In its successful 2021-2022 season, the Colgate Men’s Basketball team won the Patriot League championship and subsequently received a bid to the NCAA tournament. Ultimately, the Raiders would fall to basketball powerhouse Wisconsin in the first round, but the success left the team wanting more. 

For senior forward Ryan Moffatt, the team’s main objective is to repeat as Patriot League champions and build on the success of the last two seasons. However, going into his senior year, Moffatt says he wants to take on more of a leadership role.

“Being a senior this year, I really feel like it’s more important than ever for me to lead by example, both on and off the court,” Moffatt said.

He also shared his thoughts on how the current roster is coming together as the start of the season approaches.

“Honestly, I don’t think I have seen a squad ever gel like this,” Moffatt said. “We’re all really comfortable with each other and I truly feel like our team chemistry is a huge factor in our recent success.”

This team chemistry, which is quickly observable off the floor, also translates beautifully on the court. 

“We play fast, shoot lots of threes” Moffatt said. “Everyone knows their role and no one has too big of an ego.” 

Similar to the National Basketball Association (NBA), the ability to shoot threes has become a necessary skill for almost every player at the collegiate level. Luckily for the Raiders, many players can occupy the shooter role on any given night. In fact, Colgate arguably has some of the best shooters in the nation. 

Take senior guard, Oliver Lynch-Daniels, for example. According to Yahoo Sports, Lynch-Daniels led the nation in 3-point percentage last year, averaging 52% from behind the arc while contributing two assists per game off the bench. Lynch-Daniels spoke to The Maroon-News about the upcoming season and the increased responsibility that comes with the graduation of guards Jack Ferguson and Nelly Cummings.

“This is a massive year for the team, we lost a ton of talented players, but I know that our team — including myself — is ready to make the leap necessary to ensure that we remain at the same level of success,” he said, adding that “although it is scary to jump into a new season with a new roster, I trust that the squad we have right now is going all the way to March Madness.”

With a talented roster, it’s important to have a confident and organized head coach. Luckily, Matt Langel, who has led the program for more than 10 years, runs the team like a well-oiled machine. Not long ago, the Raiders struggled to gain traction and put together winning seasons. However, under Langel, the team has not finished under .500 since the 2016-2017 season. 

The team has managed to win three of the last four Patriot League championships, with appearances in all four conference championship games. In addition to being an excellent coach on the floor, Langel has built terrific relationships with his players. Lynch-Daniels and Moffat both gave high remarks for their coach, describing Langel as a great basketball mind, but, more importantly a great role model. 

Be sure to catch the Colgate Men’s Basketball team in their home opener versus Wells College on Nov. 13 at Cotterell Court.