On Thursday Nov. 12 at 1 p.m., the GLIAC Council of Presidents and Chancellors released next years men’s and women’s basketball schedules. With the ongoing battle the schools have been enduring with COVID-19, the student athletes are more than ready to get back to their regular seasons.

Men’s basketball head coach Ric Wesley is excited to be back on the basketball court with his team, especially with some new recruits joining next season. It’s been a slow start to this season however, but the release of some sort of schedule is a good sign.

“It’s sort of moving along,” Wesley said. “We did come out with a conference schedule, so that’s encouraging that we got a plan, but obviously it’s still very much up in the air and every day is a different day.”

With new hope in the future and motivation to work towards, the GLIAC basketball schedule’s release includes some highlights for GVSU students to look forward to as well. GVSU’s basketball teams have five home games each to look forward to, playing a total of ten games next season before the GLIAC Championship tournament. 

The student athletes have been working especially hard towards keeping themselves and others safe, while still trying to stay in shape, eat right and keep their grades up. With all of the students on campus feeling the effects of Zoom fatigue at this point in the semester, keeping the faith in next year’s return to normal classes and campus life is more important than ever. 

“Let’s hope it’s a momentary setback and not something that’s going to continue,” Wesley said. “Especially in the environment we’re in right now, it feels like we’re a long way’s away from next year.”

One of the highlights to look forward to as well is new recruit Parker Day from Saginaw Heritage. Day’s exceptional high school record and versatility on the court made him a hot commodity among many universities, but as of National Signing Day on Nov. 11, Day is committed to joining the Lakers.

The 6’7” forward is a four-year letter winner, earning defensive MVP his junior year and becoming team captain this year. With one honorable mention all-conference performer and one first team all-conference, Wesley said he and the rest of the men’s basketball team are thrilled to begin working with the all-star athlete next year. 

The women’s basketball team also had a bundle of recruits joining GVSU. There will be seven new Lakers starting in 2021. This includes guards Paige VanStee from Thornapple Kellogg HS, Abrie Cabana from Grass Lake HS and Lexi Plitzuweit from Vermillion HS in South Dakota. The Lakers also recruited 6’3″ center Megan Crow from Gladstone HS. To round out the recruits, the Lakers brought in point guard Molly Anderson from Cadillac HS, forward Macy Bisballe from Houghton Lake HS and forward Nicole Kamin from Escanaba HS.

When 2021 arrives, the new recruits from both the men’s and women’s team will be ready to compete. As for this season, students and athletes must continue to stay on track for a healthy and healing winter semester in order to get back to normal campus life. 

“Our athletes, and I know everybody has, but they’ve done a really good job of staying focused,” Wesley said. “Improvising, doing what they can when they can. I mean, it’s tough and it’s tough for normal students. We’re all about togetherness and teamwork and all that, yet in this day and age, how do you create that team vibe without being together?”