Longwood Lancers aims to push historic season into first NCAA Tournament
FARMVILLE, Va. (BVM) 鈥� The Longwood University Lancers men鈥檚 basketball team has never been in this position before. At 17-5, the Lancers are already tied for the most wins in a single season in program history and they are off to their best start in Big South Conference play in program history with nine straight wins. Their overall and conference records have them in first place with about a month left before the conference tournament, and with the program having never made the NCAA Tournament before, team members are hoping to make history.
鈥淭he energy level I think is very high,鈥� Lancers head coach Griff Aldrich said. 鈥淚 think that the guys are in a really good place of understanding on the one hand that what they鈥檙e experiencing is very unique for any program, but for a program like ours is extremely special. On the one hand I think they鈥檙e very much aware of how this has been a special year but at the same time I think there鈥檚 an awareness that they have to keep pouring into the root to maintain the success that they鈥檝e had.鈥�
After joining the Division I level in 2007, Longwood men鈥檚 basketball hasn鈥檛 seen a lot of success. The program鈥檚 best season came when they were still an independent, finishing the 2008-09 season with a 17-14 record. Since that season, the Lancers have not finished a year with a winning record and their best conference record has been .500, which has happened over the previous two campaigns. Since joining the Big South in 2012, the Lancers have never finished better than fourth in the Big South and have only been invited to two postseason tournaments, both in the past three years.
With that as the backdrop and coming off of two of their most productive conference seasons in program history, seeing the Lancers take another step up in their game isn鈥檛 a huge surprise, but the amount of success has been.
鈥淚 think this group we鈥檙e really blessed because we鈥檝e got some mature young men who have been in the program for several years who understand what it means to play at Longwood basketball and the way we want to play,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淲e want to be an extremely tough and disciplined team that鈥檚 going to make you have to make plays to beat us rather than beating ourselves.鈥�
The Lancers are currently riding the longest win streak of their Division I era with 10 straight wins. In addition to that impressive feat, the team has also not lost yet in the calendar year of 2022 and are one of just 15 teams to have an unblemished conference record. With the conference schedule halfway over, the Lancers are guaranteed to finish the regular season with an above .500 conference record for the first time since they joined the Big South in 2012.
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e elevated our focus and understanding that there鈥檚 a bullseye on our chest,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淟ast year you were the hunter, this year you鈥檙e the hunted and that鈥檚 a little bit different.鈥�
People around the country are starting to notice too. With the team鈥檚 success, two of the Lancers鈥� games in February have been flexed to nationally-televised ESPNU as their home contests against USC-Upstate on Feb. 10 and against High Point on Feb. 17 have been moved to the network, showing the growing interest in the team鈥檚 first taste of success. The Lancers鈥� game against USC-Upstate will mark the first time in program history that they will host an ESPNU broadcast in Willett Hall, their home court.
鈥淲hen I think about this year and kind of where we are, it’s extremely rewarding because I think we are moving towards [our] goal,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e there yet by any stretch, I think we鈥檙e in the early stages, but it鈥檚 been a lot of fun to start to have people recognize the hard work our guys have put in and the investment the university is making to promote and develop the men鈥檚 basketball program.鈥�
Since taking over the program in 2018, Aldrich has helped the program to its greatest achievements during his more than three seasons at the helm. Currently with a 59-58 regular season record and a 33-30 record in the Big South, Aldrich has been able to turn Longwood into winners after years of being near the bottom of the conference standings.
鈥淚 think primarily it鈥檚 by recruiting great kids,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e really been fortunate to be able to attract some high character and high quality kids鈥e鈥檝e really seen, in my opinion, our guys grow as men and have corresponding success on the court too.鈥�
This season, the Lancers are led by standout sophomore Justin Hill, coming off of an all-freshman conference honors, with a team-high 13.4 points per game. In addition, Wake Forest transfer Isaiah Wilkins has averaged 12.4 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds in his first season at Longwood. In addition, the Lancers have two more double-digit scorers in senior guard DeShaun Wade and junior forward Leslie Nkereuwem.
鈥淚鈥檓 proud of our guys,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淚鈥檓 certainly excited about where we are as a team this season, but our ultimate goal is to have a sustainable program that year-in and year-out we鈥檙e able to produce high quality men, develop those guys and have great success on the court.鈥�
While there is still work to be done before the Lancers can enter their first NCAA Tournament field in program history, they have already established the 2021-22 season as a historic one. With a number of firsts already achieved this season and with a number of others still in their sights including a first regular season conference championship, a first conference tournament championship and a first spot into the NCAA Tournament, Longwood will look to continue its hot 2022 streak deep into March.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun. I think our guys are having a blast with it, but equally important are the students and the community are having a blast with it,鈥� Aldrich said. 鈥淚 think it would be beyond belief right now [to make the NCAA Tournament]. We don鈥檛 really talk about that, but I can only imagine it would be such a special thing for the university and the community and we鈥檇 love to do it. But, at the same time our focus has to be on that process. We want to stay focused on the task at hand.鈥�
