Colgate battles through grueling schedule

Playing three games per week, Raiders have tough task to close out regular season

Fans eager to watch the Colgate men's basketball team as they battle for another league title won't have long to wait.

That's because the Raiders are playing three times per week in February, giving Colgate one of the most grueling schedules in the nation to close out the regular season.

In a normal year, the team plays two games per week. Now Colgate is on the court every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday for four straight weeks until the regular season concludes Feb. 26 with a showdown against Navy.

When Patriot League competition kicked off in January, the omicron variant threw a monkey wrench into every team's schedule as games were postponed.

But some collegiate programs were affected more than others.

Four Colgate games were postponed, mainly because of COVID-19 protocols involving the opponents. The games were moved to new dates, giving the Raiders one of the most demanding schedules in the country.

Colgate is playing 12 games in 27 days, which is likely the most of any team in the country over that span to close the regular season.

Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Langel said he didn't know what to expect heading into February.

The demanding schedule has made preparation crucial. As a result, student-athletes have worked closely with medical training staff to ensure they're ready for the next opponent.

"We are fortunate to coach a very responsible group of young men," Langel said. "They are working extremely hard amidst the circumstances, but are also seemingly being very responsible toward what we call recovery and prehabilitation. They are spending time with our terrific medical training and sport performance staffs to ensure their bodies and minds are as ready as possible for the next opponent."

Nelly Cummings — Playing three games per week in February, the Raiders have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

The physical demands of playing three games per week hasn't affected the team on the court.

Not only has the team handled the grind, it has blossomed with each game. Colgate, winners of eight in a row, is tearing through the conference schedule. Their latest victory was one of their most impressive of the season — a 100-90 triumph at Army.

Army, nearly facing a must-win scenario, unleashed a furious attack. But the Raiders responded with big baskets and three players scoring at least 20 points on their way to 100 points in a game for the second time this season. The only other time came in Colgate's 100-85 win over Syracuse.

The win came two days after taking down Lafayette at Cotterell Court. The Raiders, showing some fatigue, narrowly defeated the 5-8 Leopards.

Now Colgate stands at the top of the league with a 12-2 conference record. But it hasn't been easy.

Zach Light '22, a guard, said he's never experienced such a schedule in his four years with the team.

"It has been a pretty big obstacle to undertake," Light said. "There are guys who are playing 30 minutes a game. Their bodies are a little sore. But they do what has to be done to take care of their bodies. It's impressive how they're dealing with it."

Langel said he's not limiting the minutes of his players, but he's monitoring how they handle the workload. Practices have been reduced.

But college basketball is better suited for the rigors of multiple games. Unlike the NBA, where athletes play 82-game seasons, college teams suit up for 30-plus games.

The players are also younger and less prone to the wear and tear of frequent competition.

"For our guys, the most important thing is playing games," Langel said. "These are 18- to 24-year-old men who train all the time because they love to train for these moments to play."

The team is also eager to build off the success of a year ago, when the Raiders became conference champs and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

In addition, the extra games mean more opportunities to play.

"It's definitely been a challenge because we're not used to it," said guard Nelly Cummings '22. "But for me, I like playing games more than practicing. I think it's easier for me to be in game mode rather than having to worry about practicing."

The heavy workload also becomes easier to manage when the team is winning.

"We are rolling," Cummings said. "Now that we're healthy and in a rhythm, we continue to win games."

An extra game each week, however, has had a sizable impact on preparation.

For the coaches, it means less time to prepare for an opponent. The team normally has two days before each game to review film and scouting reports and discuss tactics with the players.

Now the coaches have only one day for two of the three games per week. The staff must also be precise in the information that's shared with the players to avoid overloading them, Langel said.

"It's extremely taxing on the assistant coaches because they divide up the scouting reports equally," Langel said. "They are doing the bulk of the preparation, watching multiple games, watching personnel films."

Still, Langel said he's pleased with the results so far.

"I've been immeasurably impressed, although not surprised," he said. "The schedule we faced is extremely uncommon and certainly has us navigating uncharted waters."

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Players Mentioned

#0 Nelly Cummings: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#2 Zach Light: G; 6' 3"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#0 Nelly Cummings
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#2 Zach Light
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

Players Mentioned

#0 Nelly Cummings

#2 Zach Light

Players Mentioned

#0 Nelly Cummings

#2 Zach Light