GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Energy and tough were the words most commonly used to describe individual workouts as the Green Bay men's basketball team returned to campus and got back to work. While seniors Rahmon Fletcher (Kansas City, Mo.) and Bryquis Perine (Milwaukee, Wis.) return as the squad's leading scorers, many things have changed as Brian Wardle officially begins his first season as the program's head coach.
Wardle inherits a team which went 22-13 a season ago in his fifth season at Green Bay as an assistant coach. Fletcher and Perine headline the returning players for the Phoenix after averaging 15.8 and 13.4 points respectively in 2009-10.
Another returner, sophomore Seth Evans (Seneca, Ill.), spoke highly of his first workout with Wardle at the helm, citing the high-energy and intensity throughout the workout.
"I think it went really well and we had a great workout. The energy with Rahmon and Bryquis and that we came out with was good," said Evans. "I thought we had a great workout. It was high intensity and the coaches were all getting after it. We were the last workout of the day so it would have been easy for the coaches to get lackadaisical, but coach Wardle kept his energy up and it made us all work hard."
Three freshmen - Alec Brown (Winona, Minn.), Kam Cerroni (Sussex, Wis.) and Daniel Turner (McCordsville, Ind.) - are getting their first taste of college basketball, while program newcomer Steve Baker (St. Paul, Minn.) had his first official workout after transferring from Southeastern Community College. Baker's reply when asked about the workout was initially just one word.
"Tough," he said before adding, "It was new because a bunch of the things we did I had never done before. I think once I get a few more reps under my belt I will be in good shape. It was a great experience though. You can tell that coach Wardle wants the best out of you. He wants to teach and I want to learn, so it is a great fit."
After a few weeks away, Evans noted it was nice not only to be back on the court, but also just back on campus hanging out with his second family.
"It is nice to be back after the long break," Evans said. "It was nice to see the family [at home], but this is our second family. It is nice to be hanging out and getting back to our normal lifestyle on campus."
