Concordia Men’s Hoops Finding Success in Creating Positive Energy
Cobbers have won three of their last four games
MOORHEAD, Minn — It’s year two under head coach Tyler Bormann for Concordia men’s basketball and the program, which has struggled in the past, is heading in the right direction.
The Cobbers have won three of their last four games and racked up their highest win total in three seasons.. It comes behind a 4-1 home record and scoring 70 or more points in those wins behind two of the top-10 point getters in the MIAC..
Forward Rowan Nelson is averaging 16.5 points per game while guard Braeton Motschenbacher drops 14 by shooting 53 percent which is also top five in the league.
All the credit goes to how coach Bormann has changed the culture and brought positive energy.
“I don’t think we would’ve beat St. Mary’s a month ago today just because we weren’t there yet as a group and were getting there,” Bormann said. “It’s great. It’s exciting to see and at the same point Nick we talked yesterday about winning a game a month from now that maybe we’re not able to win today. We need to get one percent better today so we can win a tournament game late February that maybe we’re not there yet mid-January.”
“One thing for us has been bringing enthusiasm to our practices and games,” Motschenbacher said. “Having good practices strings together good games and one thing leads to the next.”
“He’s (Bormann) really big on togetherness and doing what we do,” Nelson said. “Don’t worry about what other people think. We just go to work and focus on us. We just go to work. Do us and that’s a big part of why we’ve been successful too.”
It was a mindset the team was able to focus on by having a book study during the down time over the holiday breaks.
“Being energy givers verse energy takers. That’s concept a handful of years back dove into in trying to strengthen our locker room when I was over at Moorhead high,” Bormann said. “Were thankful that we had some time with the holidays over the winter sports season. Thanksgiving break and Christmas break. We’ve honed in on the energy book. I think it’s a great read. John Gordon has some great parallels to business and sports. Our group has really embodied that and our lock room is as strongest as its ever been.”
“Positive energy is really important. I didn’t realize until reading that book,” Nelson said. “Its important to have everyone connected, everyone positive. If there’s one person who is negative, it can really take away from the whole team so its important everyone is on board.”
Only ten games left before that MIAC tournament in late February. Six of those 10 are at home starting with a Sunday afternoon tip against Carleton and then back-to-back-to-back contests from the 5th to the 9th against Bethel, Gustavus Adolphus and Hamline before closing it out against Augsburg on the 16th.
