Sunday, December 23, 2012

Daemen Not Fooling Around

I remember watching the news around March of last year and the short three minute segment that the station set for sports had arrived.

The anchor, whom I cannot not recall his name, started talking about the Buffalo Sabres and then switched to local high school sports.  He then spent the final 20 seconds or so mentioning that the Daemen men's basketball team had won their conference championship and would be heading to the NCAA Tournament.

There's only one problem... Daemen isn't even a part of the NCAA!

The station thought it would take the time to give Daemen a slight spot on the news yet they couldn't even get the part of college athletics they play in correct.  They would have been better off not mentioning them at all.

The fact is that Daemen athletics and men's and women's basketball in specific, have been disrespected for too long.

I'm not writing this article as fan nor as a former athlete at Daemen, rather as someone who has seen these teams play, coaches coach, and members of the local fan base and media overlook the Wildcats.

When people hear NAIA, they automatically tune out and discredit any accomplishment or records.  Not many know what the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is and what it's all about.  It is another section of college athletics that features over 60,000 student-athletes.  It sponsors 13 different sports with 23 national championships.  It consists of nearly 300 schools.  Lastly, it rewards those 60,000 student athletes with $450 million in athletic scholarships.

But I'm sure everyone knew that right?  Especially the people who say it's the same as NCAA Division III?  Please tell me when NCAA Division III had a scholarship athlete.

That is not to disprecpect any NCAA Division III student-athlete because there is quite a few very talented athletes in that division.  What I'm saying is that people need to understand what they're commenting on before they do so.

Daemen men's head basketball coach Don Silveri has won 366 games at Daemen since he started in 1989 and has over 500 wins in his 36 total years of coaching.  Women's coach Dave Skolen has won 410 games in 20 seasons.

Skolen has made the women an every-year contender not only in their conference but in the nation as well.  He has led ten consecutive 20-win seasons and looks to be on his way to another as his Lady Wildcats are currently 13-4.  Skolen has also captured four AMC (American Mideast Conference) championships and have made nine trips to the NAIA National Tournament.

Silveri has certainly made his impact on the Wildcat program as well.  In his four trips to the NAIA National Tournament, Silveri advanced to the "Elite 8" in 2004.  In his 36 year coaching career, Silveri has coached five Junior College All-Americans and eight NAIA All-Americans.

They may not be part of the all-mighty NCAA Division I, but both basketball teams at Daemen have shown that they have more than viable programs.

Currently, the athletics program is making the move to NCAA Division II.  It is a three year process which has resulted in Daemen joining the USCAA for that time in order to be eligible for postseason play.

In that time, the Wildcats have captured three national championships in golf, women's volleyball, and women's soccer.  The women's and men's basketball teams are hoping to increase that number by two.

Don Silveri (www.daemen.edu)
They are ranked first and fourth respectively in the latest USCAA national polls.  Both teams poses players who can match-up against those at any level.

Both teams have a make up of players who can shoot, score, pass, rebound, but most importantly, work hard.  They have plenty of players who are versatile and can play many different positions.

The point guard play of Mark Coppola and Ellie Allen are the centerpieces of each team.  They control the pace and know where everyone is on the floor.  Jordan Greene and Chelsea Andorka can do it all.  They can play guard or forward.  They score inside and outside and they can really get the defense on their heels.  Gerald Beverly, the 6'7" sophomore from Rochester, along with guard Casey Sheehan, have freakishly high levels of athleticism.  The unspoken part of each team is the contributions off the bench.  The men rely on players such as Alvin Satram  and Aaron Davis and the girls, poses weapons such as shooter Lia Zahn and rebounder Jill Fitzner.

Again, it's tough to write a piece with such a strong connection to the Daemen community but this is how it is.  It's not an article to say Daemen can beat the likes of Canisius and St. Bonaventure, but they should be mentioned in the same breath.  They should be given a chance to play these "big 4" schools but the odds are slim and the reality is harsh but true.

They don't want to get beat.

Four years ago, Daemen scrimmaged The University at Buffalo.  The Wildcats hung with the Bulls for most of the game and cut the lead to single digits with just under three minutes to go.  The Bulls ended up winning the game 82-67.  Needless to say none of the "big 4" teams have faced off against Daemen since.


It's time for the people of Western New York, the local media, the newspapers, and everyone else, to give Daemen athletics and the basketball programs it's long overdue respect.  It is a program that won't back down from anyone and won't certainly back down from a game, and from the looks of the last 20-plus years, they feed off the lack of support.