NCDS: Ken Dempsey, Assoc. Head Coach - New Hampshire

By: Ken Dempsey, Assoc. Head Coach - New Hampshire

As a college basketball coach, when you prepare for the season there are many ways to look at what lies ahead. However, I have always taken the approach that the season is divided into five seasonal segments: preseason, non conference, conference and tournament season.

The one that I did not include might be the most important: the February season.

It is a month that follows both the highs and lows of your year. But it is how you handle that month as both a coach and player that allows you to get ready for the highly anticipated March Madness!

We have had a lot of ups and downs through the month of January and into this month.  One of the highs was an impressive 19 point victory over conference rival Vermont at home before a packed house. Our UNH community has turned out in great numbers this year as well as our student body. One of the lows was a gutwrenching buzzer beater loss at home to Hartford.

What was lost in tough outcome for us was one of leaders junior guard Alvin Abreu topping the 1,000 point mark in his career. Alvin has been a steady and hard working player for us from the moment that he stepped on campus. He has always been a pleasure to coach and his approach to how he handles his daily responsibilities as a student-athlete is second to none. Whether it is academics (he has a 3.4 GPA) or his success on the court, Alvin is one of those people who is very easy to root for.

Back to our team.  At the end of the day, the ability to deal with the lows is a challenging process for any staff. Coach Herrion is second to none when it comes to reviewing our team's play and what we can improve upon. While the tactical aspect is one thing, it is developing that mental toughness in your team that might be the toughest task of all to accomplish.

We have a big week ahead of us as we try to get back on that winning track. Three games in a week is what is up for us.  Staying positive with our team is a top priority for us right now. The highs and lows come and go very quickly during the season.  However, the ability to handle all of this is what we think will define our team.

Please be sure to follow Wildcats Basketball on the web at www.unhwildcats.com.  Go Wildcats!

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