PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: KODY KAHLE

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ortherner

B2 | N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section

When NKU hired Ken Bothof as the school’s latest athletic director in June of 2013, they knew they were acquiring someone who would work tirelessly to promote the Norse brand within the sur-rounding communities.

Arriving from the University of Wiscon-sin-Green Bay, a Division I school, Bothof has had fi rst-hand experience forging re-lationships and getting involved with the off-campus community.

“I think it has been a great hire,” said Kurt Moeller, senior associate athletic di-rector. “Bringing someone on campus that has 11 years as a Division I athletic direc-tor has been greatly benefi cial to NKU.”

Since hired, Bothof has worked to help the school’s transition to Division I and promote the Norse athletic programs, not just on-campus, but in the surrounding communities as well. He has reached out to Northern Kentucky Chamber of Com-merce members and has also appeared at several of their events.

“Hiring Ken was a natural progression to facilitate our jump to Division I,” said NKU President Geoffrey Mearns. “He has a lot of experience developing relation-ships within the community. During his time at Wisconsin-Green Bay, he made connections with many individuals and organizations, including the Green Bay Packers, which is one of the largest and most recognizable athletic brands in the nation.”

Mearns also emphasized how NKU has a history of connecting with the commu-nity and being a good steward throughout the Highland Heights area.

“Those relationships are integral,” said Mearns. “It is kind of in our institutional DNA, and it is important to do that ath-letically as well.”

In accordance with the school’s history, Bothof has been striving to keep NKU’s tradition of community connections at the forefront of the athletic programs.

“I think it’s always been important for all universities and athletic departments to connect as much as possible to the

community,” said Bothof. “They are the ones who are going to help you achieve a lot of your other goals. We expect and continue to expect our coaches and play-ers to be out in the community speaking at as many functions as possible and getting involved.”

He has also helped to facilitate the Go Gold Campaign, which is a community-oriented fundraiser with a goal to reach $6 million in donations within 5 years for the athletics program.

“The Go Gold campaign has been one of our biggest successes so far,” said Bothof. “We will be reconvening that committee after the fi rst of the year and will continue to emphasize the fundraiser in 2014.”

He also emphasized that the upcoming men’s basketball games against Purdue, Kentucky and North Carolina are impor-tant events for getting the school national recognition.

“When you are playing national games like that, it certainly puts the university and the athletic program in the minds of people that NKU is now Division I,” Bothof said. “From that exposure, it helps the community recognize that we are now Division I, and helps to strengthen the brand.”

Bothof believes that conference suc-cess is also key to becoming recognized, not just throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, but nationally as well.

“We want to be successful in the Atlan-tic Sun Conference, and be more competi-tive year-by-year,” said Bothof.

Since hiring Bothof this past June, NKU has seen an expanded increase on community-driven engagements so that the Norse brand can be spread through-out Highland Heights and the surround-ing areas.

“I think anytime staff, coaches, and student athletes get involved off the fi eld, people want to support those programs that support the community,” said Bothof. “The more we are out there and engaged, the more that will help us in many differ-ent ways throughout our programs. And I think we are out there, and I want us to continue to improve on that.”

Brad Bishop STAFF WRITER

Ken Bothof developing connections in the community since first day

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S

OF THIS SEASON’S SCHEDULE

FOR SECOND TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE

CARRYING ON MEMORY OF SPORTS LEGEND

REDSHIRTING FOR THIS SEASON

AND

PLAYER PROFILE

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S

KEY PLAYERS

SCHEDULE POSTER

INCOMING FRESHMAN

TOUGHNESS

DEAN DANOS

WOMEN HOPING

CHAD JACKSON

SPORTS SUPERSTITIONS

SPORTS MEDICINE

KAYLA THACKER

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n-focusstaffSPORTS EDITORBrook Clifford[cliffords1@nku.edu]

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WHAT’S INSIDE:

Olivia Shawmeker[shawmekero1@nku.edu]

SPORTS STAFF WRITERSBrad Bishop[bishopb4@nku.edu]

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DESIGN EDITOR Emily Lindeau [lindeaue1@nku.edu]

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STAFF WRITER

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KEYPLAYERS

NKU men’s basketball team is coming off an 11-16 overall finish last year, and lost three of their starters. The Norse return only two of their top five scorers and are looking for leaders to step up this year.

Headmen’s basketball coach Dave Bezold said he’s looking for his returning players to provide leadership.

“It’s difficult to say because we don’t really have anybody back that played significant minutes,” Bezold said. “We really need Anthony Monaco, Todd Johnson, Tyler White, Jack Flournoy, and if available, Jalen Billups. The guys who were here last year and Jordan Jackson, those are the five or six that we’re counting on to provide the leader-ship in the locker room as the season progresses.”

Overall, Bezold mainly spoke highly of their versatility as a group and is hoping that this group can help lead the freshman and teach them what it is to play D-I basketball.

NKU women’s basketball team is coming to the court with one lone senior this season. However, according to Dawn Plitzuweit, women’s head basketball coach, the team has a core group of girls that will lead them this season.

Plitzuweit named Kayla Thacker, Melody Doss, Kaitlyn Gerrety, Christine Roush and Rianna Gayheart as the team’s key players for this season.

“That group has experience,” Plitzuweit noted. “They played crucial minutes last year. I’m looking for that core group of kids to be leaders on the court, in the locker room and on the bench. They are a high en-ergy group and a fun group to be around. They have an understanding of the games ins and outs and have a high desire and determination.”

Evan MerrillStaff Writer

Brook Clifford SportS editor

MEN’S

WOMEN’S

Jordan Jackson #2Position: GuardYear: JuniorHeight: 6’2”Hometown: Saint Paul, Minn. Quote: “Jordan’s tremendous athletically, and really has some good instincts defensively,” Bezold said. “He gets the ball up the floor quickly, and does some good things in transition. I think he’s going to be the guy who leads us when it’s all said and done.”

Tyler WhiTe #10Position: GuardYear: SophomoreHeight: 6’3”Hometown: Lima, OhioQuote: “Tyler White is very quick, and has the ability to make plays off the dribble at the rim,” Bezold said. “Which is very important for how we play.”

kaiTlyn GerreTy #32Position: CenterYear: Junior Height: 6’1”Hometown: Cincinnati, OhioQuote: “Gerrety will provide a lot of key action for us,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s a very good defender, very good rebounder. She can score from anywhere on the court.”

kayla Thacker #24Position: GuardYear: SeniorHeight: 5’10”Hometown: Mount Washington, Ky.Quote: “Kayla played the most minutes on the court last season,” Plitzuweit said. “She played more minutes than anyone in the A-Sun. She deflects passes, makes great offensive and defensive rebounds. She has and will con-tinue to make a lot happen on the court.”

