Fans mourn loss of Jose Fernadez and Arnold Palmer

The sporting world lost two legends this past week with Miami Marlins pitcher José Fernández and professional golfer Arnold Palmer both passing away on Sunday Sept. 25. Although they were at different points in their lives and careers, each gave the fans a show when they stepped onto the field and green. Fernández was a promising pitching prospect from Cuba, who officially became a United States citizen in 2015. He was selected 14th overall in the Major League Baseball draft in 2011 and went on to be named National League Rookie of the Year in 2013.

Many analysts and reporters called him “the next big thing” to happen to baseball. But on Sunday he died in a boating accident off the coast of Miami Beach. Lorenzo Veloz, spokesman of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said that speed played a factor. When they arrived on the scene at about 3 a.m., the Coast Guard said the boat was overturned and all three of the boaters had passed away.

The Marlins cancelled their game that night and also decided they would retire Fernández’s #16 jersey in honor of his memory.

Arnold Palmer also passed away on Sunday in Pittsburgh. The 87-year-old has long been known as a golf legend, with 95 professional wins in the duration of his 52-year career. He won golf’s biggest tournament, the Masters, four times and is tied for second in Professional Golfers’ Association championship wins with three.

On top of being a great golfer, Palmer was also a savvy businessman. He was known as a top golf course designer, having designed courses all over the world. He also branded the drink “Arnold Palmer,” which is a combination of iced tea and lemonade. As if this wasn’t enough, Palmer was also a pilot, having flown almost 20,000 hours of flight time over the course of nearly 55 years.

Needless to say, the world weeps for the loss of these two great athletes. No matter the cause and no matter the age, any time an athlete of this magnitude passes away is cause for grief. But to have two in the same day? Simply unimaginable.

Going forward, we will always have the legacy they left behind, and we will never forget what they did for their respective sports. Rest in peace to Fernández and Palmer.

Men's lax off to fast start on turf field

The men’s lacrosse team got off to the start they were looking for, defeating the Lycoming College Warriors 11-6 in their home opener at the new college stadium. 

The Knights dominated with a balanced attack that featured four players scoring multiple goals. First-year attack Zachary DeBottis ripped a game-high three goals to go along with one assist, efforts that earned him SUNYAC Player of the Week honors. Sophomore goaltender Michael Yehl saved nine Lycoming shots on goal and allowed only four goals in his 56 minutes in the crease. Yehl also received SUNYAC recognition and was named Goalie of the Week.

A solid win and a sweep of the SUNYAC weekly awards is a great beginning to a season that features a reinvigorated group of men that are ready to make the spring 2016 season a memorable one. Junior defenseman John Bender expressed his excitement with the results of the game.

“It’s all about getting to go against another team and battling for 60 minutes,” he said. “We feel really good about our team this year, with high expectations across all grade levels.”

His expectations held strong against Lycoming. Sophomore attack Ryan Kelly and junior attackers Tim Wright and Ryan Gulbransen combined for three goals and five assists. Senior midfielder captain Joe Chiara had one goal, two assists and snagged four ground balls.

The Knights will look to prove that their impressive freshmen-senior production is not a façade as they head into the season. If they can sustain this success throughout their non-conference schedule in March, then the Knights will be a force to be reckoned with come conference play in April.

Off the field, fans seem to also be excited for the season. Junior Danny Kane emphasized that his love for the team is largely due to their notable commitment.

“As is the case every year, all you can ask as a fan is to see your team give 110 percent,” he said. “The Geneseo men's lacrosse team has yet to let us down in that regard in my time here.”

Although the team has never let Kane down in terms of their effort, he did note that he has not seen the team reach the playoffs in his time here. He added that he believes that this may change this season, however

“This year might be the most talented roster I have seen thus far,” he said. “I expect big things.”

Before the season, the Knights knew they needed help all across the team in order to succeed. The effort against Lycoming proved that the potential for success is present, but what it will take to sustain this type of success is another question. Bender explained that the new College Stadium will be a major factor in getting the most out of the team.

“The new facilities have given us the opportunity to take our talent to the next level,” he said. “Playing at the new College Stadium amplifies the excitement from the players and fans alike and we all look forward to the next opportunity to defend our house.”

The pieces to be a conference contender are present. From the young and promising underclassmen to the talented veteran core of attackers and midfielders to an experienced defensive line and goalie, the Geneseo men’s lacrosse team is equipped for a successful season.

