Throughout the course of the 2011-2012 season, MVNU sophomore forward Caleb Williams will write a weekly blog about what is happening with the team.

"Defeat, Victory, Accomplishments, & Rivalries" (posted on November 15, 2011)

On Tuesday, we got our first taste of defeat as we lost at Indiana University East. It was our first road test and we played at Richmond High School where IU East plays its home games. Richmond High School is one of the largest high school basketball gyms in the U.S. The gyms seats just over 8,000 people, and is an awesome venue to play in. In the game against IU East, we played very well over the first 8 minutes of the game. We got out to an early 21-11 lead before IU East made their run and we then could not recover. It was a great reminder to the team that we must always continue to improve because we are not at the level that we want to be at yet.

We went back to work and prepared for our homecoming game against Michigan-Dearborn on Saturday afternoon. On Saturday, we again got off to a great start, and this time we continued to pour it on and bury our opponent. We shot very well in the game and did a great job of making UM-Dearborn work for every shot they got. When our defense is good, we are successful. Our team also did a great job of playing together and making the extra pass, which has been a strength for us all year.

On Tuesday at IU-East, Rob Taylor passed a huge milestone in his career. Going into Tuesday, Rob needed only 21 points to go over 1,000 points for his career. Ironically enough, Tuesday was also Rob's 21st birthday and we were playing the 21st ranked team in NAIA Division II. Rob scored exactly 21 points making him the 33rd player in Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball history to score 1,000 points in a career. This is an incredible accomplishment for a great player and a great individual. Rob has battled injuries, a coaching change, a new offensive philosophy, and many roster changes over his career, but his demeanor on the court has been constant and this latest accomplishment is a direct result of that. Congrats, Rob.

As a part of this week's blog, I want introduce some of the new members of our coaching staff. Coach Dennis Graham is one new face that joined the staff this year. Coach Graham came to MVNU from Cornerstone University where he was an assistant coach of last year's NAIA Division II national champions. (As a part of that national championship, Coach Graham got a sweet ring. If you ever get the chance, check it out…very impressive.) Coach Graham loves coaching defense and does a great job of scouting opponents. He has a great personality and is always good for a one-liner that loosens up the atmosphere in practice.

Another addition to the staff is graduate assistant coach Steve Kaufman. Coach Kaufman played four years at Grace College where he had a very successful career. Coach Kaufman is very passionate and a very hard worker. He also coaches our reserve team and has done a great job so far. Along with Coach Kaufman, student assistant coach Travis Green has joined our staff this year. Travis is a senior here at MVNU. Travis was a part of the program earlier in his college career before deciding to focus on school. Travis wants to get involved in coaching and is using this opportunity as a learning experience. Travis is in a tough spot because he hears from both sides. He is a part of all the coaching meetings and everything involved with that, but he is also very close with the players and hears our disagreements and points of view. Travis often gets stuck in the middle, but he has been awesome to have on staff. Travis loves basketball and will be a great coach someday.

Dennis Graham	Steve Kaufman	Travis Green

This season our video coordinator, Jon King, has been video-taping a lot of our team activities and has gotten inside access so that people can see what it's like to be a member of this team. As a part of this, Jon has created a YouTube channel (MVNU Cougar Hoops) that includes about nine videos so far. Jon has done a great job with these videos and they give a great inside view of our team.

The Week Ahead:

This week we only have one game, but it is an important one for this university. On Tuesday, we travel to Cedarville University for a non-conference game that tips at 7:30 p.m. If there is one opponent circled on our schedule every year, Cedarville is that opponent. The rivalry has been in the works long before I arrived on campus, but now that I am a part of it I truly understand its importance. We play this game for everyone at the university, ourselves, and all those who have come before us. It is going to be a great atmosphere and we are very excited for this game.

Peace be the Journey,
Caleb Williams #5

Feedback is always welcomed, so feel free to email me at cwilli10@mail.mvnu.edu or follow me on Twitter: @5CWill.

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