Melody doss #31Position: ForwardYear: JuniorHeight: 6’0”Hometown: Greenwood, Ind. Quote: “Melody will play quite a bit,” Plit-zuweit said. “She has the ability to score and shoot from the arch. She has a good floor sense and defensively understands well. We anticipate she’ll see a lot of the court.”

rianna GayhearT #5Position: GuardYear: SophomoreHeight: 5’7”Hometown: Owenton, Ky. Quote: “Rianna played crucial minutes for us last year,” Plitzuweit said. “She made the A-Sun all-freshman team last year. She will see a lot of action on the court and the ball will be in her hands quite a bit.”

chrisTine roush #10Position: GuardYear: SophomoreHeight: 5’11”Hometown: Louisville, Ky. Quote: “Roush was a contributor and scorer last year,” Plitzuweit said. “Christine started as a freshman. She can drive the bas-ket. We will be trying to get the ball to her.”

Jack Flournoy #1Position: ForwardYear: SophomoreHeight: 6’6”Hometown: Mount Hope, W. Va. Quote: “Jack Flournoy is a little versatile. He has the ability to shoot the ball, but also has the ability to go post-up down low,” Bezold said.

anThony Monaco #33Position: GuardYear: SophomoreHeight: 6’4”Hometown: Dover, OhioQuote: “Anthony Monaco’s kind of the jack-of-all-trades. He can guard a variety of people, he handles the ball, he passes the ball, and he can shoot the ball,” Bezold said.

Todd Johnson #23Position: GuardYear: Sophomore Height: 5’9”Hometown: Elkhart, Ind.Quote: “Todd Johnson’s a point guard who can really score the basketball, and can provide some pressure defense when you extend the floor,” Bezold said.

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Cole Murray #25Position: Guard/ForwardHeight: 6’7”Hometown: Delphi, Ind.Quote: “With Cole Murray, we’re slowly getting bigger with size,” Bezold said. “He’s around 6’7”, he’s a very good shooter, he’s getting better, and he’s better defensively than he thinks he is.”

Deontae Cole #35Position: Guard/ForwardHeight: 6’6”Hometown: Toledo, OhioQuote: “Deontae may be our most skilled kid, but he’s very quiet,” Bezold said. “It’s hard to know he’s so skilled unless you really watch him. He can play out on the perimeter, or the post if we need him to.”

Daniel CaMps #15Position: GuardHeight: 6’5”Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.Quote: “Daniel Camps is a tremendous athlete at 6’4”. He’s very powerful and explosive,” Bezold said. “He shoots well at times, he can make things happen, and really has the ability to make plays.”

Dean Danos #44Position: GuardHeight: 5’11”Hometown: Oak Lawn, Ill.Quote: “Dean Danos is a point guard who shoots effectively, handles the ball well and really has good court vision,” Bezold said.

Matt rosenwinkel #5Position: GuardHeight: 6’2”Hometown: Rochelle, Ill.Quote: “Matt Rosenwinkel is a very strong guard who’s a very good shooter.” Bezold said. “He’s another quiet and unassuming kid, but he does a lot of good things on the basketball floor.”

lauren white #3Position: GuardHeight: 5’8”Hometown: Edwardsville, Ill. Quote: “Lauren is a very dynamic lead guard,” Plitzu-weit said. “She has the ability to get by a defender and is a very good leader on the court. She is someone who can affect the game in a lot of different ways. She’s defensive and can guard anyone on the court... She’s tough and feisty when battling against shooters.”

sarah kinCh #15Position: GuardHeight: 5’9”Hometown: Medina, Ohio Quote: “Sarah is a kid who plays her tail off,” Plitzuweit said. “In every position, she gets after it. She’ll play a little out of position this year, on the outside more. She will be rebounding and making things happen for us. She takes the ball aggressively to the basket.”

Morgan Blair #21Position: GuardHeight: 5’10”Hometown: Livonia, Mich.Quote: “Morgan is a very versatile player,” Plitzuweit said. “She can defend multiple positions. She makes the players around her better and fits in well. She compli-ments the team well and she can do a little bit of every-thing.”

kelley wiegMan #22Position: GuardHeight: 5’10”Hometown: Cincinnati, OhioQuote: “Kelley is tough and gritty,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s someone who will end up defending athletic players and shooters in our league. She’s a very good de-fender of the ball, offensively she really understands and has a good feel for things. She has the ability to score in a couple different ways and we’re looking for her to do a lot for us this year.”

kelsey key #30Position: GuardHeight: 5’9”Hometown: Anderson, Ind. Quote: “Kelsey is a natural scorer,” Plitzuweit said. “She shoots the ball extremely well, she offensively affects the game. She will become more comfortable as things progress. She cares a lot about basketball and she’ll figure it out.”

INCOMINGFRESHMAN

NKU women’s basketball team finished last season with a 15-13 overall re-cord and was ranked fourth in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team is pro-jected to finish seventh overall in the conference this year, according to A-Sun rankings. The women welcome five new freshman to the group this season.

This season’s freshman lineup includes Lauren White, Sarah Kinch, Morgan Blair, Kelley Wiegman and Kelsey Key.

“I would say this freshman class is very energetic, charismatic and has a high level of enthusiasm,” said Dawn Plitzuweit, women’s basketball head coach. “From a basketball standpoint, they can defend the ball, shoot it and we added girls who can do well in the perimeter. I’m excited about them developing.”

NKU men’s basketball team has an incoming class featuring sev-en newcomers. This class includes five freshman, making for a very young team.

The freshman class includes Daniel Camps, Deontae Cole, Dean Danos, Cole Murray and Matt Rosenwinkel.

“They’re all good basketball players,” Bezold said. “They have a tough task because a lot of the time when you enter as a freshman you have upperclassmen that have been through it who can help you. We don’t have that. Our guys returning are trying to find their way too, but they’re all skilled individuals.”

Brook CliffordSportS editor

Evan MerrillStaff Writer

MEN’S WOMEN’S

B4 | N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section

Cole Murray #25Position: Guard/ForwardHeight: 6’7”Hometown: Delphi, Ind.Quote: “With Cole Murray, we’re slowly getting bigger with size,” Bezold said. “He’s around 6’7”, he’s a very good shooter, he’s getting better, and he’s better defensively than he thinks he is.”

Deontae Cole #35Position: Guard/ForwardHeight: 6’6”Hometown: Toledo, OhioQuote: “Deontae may be our most skilled kid, but he’s very quiet,” Bezold said. “It’s hard to know he’s so skilled unless you really watch him. He can play out on the perimeter, or the post if we need him to.”

Daniel CaMps #15Position: GuardHeight: 6’5”Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.Quote: “Daniel Camps is a tremendous athlete at 6’4”. He’s very powerful and explosive,” Bezold said. “He shoots well at times, he can make things happen, and really has the ability to make plays.”

Dean Danos #44Position: GuardHeight: 5’11”Hometown: Oak Lawn, Ill.Quote: “Dean Danos is a point guard who shoots effectively, handles the ball well and really has good court vision,” Bezold said.

Matt rosenwinkel #5Position: GuardHeight: 6’2”Hometown: Rochelle, Ill.Quote: “Matt Rosenwinkel is a very strong guard who’s a very good shooter.” Bezold said. “He’s another quiet and unassuming kid, but he does a lot of good things on the basketball floor.”

lauren white #3Position: GuardHeight: 5’8”Hometown: Edwardsville, Ill. Quote: “Lauren is a very dynamic lead guard,” Plitzu-weit said. “She has the ability to get by a defender and is a very good leader on the court. She is someone who can affect the game in a lot of different ways. She’s defensive and can guard anyone on the court... She’s tough and feisty when battling against shooters.”

sarah kinCh #15Position: GuardHeight: 5’9”Hometown: Medina, Ohio Quote: “Sarah is a kid who plays her tail off,” Plitzuweit said. “In every position, she gets after it. She’ll play a little out of position this year, on the outside more. She will be rebounding and making things happen for us. She takes the ball aggressively to the basket.”

Morgan Blair #21Position: GuardHeight: 5’10”Hometown: Livonia, Mich.Quote: “Morgan is a very versatile player,” Plitzuweit said. “She can defend multiple positions. She makes the players around her better and fits in well. She compli-ments the team well and she can do a little bit of every-thing.”

kelley wiegMan #22Position: GuardHeight: 5’10”Hometown: Cincinnati, OhioQuote: “Kelley is tough and gritty,” Plitzuweit said. “She’s someone who will end up defending athletic players and shooters in our league. She’s a very good de-fender of the ball, offensively she really understands and has a good feel for things. She has the ability to score in a couple different ways and we’re looking for her to do a lot for us this year.”

kelsey key #30Position: GuardHeight: 5’9”Hometown: Anderson, Ind. Quote: “Kelsey is a natural scorer,” Plitzuweit said. “She shoots the ball extremely well, she offensively affects the game. She will become more comfortable as things progress. She cares a lot about basketball and she’ll figure it out.”

INCOMINGFRESHMAN

NKU women’s basketball team finished last season with a 15-13 overall re-cord and was ranked fourth in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team is pro-jected to finish seventh overall in the conference this year, according to A-Sun rankings. The women welcome five new freshman to the group this season.

This season’s freshman lineup includes Lauren White, Sarah Kinch, Morgan Blair, Kelley Wiegman and Kelsey Key.

“I would say this freshman class is very energetic, charismatic and has a high level of enthusiasm,” said Dawn Plitzuweit, women’s basketball head coach. “From a basketball standpoint, they can defend the ball, shoot it and we added girls who can do well in the perimeter. I’m excited about them developing.”

NKU men’s basketball team has an incoming class featuring sev-en newcomers. This class includes five freshman, making for a very young team.

The freshman class includes Daniel Camps, Deontae Cole, Dean Danos, Cole Murray and Matt Rosenwinkel.

“They’re all good basketball players,” Bezold said. “They have a tough task because a lot of the time when you enter as a freshman you have upperclassmen that have been through it who can help you. We don’t have that. Our guys returning are trying to find their way too, but they’re all skilled individuals.”

Brook CliffordSportS editor

Evan MerrillStaff Writer

MEN’S WOMEN’SNKU’s men’s basketball team will be playing sev-

eral high profi le teams this season. This includes the two winningest college basketball programs in the nation, the Kentucky Wildcats (2,111 program wins) and the North Carolina Tar Heels (2090 program wins).

Both head Coach Dave Bezold and point guard Todd Johnson hope these big games will be a learn-ing experience for the relatively young Norse.

“Are we ready for them? Probably not, as a program,” Bezold said. “But that’s okay. The experi-ence of being able to go to these programs that are the best in college basketball ever, is a great op-portunity for a program. And to me, that’s the way I think we’ve got to go about building it to when we’re eligible for the NCAA tournament. And really, getting our exposure, not just regionally, but nationally.”

Johnson, a sophomore organizational leadership major, said last year the team had leaders in players like Eshuante “Bear” Jones, Ethan Faulkner and Ernest “Stretch” Watson.

“They were all experienced players,” Johnson said. “We’re a little young this year, so we’ve got to

be better leaders, us sophomores who were here last year.”

Johnson said that, even though the team may not win against these high-profi le schools, it’s going to be a learning experience and that they’re going to grow as a team.

“We’re all going to come together as a team and lead together,” Johnson said.

Assistant coach Kevin Schappell hopes that this leadership and spirit is present for every game.

“To me, as a coach, I think every game’s as big as the next. We’ve got to try to win them all,” Schap-pell said. “I know the fans are all excited when we play the big teams, but we’re excited for every game we play.”

Among the Norse’s other big games is their sea-son opener against the Purdue University Boiler-makers and the Morehead State Eagles, whom the Norse haven’t faced since 1992 or 1993, according to Bezold.

The Norse have what is referred to as a “home-and-home trade” with the Eagles, where Morehead will play at The Bank of Kentucky Center this season against the Norse, according to Director of Sports Information Don Owen. The two teams will meet again at Morehead next season, Owen said.

Big 10 and Scheduling The Norse open the season at Purdue this Friday.Last season, the team played the Ohio State Buck-

eyes. Both Purdue and OSU are in the Big 10 Confer-ence.

However, assistant coach Kevin Schappell, who does a lot of the team’s scheduling, said there aren’t currently any plans for the team to compete more within the Big 10.

“Our goal in scheduling is to try to play a couple big teams a year, at least one of them locally, so our fans can get up to the game,” Schappell said. “This year, it’s Kentucky. Our fans can get there pretty easily. Purdue, that’s a little further, but our fans can get to that one as well. And North Carolina is more diffi cult, but our goal is to try to play as many big schools every year that are close regionally.”