The ability to consistently perform at a high level, however, will be the deciding factor come playoff time. The lacrosse season will be a journey that will demand the players physically, mentally and emotionally and starting off 2-0 is the best way to begin.

Men's basketball season ends short of expectations, two graduate

The men’s basketball season ended with the Knights falling to SUNY Oswego in the first round of the SUNYAC Tournament.

Overall, the season was filled with many twists and turns. At one point, the Knights gained momentum—winning eight out of nine games between from Jan. 9–Feb. 2—but the momentum halted at the end of the season, as the team finished the year 4-4 before their loss to Oswego.

Injuries didn’t help. The Knights were without starting sophomore point guard Charlie Zaepfel for the second half of the season and the team's second-leading scorer junior guard John Decker suffered an injury in practice the night before the SUNYAC quarterfinals.

“Injuries are part of the game and you've got to have contingencies for those,” head coach Steve Minton said. “While it might be a factor here or there, you certainly can't use them as an excuse because you've got to build a program with the depth at different positions to be able to handle them.”

Though the season didn't end quite the way Geneseo expected, there is plenty of hope for the future. Senior guards Connor Keenan and Kevin Zabransky will graduate, but every other key player is expected to be back. That includes leading scorers junior guard Justin Ringen, Decker and sophomore guard Kevin Crockett. Both Ringen and Decker are likely to be awarded All-Conference honors.

“I certainly feel very good about having a good core of our players back,” Minton said. “I'll feel a little bit better in a week or a month when some recruiting things are done and I can really start to put pieces of the puzzle together.”

The Knights will retain much of their shooting skill, but they undoubtedly have areas to work on both through internal development as well as through recruiting. For instance, Minton stressed the importance of adding another point guard in the event of injuries. He also wants more face-up-style forwards.

“We need some more players with the size of a Justin Ringen that can play facing the basket,” Minton said.

Finally, center is perhaps the biggest position to improve in. The Knights finished the year eighth in the conference in offensive rebounding and fourth in defensive rebounding. They also finished seventh in blocked shots.

“Somebody has got to come and give that position some stability and consistency,” Minton said.

Even with retaining the majority of players, Minton explained that the team will undoubtedly miss Keenan and Zabransky for the 2016-2017 season. Keenan started 26 games and averaged 4.4 points per game while Zabransky appeared in 21 games off the bench and scored 2.7 points per game. Minton expressed his pride in their unwavering commitment to the team.

“It's very difficult in any sport to stick it out and play it for four years,” he said. “Every graduating class looks back on the number of guys who tried out and the number of guys who maybe made the team as freshmen players but didn't make it as sophomores, or the guys who chose to leave on their own because of tough academics.”

Women's basketball gains at-large bid to NCAA Tournament

The Geneseo women’s basketball team had an outstanding win versus SUNY Fredonia in the semifinals of the SUNYAC Tournament, but came up short in the championship by falling to SUNY New Paltz.

The Knights defeated Fredonia in a blowout 71-41 semifinal win. Senior forward Allison McKenna led the team, posting 18 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting from the field in 24 minutes. Other key contributions from the game came from senior point guard Dana Cohan—who ended the game with 12 points and seven assists—and junior guard Kara Houppert—who added eight points and four rebounds. 

Geneseo put up 25 bench points in the win to Fredonia’s 14. While this isn’t a large margin, it shows that Geneseo has depth and is able to call on reserves to provide a punch when they need it.

The Knights also had four current members of their team honored on Friday Feb. 26 in between the semifinal games. Former forwards and current assistant coaches Alyssa Polosky ’12 and Shannon McGinnis ’15—as well as McKenna and Cohan—received recognition for their selections to All-SUNYAC teams in their respective years. McGinnis said it was an honor to be recognized for their hard work.

“Although many alumni were unable to make the ceremony, it was still a great experience to see and meet players from various years who made a great impact on our conference,” she said.

With a head of steam going into the championship game, the Knights looked to dethrone New Paltz—a team that had beaten them twice previously this season. Geneseo entered the second quarter with the score at 14-12 New Paltz, but only put up eight points to New Paltz’s 14 in the second; leaving Geneseo with an eight-point deficit going into halftime. The Knights were unable to rebound from that and lost the game 65-52.

