Welcome to this year's first edition of the Coach's Corner. Yes, I am starting this later than I was hoping, but as they say,"better late than never." In this edition, I want to introduce you to our new players, review what has happened so far this season, and talk about this week.
 
In the 2025 recruiting class, we added four freshmen and three transfers. It is a very good collection of skill and size. The first member of this class is Tristan Rodriguez. Tristan is a 5'10 quick point guard with a very high basketball IQ. Our next freshman is Josiah Whitley. Josiah is a very good shooter who is the son of my first assistant coach here at Gordon College, Phil Whitley. Next is Chiko Kalu. Chiko is a versatile 6'3 scoring wing with a tremendous amount of potential. Our final freshman is Michael Nezaj. Michael is a very active 6'7 big who can play both the center and power forward positions.
 
Now let me introduce you to our incoming transfers. Tyler Nordstrom, is a 5'11 dawg who gets after players defensively for 94 feet. Noah Guglielmo is a very strong all-around combo guard who will do whatever it takes to win. Willem Le Plastrier is a 6'6 wing forward who can score in a variety of ways. I am very excited about this year's recruiting class, and how much they will be able to help us this year, and for many years to come.
 
Talking about the season, we began 12 days ago with a road contest against New England College. It was a hard-fought game that came down to the very end. We had a chance to win, but our last second shot just rolled out, and we lost 75-74.  Alex Daniel led the way with 19 points, followed by Drew Brander with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists.
 
Two days later, we opened up the first day of the return of the Gordon Classic against Plymouth State College. Plymouth came into the game 2-0 with an average margin of victory of 35 points. We also came into the game with two of our top big men out with injuries, and a third big getting hurt early in the game. The guys fought really hard, and again we had a chance to win at the end, but again we were unable to convert two last second shots, and lost 76-75. Drew had another outstanding game with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Senior point guard, Sean Quanico, chipped in with 12 points and 5 assists.
 
The next night we faced off against Anna Maria College. No offense to Anna Maria, but I think our guys were a little down after our two heartbreak losses. We came out flat, and never got any momentum, and lost 74-68. Alex again led us in scoring with 22 points, and Drew had 12 points and 5 assists. Freshman Tristan Rodriguez chipped in with 11 points, and Willem Le Plastrier had 6 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Although the outcomes weren't what we were hoping for, it was great to get two home games in front of two good sized crowds.
 
This past week, we opened conference action on Wednesday against Wentworth. We played a very strong team game, and were in control throughout and prevailed with an 88-67 victory. Alex had his most efficient game of the early season scoring 23 points, snared 7 rebounds, while dishing out 6 assists. Ryan Brooks played his first game of the season and played a huge role in the win scoring 16 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, and blocking 6 Wentworth shots. We held Wentworth to just 22.4% from the field, but they did hurt us with 24 offensive rebounds.
 
This past Saturday we traveled to Wheaton College without three of our top big men, and during warm-ups, another big man sprained his ankle. We were also without Drew who has been playing outstanding basketball this season, so to say we were under-manned and undersized would be an understatement. It was our worst outcome of the season, losing 76-52, but it was a great opportunity for some players who don't ordinarily get a lot of playing time.
 
This week we play our normal pre-Thanksgiving game against Salem State University. Salem has been playing very well early this season, and has an outstanding starting five, all of which are averaging double figures in points. Hopefully we will get one or two of our injured players back for the game, which will bring a lot more confidence to our team.
 
Although our season hasn't started the way we had hoped, I am still very thankful for this team. We lost a group of very talented seniors from last year's team, but this is a group of young men who really seem to care about each other. When you have players that care about each other, the chances of reaching your potential go up exponentially. With the skill and experience of our returning players, combined with the talent and enthusiasm of our new players, I believe this team has a chance to do very well in our conference this season.
 
With Thanksgiving coming up this week, I just want to mention some of the things that I am thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful that I have a God who loves me! I am so blessed to have a wonderful wife of 24 years who loves God and me, in that order. I am so thankful for my three healthy, God-fearing, intelligent, and talented daughters. I am so thankful for this team! We have a wonderful group of young men who wants the best for their teammates. I hope and pray that you all have so much to be thankful for this holiday as well. Thank you for continuing to support Gordon Men's Basketball, and I hope to see you at a game soon.
 
God Bless,
 Coach Murphy
 
"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." - James 1:12