The Morgan State University men’s basketball team won four out of their last five Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) games and are on a two-game win streak.
In the beginning of the season, Bears head coach Kevin Broadus said that the team’s chemistry had to get better, which was one of the reasons they struggled early on.
“The chemistry has definitely gone up, normally the team’s chemistry only goes up when we’re winning, but even before conference play started and we were struggling, I could feel the chemistry coming together,” junior guard Kamron Hobbs said. “Now it’s really showing in these past couple games. Being able to bond together even while losing makes it easier and more fun to bond together once you find a way to win.”
Hobbs leads the team in assists this season and is the third leading scorer on the team, averaging 3.5 assists and 10 points per game. Hobbs had a total of 11 assists during the Bears’ current win-streak.
“I just have been playing more in control, seeing things play out,” Hobbs said. “Our coaches show us the other teams defensive schemes — so I study it and it kind of makes things move in slow motion while I am playing since I already know what they’re trying to do.”
Junior forward Will Thomas said that chemistry starts at practice and once you execute there, you understand how to play with your teammates on gameday.
The Bears averaged 12.4 assists per game during the first five games of the season and in their last five games, the Bears averaged 14.4 assists per game.
“Assists play a huge factor,” Hobbs said. “An assist means it was a bucket that happened for our team and that’s the goal of the game, to get buckets. The team moving the ball around has led us to winning.”
The Bears grabbed a total of 76 rebounds during their two-game win streak.
“When we rebound well, we have a really good chance of winning,” Broadus said. “In the last games that you saw us play, we won the boards and that keeps the chemistry going on well. As long as we’re rebounding, we’re doing well.”
Thomas has played for three seasons for the Bears and has seen a different team every year.
“I honestly can’t compare the chemistry because there are different personalities and different players,” Thomas said. “This group we have now is good and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Additionally, Thomas has been scoring often for the Bears and has averaged 21.4 points per game in his last five games — and according to Thomas, his uptick in scoring has improved the team’s chemistry.
The Bears will face the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks at the Hill Field House Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