Although the Knights lost in the championship, they still received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. This is the second consecutive year Geneseo has participated in the women’s basketball postseason. This may seem like déjà vu for the women, as they are matched up with Fairleigh Dickinson University at Florham—the same team that knocked last year’s Geneseo squad out of the Sweet 16. According to junior guard Kayleigh Cavanaugh, however, the team is more than ready for the challenge.

“This is a familiar opponent, so we should be able to do some things differently and hopefully come out with a better result. A big part of our success this season was our chemistry and just how close we are on and off the court,” Cavanaugh said. “As far as next year goes, we are looking to repeat the success we had this year and, personally, I am trying to end my basketball career on a high note.”

The Knights travel to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey to face FDU-Florham on Friday March 4.

Faceoff: World Series preseason predictions

The Toronto Blue Jays went a spectacular 48-23 after the All-Star break last season, going from a team just below .500 to one that topped the American League East by season's end and came close to the World Series. Much of that success was due to midseason acquisition and star pitcher David Price, who recently signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox. But despite the loss of Price, the Blue Jays still have the league's best offense and a relatively easy path to the World Series.

For Toronto, it's all about their offense. Third baseman Josh Donaldson, right fielder and third baseman José Bautista and first baseman Edwin Encarnación combined for 120 home runs last season—a number unheard of in an era of baseball routinely dominated by pitchers. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was added at the All-Star break and although he was not spectacular in his two months with Toronto, he remains a top-five shortstop in baseball.

The only thing that could halt the Jays' momentum is their starting pitching. Price is now with Boston and pitcher Mark Buehrle—who went 15-8 with a 3.81 ERA—may retire. An injury-free season from 24-year-old pitcher Marcus Stroman could help fill that hole, however, and the team also retained reliable pitchers such as 32-year-old Marco Estrada and 41-year-old R.A. Dickey. They also took a flier on J.A. Happ—who pitched for Toronto from 2012-2014 with limited success—and traded for pitcher Drew Storen to bolster the bullpen. But overall, there are far too many question marks in the Jays' rotation to ensure a successful 2016 campaign.

The Jays' league-best offense should be enough to carry them to the playoffs. If they get there, not having to deal with National League powerhouses such as the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs could give them an easy path to the World Series.

At this point in the year, it’s a little impractical to try and predict who will be in the playoffs come October, let alone predict who will win the World Series. A popular opinion among sports fans, however, is that the Chicago Cubs are primed to win their first title in over a century.

The Cubs had a big year at the plate in 2015, with a good chunk of their players hovering around a .250 batting average. This year, fans can look for the team to lean on big performances from third baseman Kris Bryant and shortstop Starlin Castro. In order for the Cubs to have a good year offensively, they need to have another great season.

Defense is another thing that is essential to winning and the Cubs certainly have it. Led by pitcher Jake Arrieta, the Cubs have a lot of depth in their bullpen. Arrieta had a great season last year with a 1.77 earned run average and winning 22 games. Other than their pitching, the Cubs outfield—consisting of leftfielder Chris Coghlan, centerfielder Dexter Fowler and rightfielder Jorge Soler—needs to consistently make big plays.

I think that with this combination of great pitching and defense—as well as all around very consistent hitting by the Cubs—Chicago has a very good chance of winning it all this year.

High expectations surround women's lacrosse in 2016

The Geneseo women’s lacrosse team is coming into its spring season with high expectations all around. Head coach Carly Ritchlin expressed her excitement about the upcoming season, noting that she has plenty of confidence in both the returning players and the newcomers.

“This team has the tools and the talent in order to be successful, but the games are going to be a good test,” Ritchlin said.

Being nationally ranked 16th, the Knights have high expectations from both within and outside of the team. If the women play as well as they are supposed to, they have a very good chance of earning the SUNYAC title.

This year marks a change for the Knights, as they finally have a solid home field to play on. With College Stadium finally finished, the women will get to play on turf as opposed to grass and they do not have to spend the entire month of March travelling for games. They will be able to start off their season with home field advantage, which could potentially be very beneficial to their season.

Not only has the team been unable to play a home game in March for the past 13 years, but the Knights and Ritchlin have also been waiting that long to have a turf field. This only adds to the team’s level of enthusiasm for their season to take off.

While the Knights may be ready to go skill-wise, there are still elements of the team that need to be worked on. The individual readiness of the players regarding balancing schoolwork and lacrosse is one of them. This is essential to every team, as it keeps the focus of the players where it should be. Ritchlin explained that she works to emphasize the importance of maintaining this healthy balance between academics, athletics and overall well-being.

“It’s going to be individual preparation, so making sure all of our players are paying attention to the balance of work and games and travel and all that—staying on top of that,” she said. “They put everything into it. They put their heart and souls into our program. So I can’t ask for much more regarding that. It’s really going to be about preparation and focus and then maintaining that focus throughout the season.”

If the whole team does maintain an equal amount of contribution and hard work—both on and off the field—they should be able to achieve their goals. Ritchlin expects to have everyone play their roles as needed in order to bring success to the team.

“I think really for us to win games, we need our defense to step up and slow other teams down, but we also need our attack,” she said. “It’s really an effort across the board. There’s not one or the other that will tip the scale. So if the two step and play their role and do what they are expected to do, then we will be successful.”

Women's basketball seniors conclude careers with back-to-back home wins

The Geneseo women’s basketball team has secured the second seed in the SUNYAC Tournament after defeating SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh in back-to-back wins.

The three seniors from Geneseo—forwards Allison McKenna and Vanessa Wyckoff and point guard Dana Cohan—were all honored before tipoff versus Plattsburgh. In addition to the senior day festivities, Kelsey Annese was also honored. Her family was in attendance, watching as Geneseo unveiled a banner above the scoreboard that had Annese’s number 32 proudly displayed. The number was retired in her memory.

Geneseo now sits 14-4 in conference play, a mark that is tied with SUNY New Paltz. New Paltz has claimed the first seed, however, and gets to host the conference tournament because they defeated the Knights both times this year.

Geneseo is coming off a great start to 2016, winning 15 of their last 19 games––which includes a current four game win streak—heading into the tournament. With the second seed, Geneseo will have a first round bye, automatically placing them in the final four. The Knights will match up against the winner of the SUNY Fredonia and SUNY Brockport game. The Knights hold a combined record of 3-1 against those teams.

Geneseo will need a large contribution from other players as McKenna and Cohan will undeniably be guarded more closely during the tournament. With the play of junior guards Katie Durand, Kayleigh Cavanaugh and Kara Houppert—as well as freshman forward McKenna Brooks—the Knights can put together an attack that can combat the fast style of play that the other teams in the conference will try to impose.

Cohan is averaging a conference best 5.2 assists per game, which will certainly help the Knights. Her ability to move the ball and find open teammates—as well as her ability to connect from three-point territory—makes Cohan one of the most dangerous threats for opponents.

Additionally, with McKenna averaging eight rebounds per game in conference games—and the team collectively averaging a conference-best 32.4 defensive rebounds per game—the Knights should look to crash the boards and hope that their rebounding can get the job done.

In contrast to schools like Fredonia, Brockport and New Paltz that pride themselves on their ability to get out and move the ball up the court as quickly as possible, Geneseo is not a fast breaking team. If the Knights can get into some rhythm in the half court, however, and run the plays that have gotten them to this point, then the outcome should be in Geneseo’s favor.

This season has been a rollercoaster ride for the women’s team, but they have persevered to get to the top of the league. In order to bring back their second consecutive SUNYAC title, the Knights will not only have to believe in themselves, but believe in the team—and the motto of #OneKnight—in order to cut down the nets once more.

March Madness tournament will crown a new champion in Houston

The NCAA Tournament—or “March Madness”—is easily the most exciting time in sports. With 68 teams battling it out for the top collegiate award, the steaks are always high. It is in this tournament that the terms “Cinderella story,” “going dancing” and “underdog” were coined.

But this season, the championship is up in the air. Villanova University currently holds the number one ranking in the country, so many will pick them to win the tournament. You cannot, however, count out the play of some of the other major contenders.

Michigan State University—a regular in the Final Four—will have a strong chance to win with star senior guard Denzel Valentine. The University of Oklahoma—a team that has burst onto the scene this year—is led by NCAA second leading scorer senior guard Buddy Hield, making Oklahoma a strong pick to cut down the nets in Houston.

My favorites for the Final Four this year are not the most successful teams, but teams that know how to win and have been in this position before. The first team is the University of Kentucky, a team that will be looking for its ninth title in program history. Kentucky has strong guard play in John R. Wooden Award candidate sophomore guard Tyler Ulis and sensational freshman guard Jamal Murray. These Wildcats are coming off a season that left them just short of the championship game, finishing 38-1 for the year.

