set victory that saw the Pioneers overcome the early deficit. In the winner-take-all fifth set, the two teams would go on back and forth runs, with the Pioneers eventually climbing to a 14-10 set lead. After withstanding a late run by the Eagles, the Pioneers would eventually clinch the set and the match with a 15-13 win, advancing to the Regional Final. 

In the Regional Final on the 12th, the Pioneers would once again face a top ten team, this time the #7 Berry College Vikings. The Vikings would begin the first set in dominant fashion, and while the Pioneers would make adjustments throughout, the Vikings would eventually cruise and the set would end in a 16-25 loss. The adjustments by the Pioneers would begin to show fruit in the second set, after the Pioneers claimed an early lead which they never relented, eventually winning 25-21. The third set saw six lead changes and the Pioneers coming back from an 8 point deficit late in the match, eventually winning 28-26 after the set was pushed to extra points. With an opportunity to clinch a regional win in the fourth set, the Pioneers would lead for most of the set, and when the Vikings eventually tied it up late 20-20, the Pioneers would go on one last run to win 25-21, clinching a victory in the Lexington regional. After the match, Senior Karrington Jackson, Sophomore Cate Scheper, and Junior Grace Ward were named to the Regional All-Tournament Team, with Ward also being named Most Outstanding player for the region.

The Transylvania student body showed out in all three games at the Beck Center, with a raucous crowd supporting the Pioneers as they advanced through their best tournament run in program history. Some students went above and beyond in their support, creating signs on the fly and even showing up in costume. Senior student Chase Parker showed up to the first round game in a Batman costume, saying to the Rambler, “Bats are our mascot, and what better representative for them than Batman.”

 

With this win, the Pioneers advance to the NCAA elite eight, which will be held at UMPC Cooper Field House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pioneers will face the #8 New York University Violets in the first round at 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 16th. If the Pioneers win that match, they could advance to the semifinals and championship game of the tournament, which would be held on the 17th and 19th respectively.

Poet Laureate Ada Limón Visits Campus; Summary of Thursday Night’s Poetry Reading

Jack Thomas
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Poet Laureate Ada Limón Visits Campus; Summary of Thursday Night’s Poetry Reading

This past Thursday, Transylvania welcomed the United States’ new Poet laureate, Ada Limón. Early in the day, select classes were able to have an open discussion with Limón, and later that night she hosted a reading of her poetry. This is Transylvania’s second poet laureate in 2022; the previous laureate of the U.S. Joy Harjo visited last May.

The talk opened with English professor Maurice Manning, who gave a short speech on what poetry is. Following this, Senior English student Laura Martin ‘23  introduced Limón, who was met by a warm round of applause from an eager audience.

The Kentuckian poet stated that she was glad to be back in the bluegrass after a long period of traveling for various events. Limón would read 10 of her own poems, starting with the fitting “State Bird,” a poem about moving to Kentucky. These poems were selected from her six published collections, three of which were written in our state.

In between her poems, Limón opened up about her lifelong struggle with scoliosis, love for her Cheeto-eating dog, and exciting travels as Laureate so far, including impressive destinations like the Whitehouse. The crowd got a sense of her quirky personality as she wasn’t afraid to be herself on stage. 

The talk ended with a reading of “The End of Poetry,” followed by a Q&A session and book signings.

College Basketball Part 2: Preview of the ‘22-‘23 Season

Nate Brother
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College Basketball Part 2: Preview of the ‘22-‘23 Season

Louisville: It’s the dawn of a new era for the Louisville Cardinals. After a disappointing 2020-2021 season where the Cardinals just missed out on an NCAA tournament bid, the bottom fell out entirely. This season saw a 13-19 record for the Cardinals and the mid-season firing of head coach Chris Mack. With the much anticipated hiring of Kenny Payne as new coach during the offseason and the end of the IARP investigation that has haunted the Cardinals for several years, it seems the Cardinals are finally ready to leave behind the sins of the late 2010s and enter a new era. The start of that new era, as it turns out, may be a bit rocky. A large amount of roster turnover and failure to acquire many of the high profile transfers this off season has left the roster with less talent than Cardinals fans may be used to, especially at the point guard position. This was on full display in an ugly 57-47 exhibition loss to Lenoir-Rhyne, a team that went 10-18 last year at the Division 2 level. Louisville narrowly avoided a second disaster a few days later, defeating Division 2 Chaminade 80-73. While a rebuild was deeply necessary for the Louisville program, this upcoming year may not be pleasant for Cardinal fans.  

North Carolina: On February 16th, 2022, the North Carolina Tar Heels suffered an embarrassing loss to ACC bottom feeder Pitt, seemingly putting a final nail in the coffin of Hubert Davis’s first season as the Tar Heels’ head coach. Since then, the Tar Heels won 5 in a row to end the regular season, including spoiling Coach K’s final home game as Duke head coach. Afterwards, they went on an unlikely run to the national championship game as an 8 seed, highlighted by a defeat of arch-rival Duke in the Final Four that ended Mike Kryzewski’s career. And despite the disappointing loss to Kansas in the championship game, they now return 4 starters for the 2022-2023 season and open as the preseason Number 1 team in the country. And while the loss of Brady Manek would leave a major hole, North Carolina found a seemingly perfect replacement in Northwestern transfer Pete Nance. The Tar Heels are expected to win the ACC and once again compete for the national championship.