Schappell said that where the players are from have a lot to do with where the team travels to, as well.

“This year, we’re going to Purdue,” Schappel said. “Part of the reason is Cole Murray, a freshman, he’s from Delphi, Indiana, which is 10 minutes from Purdue’s campus. Last year, we went to Hampton, [Virginia], for Stretch. He’s from D.C., so his whole family could come see.”

eligible for the NCAA tournament. And really, getting our exposure, not just regionally, but nationally.”

Johnson, a sophomore organizational leadership major, said last year the team had leaders in players like Eshuante “Bear” Jones, Ethan Faulkner and Ernest “Stretch” Watson.

“They were all experienced players,” Johnson said. “We’re a little young this year, so we’ve got to

makers and the Morehead State Eagles, whom the Norse haven’t faced since 1992 or 1993, according to Bezold.

The Norse have what is referred to as a “home-and-home trade” with the Eagles, where Morehead will play at The Bank of Kentucky Center this season against the Norse, according to Director of Sports Information Don Owen. The two teams will meet again at Morehead next season, Owen said.

Schappell said that where the players are from have a lot to do with where the team travels to, as well.

“This year, we’re going to Purdue,” Schappel said. “Part of the reason is Cole Murray, a freshman, he’s from Delphi, Indiana, which is 10 minutes from Purdue’s campus. Last year, we went to Hampton, [Virginia], for Stretch. He’s from D.C., so his whole family could come see.”

N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section | B5

Mac PaytonNEWS EDITOR

Men’s team will face top two winningest programs in college

PHOTO BY KODY KAHLE

Sophomore guard Todd Johnson controls the ball in a game facing Ohio State University last season.

2013-2014

2013-2014MEN’S

WOMEN’SB A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E

B A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E

DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME

11/8/2013 Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. 7 p.m. 11/10/2013 Kentucky Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. 11/16/2013 San Diego Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/19/2013 Morehead State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m.

C U R E U C D C L A S S I C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11/23/2013 Tulane New Orleans, La. 10 p.m.11/29/2013 Southeast Missouri State Puerto Vallarta, Mexico TBD 11/30/2013 Texas State Puerto Vallarta, Mexico TBD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7/2013 Tennessee Martin Martin, Tenn. 4 p.m.12/15/2013 Chattanooga Highland Heights, Ky. Noon 12/18/2013 Hampton Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 12/21/2013 Navy Highland Heights, Ky. Noon 12/27/2013 North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 7 p.m. 12/30/2013 Florida Gulf Coast Ft. Myers, Fla. 7:05 p.m.1/1/2014 Stetson DeLand, Fla. 7 p.m. 1/4/2014 Jacksonville Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/6/2014 North Florida Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/9/2014 USC Upstate Spartanburg, S.C. 7 p.m. 1/11/2014 East Tennessee State Johnson City, Tenn. 4 p.m. 1/16/2014 Mercer Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/18/2014 Kennesaw State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/24/2014 Lipscomb Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/30/2014 North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7:30 p.m.2/1/2014 Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. 3:15 p.m.2/6/2014 East Tennessee State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/8/2014 USC Upstate Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/13/2014 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 7 p.m. 2/15/2014 Mercer Macon, Ga. 3 p.m. 2/21/2014 Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. 2/27/2014 Stetson Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 3/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Highland Heights, Ky. 1 p.m.

DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME 11/9/2013 Cincinnati Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/13/2013 Illinois State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/16/2013 UNC-Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 2 p.m. 11/20/2013 Youngstown State Youngstown, Ohio 5:15 p.m. 11/23/2013 Western Kentucky Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. R O B E R T M O R R I S TO U R N A M E N T ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11/29/2013 Robert Morris Moon Township, Pa. 1:30 p.m. 11/30/2013 Tennessee Martin Moon Township, Pa. 1:30 p.m.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7/2013 Miami (Ohio) Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 12/15/2013 Butler Indianapolis, Ind. 2 p.m. 12/18/2013 IUPUI Indianapolis, Ind. 5 p.m. 12/21/2013 Ball State Highland Heights, Ky. 2:30 p.m. 1/2/2014 USC Upstate Spartanburg, S.C. 7 p.m. 1/4/2014 East Tennessee State Johnson City, Tenn. 1:30p.m. 1/9/2014 Mercer Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/11/2014 Kennesaw State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/16/2014 North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7 p.m. 1/18/2014 Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. 1 p.m.1/25/2014 Lipscomb Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/30/2014 Stetson Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/6/2014 Mercer Macon, Ga. 7 p.m. 2/8/2014 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 2 p.m. 2/13/2014 North Florida Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/15/2014 Jacksonville Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/22/2014 Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn. 5 p.m. 2/27/2014 Stetson DeLand, Fla. 7 p.m. 3/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Fort Myers, Fla. 7:05 p.m. 3/6/2014 USC Upstate Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 3/8/2014 East Tennessee State Highland Heights, Ky. 1 p.m.

2013-2014

2013-2014MEN’S

WOMEN’SB A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E

B A S K E T B A L L S C H E D U L E

DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME

11/8/2013 Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. 7 p.m. 11/10/2013 Kentucky Lexington, Ky. 4 p.m. 11/16/2013 San Diego Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/19/2013 Morehead State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m.

C U R E U C D C L A S S I C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11/23/2013 Tulane New Orleans, La. 10 p.m.11/29/2013 Southeast Missouri State Puerto Vallarta, Mexico TBD 11/30/2013 Texas State Puerto Vallarta, Mexico TBD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7/2013 Tennessee Martin Martin, Tenn. 4 p.m.12/15/2013 Chattanooga Highland Heights, Ky. Noon 12/18/2013 Hampton Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 12/21/2013 Navy Highland Heights, Ky. Noon 12/27/2013 North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. 7 p.m. 12/30/2013 Florida Gulf Coast Ft. Myers, Fla. 7:05 p.m.1/1/2014 Stetson DeLand, Fla. 7 p.m. 1/4/2014 Jacksonville Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/6/2014 North Florida Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/9/2014 USC Upstate Spartanburg, S.C. 7 p.m. 1/11/2014 East Tennessee State Johnson City, Tenn. 4 p.m. 1/16/2014 Mercer Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/18/2014 Kennesaw State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/24/2014 Lipscomb Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/30/2014 North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7:30 p.m.2/1/2014 Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. 3:15 p.m.2/6/2014 East Tennessee State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/8/2014 USC Upstate Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/13/2014 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 7 p.m. 2/15/2014 Mercer Macon, Ga. 3 p.m. 2/21/2014 Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn. 7 p.m. 2/27/2014 Stetson Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 3/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Highland Heights, Ky. 1 p.m.

DATE EVENT LOCATION TIME 11/9/2013 Cincinnati Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/13/2013 Illinois State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 11/16/2013 UNC-Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. 2 p.m. 11/20/2013 Youngstown State Youngstown, Ohio 5:15 p.m. 11/23/2013 Western Kentucky Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. R O B E R T M O R R I S TO U R N A M E N T ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11/29/2013 Robert Morris Moon Township, Pa. 1:30 p.m. 11/30/2013 Tennessee Martin Moon Township, Pa. 1:30 p.m.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/7/2013 Miami (Ohio) Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 12/15/2013 Butler Indianapolis, Ind. 2 p.m. 12/18/2013 IUPUI Indianapolis, Ind. 5 p.m. 12/21/2013 Ball State Highland Heights, Ky. 2:30 p.m. 1/2/2014 USC Upstate Spartanburg, S.C. 7 p.m. 1/4/2014 East Tennessee State Johnson City, Tenn. 1:30p.m. 1/9/2014 Mercer Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/11/2014 Kennesaw State Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/16/2014 North Florida Jacksonville, Fla. 7 p.m. 1/18/2014 Jacksonville Jacksonville, Fla. 1 p.m.1/25/2014 Lipscomb Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 1/30/2014 Stetson Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/6/2014 Mercer Macon, Ga. 7 p.m. 2/8/2014 Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga. 2 p.m. 2/13/2014 North Florida Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/15/2014 Jacksonville Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 2/22/2014 Lipscomb Nashville, Tenn. 5 p.m. 2/27/2014 Stetson DeLand, Fla. 7 p.m. 3/1/2014 Florida Gulf Coast Fort Myers, Fla. 7:05 p.m. 3/6/2014 USC Upstate Highland Heights, Ky. 7 p.m. 3/8/2014 East Tennessee State Highland Heights, Ky. 1 p.m.

To NKU women’s basketball team, Kayla Thacker is the only senior player, a shooting guard, a captain and a team-mate, who had more minutes on the court than anyone else in the Atlantic Sun Conference during her fi rst Division I season.

But some people closer to this girl also know her as a fu-ture radiologist, a best friend, a small-town girl, a mentor and even “a nerd at heart.”

Since her freshman year, Thacker has been speeding down the court and supporting her team as a respected member, who developed into a standout player.

Tiara Hopper, Thacker’s best friend and former team-mate, thinks she’s a natural leader, even though she may not know it at times.

“She is all about school and basketball,” said Hopper, a senior organizational leadership major. “She gives her all in whatever she does, and that shows she is determined to suc-ceed and be a role model, and be productive at everything she does.”

Thacker’s dedication to her team and education earned her a spot on the A-Sun All-Academic honor list for the 2012-13 academic year; in addition to becoming part of the Conference Scholar list, which is awarded to student athletes with at least a sophomore standing and minimum 3.4 cu-mulative GPA.

On top of that, she was named to the A-Sun preseason all-conference team this year as well as being nominated for the preseason defensive player of the year.

“It makes me want to work that much harder,” Thacker said. “You fi nd that basketball literally consumes your life, and then trying to fi nd the balance of when you’re going to do homework and stuff is the biggest struggle… And trying to fi nd time for just yourself.”

On Nov. 9, Thacker will begin her second season in Divi-sion I basketball and last season for NKU before she gradu-ates in May with an associate’s degree in radiologic technol-ogy. Over the summer, she will fi nish her bachelor’s degree in health science.

“I think it has given me a lot of benefi ts and advantages because a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play a college sport,” Thacker said. “So, I got the opportunity to play a college sport, I don’t have to pay back anything, and it has given me life skills as well.”

In her fi rst season in Division I, she started all 28 games for NKU. She averaged 11.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in addition to leading the team with 47 steals and 44 3-pointers, according to NKU Athletics’ website. She was also at the top of her team and the A-Sun with the most min-utes played.

Basketball: more than a game for Thacker

In middle school, Thacker realized that she could use bas-ketball to help her succeed and thrive later on in other areas of her life.

As a seventh grader, she was asked to play for the Bullitt East High School’s junior varsity team. By the eighth grade, she had made the varsity team and remained on the team throughout high school.

“I realized I can do something with this. If I just work hard I may be able to get a scholarship for this and then I won’t have to pay for college,” Thacker said. “So, I think really get-ting the opportunity to play in middle school really showed me how good I actually can be because I’m like 13 years old playing against 17 and 18 year olds.”

Thacker’s instinct was right. Colleges wanted her and they were making it obvious.

In addition to NKU, other universities, such as Austin Peay State, Gardner-Webb, Kentucky Wesleyan and Murray State University, showed interest.

NKU was clear about their interest in Thacker.“Northern was always there since my sophomore year,

like contacting me and calling me almost every single day,” Thacker said.

After she visited the campus and had checked out the gym, facilities and all the school had to offer, she “just knew it was the right fi t” for her.

Subsequently, one of her dreams came true when the

university offered her the opportunity to have her college education entirely paid for. As Thacker said, “who wouldn’t want to have a full scholarship playing something you love?”

Thacker always expected NKU to join Division I at some point during her time on the basketball team.

“I asked the coach staying here if she would be here all four years, and she said she wasn’t sure,” Thacker said. “She had told me that there were rumors that the program might go up to D-I. So, I kind of had a little heads up that there was the possibility.”

Thacker’s coach left after her sophomore season, and she was able to play Division I basketball during her junior year.

Her time on the team has gained her experience in addi-tion to continued support and close relationships with mem-bers of her team. Some team members attribute Thacker and her attitude for reasons why they felt comfortable at the university and decided to stay.

During Hopper’s fi rst visit to NKU, Thacker was her host-ess and “most defi nitely” helped draw her to NKU and push her to her “full potential” later on.

“She made me feel comfortable,” Hopper said. “We have become extremely close, and we are defi nitely going to be long, lifetime friends.”

Kaitlyn Gerrety, junior biology major and Thacker’s team-mate and roommate, attributes Thacker’s infl uence on mak-ing her feel more comfortable with the transition from high school to a freshman on a university basketball team.

“She [Thacker] was good enough to play her freshman year,” Gerrety said, “So she kind of showed us the ropes and how to be successful and work hard.”