My second pick would be the University of Maryland. Maryland has had ups and downs this season, but they still warrant a Final Four spot. Led by veteran guards sophomore Melo Trimble and senior Rasheed Sulaimon, the Terrapins will be a threat to weave their way to the Final Four—especially with their fast paced style of play.

The third team in the Final Four will be Wichita State University. The Shockers, however, are in the Missouri Valley Conference where competition is not as strong. With the help of senior guards Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker, the Shockers can make it to Houston. Lastly, I believe the University of North Carolina will be in the Final Four. The Tar Heels have been good for the past few years and are just one step away from the finals every year. With the help of senior guard Marcus Paige and senior forward Brice Johnson, North Carolina can win their first championship since 2009.

This should be an NCAA Tournament for the ages, as fans from all over gather to see the upsets, miracles and excitement that surround this three-week tournament. I ultimately expect the University of Kentucky to cut down the nets in April; they have the desire, will and the overall talent to win it all.

Ice Knights draw Oswego

Questions regarding how well the Ice Knights would perform after losing several members of their core line-up were answered Friday Oct. 30 in the season opener when the Ice Knights drew the SUNY Oswego Lakers to a 3-3 tie.

Despite losing leading point scorer forward Tyler Brickler ‘15, defensive captain Jack Caradonna ’15 and one of the most successful goaltenders in the Geneseo hockey program’s history, Nick Horrigan ‘15, the Ice Knights showed that they still had the capability to go against nationally ranked teams. The Ice Knights successfully held their own against Oswego, a team ranked sixth in NCAA Division III hockey in the preseason polls.

In the home ice-opener for Geneseo, Oswego was able to strike first—2:26 into the first period, Oswego scored. The Lakers were also given a power play off of junior defenseman Cam Hampson’s hooking that occurred just before the goal. The Ice Knights’ penalty kill last season was ranked in the top 10 for the entire NCAA. It was made clear that they still had this shorthanded prowess when senior forward Ryan Donnelly was able to find breakaways not once but twice—scoring on the second shorthanded opportunity to tie the score back up at one.

The second period saw the Ice Knights score two goals in rapid succession. Junior forward RJ Burns scored with an amazing self-rebound from lying flat on the ice at seven minutes in. Junior forward Trevor Hills scored off of a quick succession of passes on a power-play at 8:38. Junior forward Alex Botten of Oswego was able to cut down on the lead for Oswego at 12:21 to make the score 3-2 going into the third period.

The Knights played a defensive third period, but with 3:11 left in the game, Oswego was able to tie up the score for the second time to make it 3-3 and force overtime. After 65 total minutes of play, the score was still 3-3 and the Ice Knights came away from their first game of the season tying the nationally ranked team.

Junior Matt Leon was the starting goalie for the Ice Knights and put up an admirable performance, making a career-high 36 saves and ending the night with a .923 save percentage. “This was his first real test going up against a strong opposing team and he did well,” assistant coach Kris Heeres said. “We’re excited to see what more he can bring to the team after tonight and at the same time we’re also excited to see what first-year [goaltender] Devin McDonald can also bring.”

Heeres expressed his optimism about the team’s future play. “We’re going to take the good and bad from this game to help in the upcoming weeks,” he said. “Though we didn’t secure a win tonight, I think we showed that we’re a team that’s ready to compete with very high end teams such as Oswego and [SUNY] Plattsburgh.”

The Ice Knights will faceoff against the SUNY Canton Kangaroos at the Ira S. Wilson Arena on Friday Nov. 6 and Saturday Nov. 7 with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. for both games.

Brad Campion

The road to Geneseo is one that many athletes do not travel. For the players that do, they dedicate almost all of their time and energy to the sport for four years. But this isn’t the case for Geneseo senior soccer defender Brad Campion.

After winning the NCAA Division II National Championship at Southern New Hampshire University, Campion joined the Knights as a transfer in 2014. Campion explained that the adjustment from playing soccer at a Division II level to a Division III level was a big change for him.

“On and off the field, there are so many differences. At SNHU, it was athletics first—players were on scholarships and a lot of international players played,” Campion said. “Then when I came here, I took on a bigger leadership role within the team. I had to set an example of responsibility and hustle and try to put us in the best position to win.”

