May, Tigers Finding Stride After Inconsistent Start
It’s difficult to know how to start this post about the Towson men’s basketball team. On one hand, the last two games the Tigers participated in have been wonderful sources of optimism for the potential this team holds. On the other hand, the squad sits at 5-5 during a key segment of the season.
The weather has turned and regardless of what the calendar may say, we are officially in winter. Fall semesters are coming to a close, and the upcoming week will see students across the Baltimore area prepping, stressing and cramming for finals. This is a particularly tough juncture for winter athletics, especially when thinking about a team that is solidifying what they are and how their season will proceed. Practice times get a little strange, routines are interrupted, and some students members of the team may find themselves joining their schoolmates by bringing air mattresses into Cook Library to grab a few minutes rest while studying.
With the cloud of exams looming, it’s calming as an alumni and avid fan to see the boys rounding into form prior to the start of their exams. They have won two straight, but more importantly Christian May seems to have accepted the reigns and responsibilities that come with being the teams best offensive player. After dropping a career-high 27 on the UMass Minutemen, May followed up with another stellar performance against UMBC where he netted 24 points. The Sophomore has a lot on his plate, essentially having to account for the departures of Nick Timberlake and Cam Holden as the rest of the team develops.
Speaking of, signs of that development are coming. A hot start led me to a lot of excitement for Freshman Tyler Tejada, yet I’m equally optimistic after seeing that scaled back some in the last two contests. Tejada is is an unrefined, yet highly talented prospect that could quickly become Robin to May’s Batman. However, struggles and challenges are good for a young player’s development. Without them, it could be easy to lose focus and drive based on an assumption that everything will be easy. Instead, the same Minutemen that May broke out against, roadblocked Tejada into a measly six points. He continued to struggle in the early going against UMBC, but turned a corner in the second half against UMBC to put up 14.
What has made me the most optimistic about this Tigers squad is the flow of the UMBC game. It was a Christian May show throughout the first-half and very early in the second. However, the Retrievers defense became hell-bent on slowing him down, opening the door for the supporting cast to pick up the slack. Super-senior and the steadying force of Charles Thompson dropped 10 points after going scoreless in the first stanza. Dylan Williamson chipped in 11, Tomiwa Sulaiman contributed 16 Mekhi Lowery had the type of impact that didn’t show up in the form of eye-popping statistics, but was evident to those who were sitting in the stands.
The most successful teams have someone they know they can go to in the clutch; May has established himself as that. If May is having an off night, Tejada has demonstrated the ability to carry the torch and should continue his growth trajectory throughout the year. However, the most important factor for any team is knowing that you can rely on your supporting cast to do their jobs successfully without relying on one or two people to bail them out. The Tigers have demonstrated all three aspects which has led me to this natural feeling of optimism.*
Towson takes on Bryant in a chance to avenge last season’s 69-59 defeat. Should Pat Skerry and his boys successfully move past this hurdle, I will be all the way bought in on the potential of a deep run for in the conference tournament and a potential NCAA tournament birth.**
*There doesn’t appear to be a clear back-up at the point-guard position which gives me cause for pause.
**The other teams in the league are really, really good. UNCW took down Kentucky and that scares me.
