The Bulldog’s record early on is quite the turnaround from last year’s season, in which the Dawgs finished the season at just 10-16 with a 9-13 in the GLIAC. The quick turnover for the Dawgs may come as a surprise to some, as the roster is very similar to that of the 2013-14 campaign.
According to Josh Fleming, a junior wing player for the Bulldog’s, the success comes from good leadership and excellent team chemistry.
“Everybody put in a lot of work over the summer,” said Fleming. “Drew Lehman, you couldn’t get him out of the gym. His shooting and the way he’s been playing is really showing that. He’s always working out and he’s a great leader. He’s on everybody and he’s encouraging everybody, elevating everyone’s game to the next level.”
Lehman, a senior guard, is leading the team in points per game at 17.9 per contest and is adding three assists per game to that. The senior captain is also shooting an outstanding 45.8 percent from beyond the arc. Fleming has been huge for the Bulldog’s in their early season success as the junior is adding 11.4 points per game of his own, to go along with 5.7 rebounds per contest.
“Everybody’s having fun, everyone is really excited to get into practice and we just love being around each other,” said Fleming. “The chemistry is great, everything is just going great right now. Just trying to keep that going as long as possible.”
Head coach Andy Bronkema is pleased with the Bulldog’s early success, but still says that there is always improvements that this team can make to become more successful as the season progresses.
“We’re wide open to change, to take us to the next level. We refuse to believe that this is as good as it’s going to get,” said Bronkema. “We’re in search of any little thing that can make us better.”
“It’s a good time to be a Bulldog and we’re fired up and we’re going to try to keep this thing going,” said Bronkema.
The Bulldogs will hit the road for their next two contests, as they face Michigan Tech on Jan. 15 with tip off slated for 7:30 p.m. The Dawgs will also matchup against Northern Michigan that weekend on Jan. 17 starting at 3:00 p.m.