GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Following months of virtual meetings, shooting drills on the driveway hoop, and physical distancing from teammates and coaches, the Gettysburg College men's basketball team is ready to get back on the court and pound the rock this season.
 
The squad wasted no time getting back in the flow at the start of the semester, competing in open gyms and spending time together off the court. That contagious energy and excitement transferred over to a preseason filled with a determination to make some noise in the Centennial Conference this season. When the team lines up for tip-off in the opening game of its own tournament this Friday, it will be 630 days from its last competitive game.
 
"It's just been an absolute incredible feeling to be back in the gym with our guys," said Head Coach B.J. Dunne, who is entering his fourth season at Gettysburg. "It's been over 600 days since we've been able to compete together and wear the orange and blue and our coaching staff has just been so incredibly proud of the resilience and grit that our players displayed the past year and a half."
 
The COVID-19 pandemic waylaid a developing squad that was looking to take another leap in 2020-21 before the season was cancelled. In the team's last full season of 2019-20, the Bullets improved their win record by six games, finishing 12-13 overall. Nine of those losses came by nine points or less, including a four-point setback to No. 1 Swarthmore College.
 
While Dunne and his coaching staff remember those close decisions well, not many of the players on this year's roster were around two years ago. Only eight of the team's 20 student-athletes have seen time on a collegiate court.
 
"We have a really unique roster," noted Dunne. "I think 90 percent of our roster has played one year or less of college basketball, but we've done a lot of investment in the program and the culture over the past year and a half.  We really tried to do anything and everything we could to continue to build the trust that's going to be so important with such a young group this year."
 
"We've got a lot of young guys so we expect to run into some adversity, but I know our culture is strong so we can bounce back from that," said junior captain Elijah Williams (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends). "We also have a pretty strong group of leaders in the juniors and seniors who have been here a couple years and who know the drill. We're expecting to lead the younger guys and show them the way and hopefully capture some wins."
 
Williams and fellow co-captains Jack Rooney (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), Avery Close (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville), and Ryan McKeon (Landenberg, Pa./Sanford) were all major contributors two years ago. Close, who took a gap year last year to return for his senior season, averaged 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds while starting all 25 games at forward in 2019-20. Williams started 11 of the 23 games and finished as the team's top scoring first-year at 4.1 points per game. Rooney and McKeon were the first options off the bench at guard and forward, respectively, two years ago, the former hitting 45 percent of his three-point attempts and the latter leading the team with 25 blocked shots.
 
"So far, preseason has been a lot of fun," noted Rooney. "For most of us it's been a year and a half since we've all been able to be together and for the rest of them they were back in high school, so there's a lot of excitement and buzz around the team. We definitely put in a lot of hard work this preseason. Now its game week and we're really excited for this Friday and Saturday."
 
Juniors Josh Russell (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) and Sukky Nd-Ezuma (Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic Prep) and sophomores Shane Scott (Berwyn, Pa./Conestoga) and Timmer Farley (Wilmington, Del./Wilmington Friends) also saw time on the court two years ago.
 
A handful of returners and newcomers took gap years or gap semesters in 2020-21 to lengthen their commitment to the program. They were not disconnected from the team, however, communicating with each other and with the coaches whenever possible. It's all part of a team mantra of dedication and selfless attitude Dunne has instilled in the program heading into a return to the court this season.
 
"For our team goals we really focus on our mantra this year which is 'pounding the rock,'" stated the head coach. "It's just that continuous improvement every single day. Every day we ask our guys to put the team first, to really play selfless basketball, to come to compete, and to not worry about outcomes. We feel like if we can do those things every single day there's going to be that continuous improvement and then the results are going to take care of themselves."
 
"We've been putting in a lot of work over this quarantine, both mentally and physically," noted McKeon. "We've been getting our Zoom meetings in, getting our culture right, and getting right in the weight room and on the court. It's been a long quarantine so we're happy to be back and we hope to secure a lot of W's on the schedule this year."
 
Gettysburg faces a tough schedule this season with most of its action occurring in the Centennial Conference. The Bullets were picked to finish seventh out of 10 teams in the conference coaches' preseason poll. Johns Hopkins University and Swarthmore grabbed the top two spots. The Blue Jays and Garnet rank 14th and eighth in the latest D3hoops.com poll.
 
"We have some of the best teams in the nation in this conference so in order to beat those teams we have to make sure our game plan is solid and tight," said Close. "I think this year a focal point is finishing games and we do that with the little things - eliminating turnovers, executing our game plan, just sticking to what we do and not going off the rails, and really focusing at the end of the game."
 
There are plenty of reasons to swing by Bream Gym and see the Bullets compete this season, from its bevy of international players (Cameroon, Haiti, Italy, Australia, Nigeria), the height of the athletes (11 players 6-6 or taller), or to see the Bullets play against some of the top teams in the nation. Regardless of the motivation, fans can enjoy seeing the Orange and Blue competing on the court in the game they've missed for far too long.  
 
"I think you're going to see a team that's going to be really fun to watch, and plays with a lot of energy and love for each other," stated Dunne. "We're going to make every play count on both ends of the floor. We're going to commit to helping each other and playing a selfless style of basketball. And then we want to finish strong - every possession and every game."
 
Gettysburg tips off the season at home against Mary Baldwin College on Friday at 6 p.m.