Thacker’s teammates view her as a leader and a mentor. Over her four years on the team, she has worked to sup-port her teammates through their transitions on and off the court.

“On the court, she is always leading us in drills or just scrimmages… She is always the person that will get us to-gether and knows what needs to be done… She is always keeping us up, keeping us moving,” Gerrety said. “And off the court, we can always come to her if we need anything, like guidance in a situation in our personal life.”

Her team and her family continue to be some of Thacker’s strongest supporters and motivators. Despite the day of the week or drive time, her parents attend every game they can. They arrive decked out with their daughter’s name, number and team colors, according to Thacker.

Thacker considers herself “really blessed” to have “very supportive” parents that are always at her games as well as “very fortunate” for the role the team has played in helping her to develop skills for her future.

“Being on the team helped me develop more social and communication skills for a future job,” Thacker said. “And

then being able to work well with others because you have to be able to work well on a team to be able to succeed.”

Her future career and dream jobAlthough basketball has been a major part of Thacker’s

life since she chose it over cheerleading in the third grade, she plans to let that part of her life go in order to focus more on her career after graduation. Her current plan is to return home to Mount Washington, Ky., and begin applying her radiologic technology training through x-ray work at a hos-pital.

“There’s a lot more to x-ray than people think… Coming into it, I had no idea you can do as much as what you do,” she said.

She has worked hard throughout college to maintain a high G.P.A. while juggling basketball, school and clinical ex-perience three days a week for about nine hours a day this semester.

“It’s very hard to do...because literally I go straight from clinical to basketball then I get home at like 8:30 at night when I’ve been gone since 6:30 in the morning,” Thacker said. “I guess I’m actually a geek at heart. I have to get A’s all the time, or I’ll freak out if I don’t. I put a lot of pressure on myself.”

Currently, she is learning outside the classroom through her clinical experience at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edge-wood, Ky. Her and other students in the program gain knowledge through hands-on experience, such as receiving patients, talking with them and performing examinations, at local hospitals.

“I’m actually the one getting to do the x-rays,” she said. “I don’t really have to be supervised anymore because I have showed competency.”

Thacker believes her degrees in health science and radio-logic technology will aid her in possibly transitioning into working with ultrasounds in the future.

“My dream job would have to probably be doing ultra-sounds,” she said. “Defi nitely getting into like a women’s clinic and doing it there… And babies; I think that’s the cool-est thing ever to be able to see that.”

Babies and the bonds she could build with patients helped attract Thacker to her dream job. She fi nds satisfaction in not only supporting her teammates, but she also appreciates the opportunity to support women through their transition to motherhood.

“She has always stayed true to herself… It has been really cool to see her develop into the kind of person she wants to be,” Gerrety said. “Defi nitely her strive for success and work ethic, I think stands her apart from other people.”

B8 | N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section

Maggie Pund NEWS EDITOR

Senior team leader reflects on athletic career, life after college

PHOTO BY KODY KAHLE

Senior guard Kayla Thacker plans on a radiologic technology career after graduating NKU.

GET TO KNOW KAYLA THACKER:One of her greatest fears: Getting kidnappedHer favorite movie: A Walk to Remember Food she is surprised she likes: ChipotleShe is “really obsessed with leopard print”Along with NKU, she is a diehard University of Kentucky fan

NKU men’s basketball freshman point guard Dean Danos wears jersey number 44. The same as “Pis-tol” Pete Maravich, one of his favorite players—even though Maravich passed away at the age of 40 in 1988 before Danos was even born.

“I didn’t know he [Danos] was old enough to even know who he was,” said Dave Bezold, men’s basket-ball head coach.

Danos said he tried wearing number 44 his ju-nior year in high school. The team had the number arranged European style with the big numbers as guards and the little numbers for the forwards. Danos picked Maravich’s number and had a great year.

“I used to just watch all Pete Maravich’s passing drills,” Danos said. “I used to watch all his videos, even on VCR back then. Any time I had a chance. Him, Steve Nash, John Stockton, Jason Otter; all those guys are the hardest workers. I try to be like that.”

According to Danos, when he was younger he would dribble for two hours a day under his deck. This exercise in handling the ball was something he heard Maravich would practice as well.

“I heard he would just be in the gym for eight, nine hours at a time passing the ball off the wall for like four or fi ve hours. Basically outworking everyone,” Danos said.

Danos added that his family has always been a basketball family. His dad and uncle always admired Maravich’s work ethic. Maravich played at Louisiana State University for three years with his father as the coach in the late sixties. Danos said he heard Marav-ich’s dad was tough on him, but he put up big num-bers during his time at LSU.

Maravich still holds many NCAA records. He holds the record for most career points with 3,667 points and the highest career scoring average of 44.2 points per game. These accomplishments were also achieved before the three point line was started. He went on to play in the NBA for the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics until he retired from in-juries in 1980.

Bezold said that it’s neat for Danos to be look-ing back further into history for players to emulate, whereas Bezold grew up wanting to be like Larry Bird or Michael Jordan.

“I wish he was as tall as Pete Maravich, but he’s not,” Bezold said. “He does have a little bit about him

just with the really good vision and the way he passes the ball. And his hair is pretty close to being similar.”

Kevin Shappell, men’s basketball assistant coach, added that in addition to both Danos and Maravich being point guards, they are both highly skilled and smart players.

Ethan Faulkner, former player and student assis-tant coach, said that Danos has craftiness about his game that can make him hard to defend. He added however, every freshman coming into college basket-ball has a learning curve.

“One thing about this team is we have a lot of guys that shoot the ball really well. We don’t have a lot of guys that can really create shots for other people,” Faulkner said. “So we really need him to do a good job with that, as well as make open shots.”

Danos said he hopes to become more comfortable and natural and make plays like Maravich as the sea-son continues. He also hopes to try to read the game and make it easier for his teammates.

“I feel that just being a leader doing the little things, you know knocking down shots, playing great defense, making my guys around me use their talents to help us win games,” Danos said. “My job is to bring the best out of everybody else.”

Matt SpauldingSTAFF WRITER

Dean Danos will wear #44 in admiration of his favorite player ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich

PHOTO BY KODY KAHLE

FRESHMAN GUARDFRESHMAN GUARDFRESHMAN GUARDFRESHMAN GUARDhonors basketball legend

N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section | B9

Norse senior guard Chad Jackson will redshirt this sea-son, with hopes of making his dream of playing in the NCAA tournament a reality.

Since reclassifying to Division I, NKU athletic teams have to wait four years before they are able to participate in the actual NCAA tournament. This rule could soon be reduced to two-years, according to men’s basketball head coach Dave Bezold.

Jackson said he started contemplating this decision after last season ended. Jackson and Bezold discussed how the rule restriction could be lessened to two years.

“I was just thinking about it and knowing that we gradu-ated three seniors and us being so young, I kind of just thought about the next year,” Jackson said. “I figured I could just redshirt and just work on my game, and hopefully come back next year and be able to make the NCAA tournament.”

Jackson, who is from Lexington, Ky., played his first Divi-sion I season at James Madison University before transfer-ring to NKU. He said that team wasn’t fortunate enough to make the tournament, so he is hoping to reach this goal in his last season as a Norse.

Bezold said he thinks redshirting Jackson is a great move for the program in the long-run, and that the change to two years was something that was mentioned last year at confer-ence meetings.

“We didn’t lose him; we redshirted him,” Bezold said. “Ev-ery day in practice, he helps us get better.”

He said the previous interim athletic director, Mike Cu-sack, talked about it in the middle of summer and thought it was gaining steam.

Bezold said the team would like to have him out there be-cause he’s been through three years of college and under-stands the grind of it.

“We have kids that haven’t mentally had to go through a full season yet, and be responsible for success on the basket-ball floor,” he said.

Although, Bezold said he doesn’t think having Jackson on the floor this season would significantly help the team that much more in the big picture, even though at certain times it could. He said it would have a bigger impact if there were at least two to three upperclassmen that sat out for the season.

Bezold said if he had five seniors, and there was a one percent chance that the change would happen, he’d redshirt every one of them, because what the NCAA has done to these kids is unfair.

“The NCAA experience for all student athletes isn’t the same,” Bezold said. “I would redshirt every one of them, even if we lost every game this year. I would still do it be-cause it would only be fair to them.”

Sophomore guard Todd Johnson said not having Jackson this year is obviously, a tough loss for the team, but they’ve

been practicing and learning how to play without him.He said that junior guard Jordan Jackson, a transfer play-

er from Williston State College, plays similar to Chad, so it is a good fill-in.

“He needs to work on shooting the ball a little bit better, but as far as distributing the ball to people, driving and tak-ing it to the hole, he’s great for us,” Johnson said. “He’s just like [having] another Chad Jackson.”

Chad is still allowed to practice with the team. “I’m just challenging these guys, day-in and day-out, and

just helping them grow up and mature,” Jackson said. “Be-ing the only senior on this team, I’ve been through a lot. I can relate to these guys and if they have any questions, they can come to me if their not very comfortable talking to a coach.”

Stephen Wildercopy desk chief

Chad Jackson to redshirt this season

Senior guard Chad Jackson driving against a Kennesaw State defender last season. Jackson decided to redshirt this season, with hopes of the NCAA changing a rule that prevents the Norse from competing in the NCAA tournament for four years after reclassifying to Division I.

photo by kody kahle

B10 | N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section

N-FOCUS: 2013-14 NKU Basketball Special Section | B11

Athletes from the NKU athletic de-partment encounter injuries, but with the careful preparation and help of NKU athletic trainers, they are able to stay in the game.

The athletic training staff of NKU develops and prepares for every sea-son and every athlete to come. The ath-letic training staff also connects to the strength and conditioning staff.

“Really when it comes to sports medi-cine, we have always treated and pre-pared our athletes like they were Divi-sion I players,” said Molly Hutson, head athletic trainer.

Her main focus has not only been on all athletics, but specifically cross coun-try and men’s basketball.

Different sports cause different inju-ries and some are very particular. The most common collegiate sport injury seen by the staff has usually involved the knees. Another common issue is previous injuries, either from high school sports or time played on another collegiate team.

The athletic training staff and depart-ment take pride in helping athletes and giving them all the resources possible to succeed and recover. These resources include a wide range of staff, proper training equipment, several kinds of therapy and team orthopedic surgeons, James Bilbo and Forest Heis. The ath-letic department is also provided with sports psychiatrist Marc Toennis.

“The only issue the staff faces is time,” said Hutson. “The teams are traveling more so we have to work around busy schedules. I connect with them by mak-ing it fun.”

Athletes have developed relationships with their trainers and have become stronger and well-conditioned because of the athletic training staff.

“You have to, as a trainer, emphasize with injured athletes because playing a collegiate sport is their life, it was what they came to college to do,” said Hutson.

From ice baths to electric pulse thera-py, athletes respond differently to treat-ment but essentially, it comes down to persistence and hard work to recover. Without the athletic training staff, scheduled rehab and a specific injury recovery plan, athletes would not be able to play or never recover properly. Improper recovery can lead to further injury and further complications for the athlete’s body when older, according to the athletic training staff.

“Everyone expects instant recovery but if the athlete does not put in the time given for therapy or rehabilita-tion then they cannot be released,” said Abby Potts, an athletic training student for NKU.

Potts is currently in the athletic train-ing program and is developing as a trainer in her clinical.

“The most difficult thing is telling an athlete they cannot play,” she said. “They don’t understand sometimes be-cause all they want to do is play, but I

know if they do they will end up right back where they were, if not worse.”

NKU offers other useful resources for athletes and the student commu-nity. One resource is through social media sites Facebook and Twitter. The strength and conditioning staff post live tweets and Facebook statuses daily about recovering from a sport or how to develop proper nutrition. The staff can

be followed on twitter @NKU_strength or on their Facebook page named Northern Kentucky University strength and conditioning.

“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do some-thing you’ve never done #MondayMo-tivation,” said NKU Strength this past week, giving inspiration to athletes and students.

Many people have seen it or done it themselves; told someone to “break a leg” for good luck, looked for a four-leaf clover or rubbed a rabbit’s foot before a test.

Belief in good luck charms is all in good fun, but when they work, it becomes something more; super-stition.

According to a study by Erasmus University that was published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, “superstitious rituals are defined as unusual, repeti-tive, rigid behavior that is perceived to have a positive effect” and athletes are often the leaders when it comes to superstitions.

NKU’s basketball season is underway and several of the players and coaches have little superstitious rituals they do to help ensure they have a good game.

Women’s basketball assistant coach, Courtney Boylan said that people will often latch on to things, especially when they work and athletes are prone to “feed into it.”

“You want to play well so you’ll do whatever it takes to play well for our team to win,” Boylan said.

Lauren White, freshman guard, said she will carry her Carmex chapstick in her sock during warm-ups and will usually have it with her on the bench.

“I always have my Carmex with me no matter what so in order to keep from having to carry it around dur-

ing basketball, I usually stick it in my sock,” White said.Another ritual White said she does before every

game is to find a mirror and flex her muscles.“It’s sort of like a pregame pep talk or confidence

booster before I go out and take the floor,” White said.Flexing her muscles started her freshman year in

high school when one of her teammates said her arms looked defined and now she flexes before each game.

Kayla Thacker, senior guard said one thing she has to do before every game is to take a nap.

“I know everyone generally likes to nap, but I feel like I have too,” Thacker said with a laugh. “I don’t know if [superstitions] necessarily help us, but I think in our mind we think they do.”

Thacker also said she always chews gum during games and Boylan added that the entire coaching staff will often chew gum as well.

Assistant coach, Karman Graham commented on the gum chewing, calling it “a nervous habit.”

Still, there are several activities the team likes to do together that could be considered a ritual.

Boylan said the team likes to listen to music and dance in the locker room to have fun and stay loose before a game.

“We try to stay out of there,” Boylan said. “We let them have their fun.”

So why do people often engage in a superstitious ritual when they know it may not really help?

According to a study by the University of Cologne that was published in the Association for Psychologi-cal Science, “Engaging in superstitions regulates psy-chological tension and creates a feeling of control and a sense of predictability in otherwise chaotic environ-ments.”

In other words, believing in a lucky charm could help the player relax and focus on the game by giving them a sense of control.

This explains why athletes often believe so strongly in superstitions and White certainly agrees.

“Athletes always want to have good results,” White said. “Sometimes these superstitions may be more of a mental thing…but I feel as long as it is getting you prepared for your challenge, then it’s fine to have one.”

Thacker agreed with White and said, “For some rea-son, we think doing certain things before each game will help you play better. It’s all a mind game, however, once you have a routine, athletes generally stick to it.”

While Sports Information Director Don Owen doesn’t know of any men’s basketball players that have superstitions, he did say that head coach Dave Bezold will often wear the same suit and tie if the team is on a winning streak.

So what happens to the superstition if the game doesn’t go well?

Boylan said, “If it’s a superstition and you believe in it, then you’ll blame it on something else.”

Olivia ShawmekerStaff Writer

Erin MullinsStaff Writer

Multiple athletic trainers work on a NKU soccer player after he is injured in a game.

Photo By Kody Kahle

Athletic trainers discuss working with injured athletes

Athletes’ superstitions are used in hopes of bringing them good

B12

After losing 72-70 against the College of Charles-ton in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational last spring, the NKU Norse women hope to make their second appearance in the tour-nament this season.

Dawn Plitzuweit, women’s basketball head coach, said the team has changed because of the new players that have been added to the team ros-ter.

“Changing our style of play has caused us to ap-proach things differently this year,” she said.

This season, the women’s basketball team has added five freshmen to their roster.

“It is very obvious we are going to be a young team this year, so our energy and readiness has to be at an all-time high,” said forward Melody Doss, a junior marketing major. “We need to have the sense of urgency and aggressiveness. I believe that the freshmen have the ability to give us that energy.”

The freshmen on the team work hard, said Kayla Thacker, senior radiologic technology major.

“I think they will provide us with more depth this year and give great energy,” said guard Thacker.

Thacker has a piece of advice for the players that are new to the team. She said Plitzuweit thinks that it’s better to play aggressively and make a mistake than to not try at all.

Rianna Gayheart, sophomore guard and com-munications and organizational leadership major, also has some advice about getting through tough moments during the season.

“Everyone goes through a part of the season where they are in a slump and it’s hard,” Gayheart said. “Don’t look down on yourself.”

Doss also gives advice to the new players about enjoying their time on the team.

“Enjoy every second of it because it goes by so fast,” Doss said.

Kaitlyn Gerrety, junior center and biology ma-jor, gives advice for the incoming freshmen based on a quote that she heard when she first started in the program.

“Freshmen year is the hardest year. There is so much to adjust to and you never know if what you’re doing is the right thing, or if you’re in the right spot or what’s going to happen next,” Gerrety said. “If you work hard and make it through, your next three years will be so rewarding.”

Even though some of these women have experi-ence being in the program, there are still aspects of their game that they need to work on.

“Last season, I struggled with scoring and guard-

ing perimeter players,” Gerrety said. “By working hard and keeping my confidence level up, I hope to be better in both of these aspects this upcoming season.”

There are two main aspects of the game that the women’s basketball program concentrates on: toughness and togetherness.

“The toughness piece for us is finishing plays; whether it’s rebounding, getting on the floor or tak-ing charges,” Plitzuweit said.

With the toughness aspect of the game, Plitzu-weit talks about finding a way to complete a play.

“We’ll give you different ideas about how to get things done, but ultimately, there are some things in a game that you have to do in an unconventional fashion,” she said.

Another aspect of the game that’s important in the women’s basketball program is togetherness. This has to do with the camaraderie, chemistry, the team’s ability to share the ball, understanding what’s a good shot and what’s a better shot.

“We figure that if we take care of the process, then the results will take care of themselves,” Plit-zuweit said.

Plitzuweit thinks that during the season, every team they play is their toughest opponent.

The team opens up its season at The Bank of Kentucky Center against the University of Cincin-nati on Nov. 9.

“Right now, that’s where all our time and atten-tion is really focused,” Plitzuweit said.

Thacker, being the only senior on the team, feels like she has something to prove.

“I need to continue working on being the best leader I can be and make every moment count,” Thacker said. “I won’t have another year to ‘try again.’ I just want to leave it all out on the court.”

Additionally, Gayheart feels that she is more ex-perienced with the NKU basketball program and she knows what is expected of her.

“Last year I was figuring everything out. I was nervous,” she said. “This year I really know my role on the team and I’m coming in as a leader.”

As for Gerrety, she is transitioning from more of a following role sophomore year to being a leader for her junior year.

“I really feel much more comfortable taking on a leadership role as a junior,” Gerrety said. “I hope that myself and the other upperclassmen can lead the underclassmen and the team in a positive di-rection.”

This year, Doss said it isn’t just about making it to the tournament.

“It is about winning the whole thing because I know we are capable of achieving that goal,” Doss said.

Jessica KopenaStaff Writer

Sophomore guard Rianna Gayheart shoots against Charleston in last year’s post-season inivitational.

Photo by kody kahle

Women’s team not only aspires to be in tournament, but to win