Campion has had a successful career for the Knights, one that saw him start all 39 games that he played in. Campion has contributed five goals over the course of his two seasons—which for a defensive player is rather impressive. Campion, however, will be the first to attribute his success to his team rather than his talent.

“I have always been a ‘team first’ player, so I worked hard in practice and in games so we could put ourselves in the best position to win. It didn’t always end with the result we wanted, but we gave it all we got,” Campion said. “Out of conference, we lost one game, so we thought if we could take care of business outside of the conference and win within the conference, we could get an NCAA bid. Obviously we couldn’t do that, but it was still a great experience none the less.”

Campion has also been recognized for his excellence in the classroom, receiving the 2015 College Sports Information Directors of America First-Team Academic All-District award. This annual award recognizes the nation's top student athletes for their performances both on the playing field and in the classroom. Campion currently has a 3.77 grade point average—which combined with his soccer ability puts him in the top tier for success at the Division III level.

“It is an honor to win this award, as there are so many great players across our conference and across the region,” Campion said. “It has been hard work but I am proud to accept this award and to be a role model for younger players on my team to work hard on and off the field.”

Although Campion will never suit up for the Knights again, he has a lifetime of memories and friendships to look back on.

“I think the biggest thing I’ll miss are the bonds that I have made,” he said. “I have made so many great friends and met great people in my time here and I definitely will miss not being around that every day.”

Men's basketball shows offensive prowess against Ithaca

The Geneseo men's basketball team prepared for the start of the regular season by playing a scrimmage against Ithaca College on Sunday Nov. 1, losing 111-96.

Junior guards John Decker and Justin Ringen led the way for the Knights with 26 and 24 points respectively in what was a fast-paced, perimeter-oriented game. The team's offense in the upcoming season may come to be defined by the quick pace and three-point shooting that was on display at this scrimmage, but the defense is another story.

"We've obviously got to work on some things defensively,” head coach Steve Minton said. "I thought there were some situations where when we were good defensively and created some turnovers, we didn't capitalize. We have to work on decision-making. We talk about two 'E’s: effort and execution. I thought our effort was pretty good and our effort has been good since we began practice, but some of the execution isn't quite what we want."

The Knights allowed 111 points to Ithaca mainly because of the opposition's stellar spacing and three-point shooting.

"They like to drive and kick," Minton said. "When you play against teams like that, you've got to help and you really have to close out. Both of those things were a little shaky—the closeouts particularly. Ithaca shot a very high percentage from three."

The Knights also focused their offense on three-point shooting and did so efficiently, but the team's spacing and ball movement remain points of emphasis going forward.

"We had some difficulties with our spacing,” Minton said. "It got crowded and it was almost like watching little kids playing soccer when they're 10 or 11 years old with everyone running to the ball. We spent some time working on that in the past couple of days and I think we've seen a lot of improvement."

Minton also added that extra pump fakes and passes to find the open man are critical—and not only so that the offense can spot up for more threes. He expects to see the players routinely penetrate the defense and to focus on getting to the foul line. Against Ithaca, the Knights had more free-throw attempts than the Bombers.

"If you're going to shoot 70 percent from the foul line and get two shots each time, that's 1.4 points per possession, which is pretty high," Minton said.

On a team that is more focused on outside shooting, senior forward Nick Fessenden brought a strong inside presence to the game on both ends of the court. Fessenden finished with 16 points and a couple of blocked shots.

"Nick [Fessenden] played very well," Minton said. "I was really pleased with how well he ran the floor and I thought he defended the inside well. He just got a couple of tough fouls called against him."

The Knights proved that they can score—typically 96 points in a 40-minute game is enough to come away with a win. But in order to remain in contention for a top spot in the conference, the Knights will have to improve on the defensive end. According to Minton, the team's lack of transition defense was perhaps the biggest takeaway from the scrimmage.

"If you're letting a team get ahead of you and they're getting 4-on-3s and 3-on-2s, that's a problem," he said.

Geneseo opens its season on the road against Medaille College on Nov. 14.

Baseball's biggest trophy comes back to Kansas City

In a surprising twist, a rally in extra innings gave the Kansas City Royals a 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Sunday Nov. 1—and their first World Series title since 1985. The Royals took the series from the Mets 4-1, outscoring their opposition 27-19 through the five game series.