Gonzaga: There is only one goal for the 2022-2023 Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs have accomplished quite a lot over the last few seasons. Gonzaga has been to the Sweet 16 seven straight times, and has been in the title game 2 of the last 5 tournaments. They have won the West Coast Conference 10 years in a row. There is just one thing that Gonzaga has yet to accomplish, which is finally get over the hump and win a National Championship. The Bulldogs were one win away from the first undefeated college basketball season since 1976 and possibly being proclaimed the best team ever in 2021, before being run off the court by Baylor in the title game. They once again returned a great roster in the 2021-22 season, led by unicorn NBA prospect Chet Holmgen, before a shocking loss to Arkansas in the Sweet 16 of the tournament. This year, the Bulldogs have opened up as the Number 2 team in the country, led by returning staple and National Player of the Year candidate Drew Timme. It won’t take long to see the quality of this Gonzaga team, as they open with a murderer’s row of a nonconference slate, with games vs. Michigan State, at No. 12 Texas, vs. No. 4 Kentucky, the Phil Knight Legacy tournament that includes several top teams, vs. No. 5 Baylor, and at No. 20 Alabama all before the beginning of the new year. Time will only tell if this is the year Gonzaga can finally attain the national championship trophy they have been seeking for over a decade.

Houston: After impressive finishes in the last three NCAA tournaments, Kelvin Sampson’s Houston Cougars look poised to have their best team in a long time, entering the year as the Number 3 team in the country. After missing most of the 2021-2022 season, heralded guard Marcus Sasser returns to the Cougars as an All American candidate, highlighting a roster that retains most of the pieces of an Elite Eight Team. The Cougars have a clear path to a top seed in the tournament, as they face a relatively easy conference slate in their last year in the American Athletic Conference. If all goes right, Houston could see their best team since the days of Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwan. 

Kansas/Baylor: The Kansas Jayhawks and the Baylor Bears share quite a bit in common. They are both contenders in the Big 12 conference. They have won the last two national championships, with Baylor taking home the crown in 2021 and Kansas winning last season. Both lost significant talent to the NBA Draft, with Jeremy Sochan of Baylor and Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun of Kansas being drafted in the first round. They are both coached by some of the best coaches in the country, with Scott Drew turning a Baylor program in disarray into a national power and Bill Self cementing himself as possibly the best coach in the sport with his second title. And both teams enter the 2022-2023 tied for 5th place in the country. Kansas and Baylor are the frontrunners to win what is possibly the best conference in the country in the Big 12, with Jalen Wilson assuming the role as Kansas’s top threat after the departure of much of the title team and Baylor being led by returning leading scorer Adam Flagler and NBA prospect Keyonte George. Both will look to repeat recent glories and once again win a national championship.

Duke: For the first time in over 40 years, the Blue Devils will have to adjust to life without Coach K on the sidelines. There is quite a bit of unknown for the preseason Number 7 team in the country, with Jon Scheyer taking the coaching mantle from Mike Kryzewski. In a much more familiar phenomenon for Duke at this point, they will also be without much of last year’s team. Four starters of the uber talented squad that took Duke to the final four were drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft. For this year’s team, the Blue Devils do bring back point guard Jeremy Roach and a very talented freshmen class that includes 3 of the top 5 rated recruits in the 2022 class. They are the top threat to challenge arch-rival North Carolina for control of the ACC, and are a likely candidate for a deep run into the NCAA tournament. 

UCLA: After a slightly disappointing follow-up to a surprising 2021 Final Four run in the 2022 season, Mick Cronin’s UCLA Bruins begin the 2022-2023 season ranked Number 8 in the country and once again as favorites to win the Pac-12 conference. While Johnny Juzang moved on to the NBA, the Bruins return two veterans of the past two years, forward Jaime Jacquez and point guard Tyger Campbell, both of whom are Pac-12 Player of the year candidates. This is in addition to an impressive Freshman class, which includes a talented wing in Amari Bailey and an acclaimed center in Adem Bona. This combination of veteran leadership and freshman talent has led to the Bruins being the clear favorites in the Pac-12 conference and a contender to win the Pac 12’s first national title since 1998. 

Tennessee: Despite a strong finish to the 2021-2022 season, with Tennessee winning their first SEC tournament since 1979, the ghosts of NCAA tournaments past once again confronted both the Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Rick Barnes, with Tennessee being upset by Michigan in the second round. Despite losing Kennedy Chandler to the NBA draft, the Volunteers come into the 2022-2023 ranked Number 11 in the country with a strong veteran roster, led by guards Zakai Zegler and Santiago Vescovi. Tennessee is seen as one of the three main contenders in the SEC, joining Arkansas and Kentucky as national champion hopefuls. These hopes were only bolstered by a dominant 99-80 exhibition victory over preseason No. 2 Gonzaga. This may be the best chance in a long time for the Tennessee Volunteers to finally make a Final Four and even win a national championship and for head coach Rick Barnes to finally shed his reputation of underperforming in the tournament. 

Indiana: In a year where the Big Ten conference seems more wide open than ever, it may finally be time for the Indiana Hoosiers to return to glory. After 5 seasons of mediocrity and 3 different head coaches, the Hoosiers were finally able to make an (albeit brief) NCAA tournament appearance for the first time since 2016. And in Mike Woodson’s second year as head coach, they are somewhat of a de facto preseason favorite to win the Big Ten conference, ranked Number 13 in the country and returning most of their production from their previous year. The most notable returning player is star center Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is a leading candidate for both Big Ten and National Player of the Year. This Hoosier team will be tested early, as they host No. 1 North Carolina at Assembly Hall on November 30th, but they remain probably the most clear contender in the Big Ten conference.

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