Utility man Christian Colon appeared in just 43 regular season games and was an unlikely hero for Kansas City in the late innings of Sunday night’s game. Colon singled home the tiebreaking run in the 12th inning, sparking a five-run rally for the Royals. While Kansas City’s championship does not come as a complete shock, the team's postseason dominance is a testament to baseball's uncertainty.

To peg the Royals as postseason underdogs would be revisionist history, but they weren't favorites either. Going into the postseason, they certainly weren't favored over the Toronto Blue Jays—a team whose extraordinary second half surge and potent offense led many to crown Toronto the team to beat. The Royals were able to handle them, however, in a 4-2 series win—outscoring the Blue Jays' dominant offense by 12 runs in all.

The Royals may have lacked dominant starting pitching and hitting, but they won with sound fundamentals. The team’s ability was greater than the sum of its parts. Combine elite relief pitching with consistent, above-average starting pitching, hitting and defense and you have a winning formula. It only took a few adjustments for the franchise to go from losing the 2014 World Series in seven games to winning it in five the following season.

The Royals unquestionably had to work hard for their victory. Their last win against the Mets was the team's eighth come-from-behind victory in 11 postseason wins. Then there's the plight of starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who mourned the death of his father while he was asked to perform on baseball's biggest stage. For Volquez—who honored his father by inscribing his initials into the mound before his game five start—perhaps the victory was bittersweet.

For the team as a whole, however, now is a time to rejoice. The Royals will be presented with their championship rings on opening night of the 2016 regular season. Coincidentally, that game will be against the Mets.

The leaders of politics starting five

Barack Obama – President of the United States – Point Guard

Height: 6-foot-1

The easiest roster move is putting United States President Barack Obama at point. Barry-O can ball: he constantly played pick-up games with his staff on the campaign trail and has coached his daughter Sasha’s team. He has a high basketball intelligence and will be a great leader on the floor.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck – King of Bhutan – Shooting Guard

Height: unknown

I’ll take Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck—the King of Bhutan—at shooting guard. The fourth King of Bhutan used to play soccer, but no one would touch the future leader of their country, so he switched to basketball—a good move for the king. Wangchuck played varsity basketball at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a U.S. political officer described him as “a natural two-guard.”

Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister of Canada – Small Forward

Height: 6-foot-2

At small forward, I’ll take newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau is the son of late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau—considered by some to be as charismatic as U.S. President John F. Kennedy. This means that Trudeau grew up in the spotlight. You want him to have the ball with 10 seconds left, down by two points.

Henri – Grand Duke of Luxembourg – Power Forward

Height: 5-foot-10

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is my choice for power forward. Henri went through the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England—that alone takes athleticism. Now, he’s a member of the International Olympic Committee and he has been very healthy since undergoing an angioplasty in 2011.

David Cameron – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom – Center

Height: 6-foot-1

Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of height among world leaders. That’s why I’m putting six-foot-one United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron at center. Not only is he one of the tallest world leaders, but he’s also an athlete. He’s been seen jogging around London when he’s not taxing Americans without representation—or whatever the Prime Minister of the U.K. does now.

Barack Obama – President of the United States

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Obama played high school basketball in his native state, Hawaii. His above average height—as well as leadership skills in and out of the White House—would lead me to believe that he can lead this team to “change” and maybe a championship.

Kim Jong-un – Supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Height: 5-foot-8

Weight: 242 pounds

At only 5-foot-8, Kim is one of the smaller members of the squad, putting him at the point guard spot. As highlighted in the popular movie The Interview, Kim has a full court in his house, which means he has plenty of time to practice his long-range attack … from behind the 3-point arc.

Dave Bing – Former mayor of Detroit

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 185 pounds

A standout star for the Syracuse Orange and the Detroit Pistons—as well as a National Basketball Association Hall of Famer—Bing would be the go-to player on this team. His ability to drive past any defender will be key for the success to this team. After all, he picked up that driving ability from spending years in the Motor City.

Arne Duncan – U.S. Secretary of Education

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 215 pounds

As the center on this rather small team, the former Harvard star will dominate the low post with an array of moves and finishes. As a player in the 2012-2014 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Duncan is no stranger to the spotlight—he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2014 contest with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Kevin Johnson – Mayor of Sacramento, California

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Johnson is one of the most skilled players this team has to offer—known for his highflying dunks and unparalleled passing ability. A three time NBA all-star and one of three players in NBA history—in addition to Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas—to have three consecutive seasons averaging 20 points and 10 assists, Johnson will provide a much needed spark to this team.