It is a Friday in September and all of the Franciscan students are outside soaking in the beautiful weather before the cold winter comes. The men's basketball players, however, are no where to be seen. Well, that is because they are in the gym shooting around and doing their team lift. For the men's basketball team, as soon as they set foot to campus in August it is time to work and to bond with their new teammates. It is time for six-thirty am workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is time to have court workouts Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at eleven am to one pm. It is time to wake up at seven every Saturday morning to play pick up basketball at the Millsop Community Center in Weirton, West Virginia. All these workouts and team bonding practices are because of one thing: Preseason basketball. Preseason basketball can bring out the worst out of people and shows who can play and be tough in a blue collar town of Steubenville, Ohio.
I was on the Franciscan men's basketball team my freshman to half of my junior year. I stopped playing basketball due to a bad leg injury. Playing basketball at Franciscan is something I will never regret. I would not be where I am at today if it wasn't for the basketball team. Franciscan basketball made me develop my spirtual, physical, and mental game to the highest level. Where the most growth happens is the preseason. The preseason is the longest season out there. Preseason for the men's basketball team is as soon as you arrive at school in August till mid October. Then when the season ends late Feburary, all the players on the team enjoy a "one month vacation" and it is preseason time again. There is barely no time to take breaks. Franciscan men's head basketball coach Coach Wallace expects greatness for his basketball program. When it comes to competiveness and competing in the President's atheltic conference, Franciscan has to work much more than any other program to compete. Franciscan always has its back against the wall and always has a low budget when it comes to recruting, etc. Franciscan doesn't have a lot of money when it comes to atheltics, unlike highly-rated atheltic programs in Washington and Jefferson College and Grove City. In that case, Coach Wallace and his staff can't count on money to get highly ranked high school players throughout the country. They seek after players who live in the midwest or players who reach out to the coaching staff. That being said, preseason means everything and that is where the most improvement happens.
2022-2023 PAC Men's Basketball Standings.
Preseason for the 2023-2024 men's basketball team has been very competitive. Court workouts and lifts everyday take a toll on the players physcially and mentally. But to be even better, you put more work in the gym and work on your game before or after your scheduled practice times. For junior Derrick Derrow and sophomore Daniel Valenzuela, playing one on one is the best way to improve one's game. Pushing each other to be the best version of themselves is the best way to get better.
Sophmoroe Daniel Valenzuela sizes up against junior Derrick Derrow.
For upperclassmen, espcially seniors, this basketball program has meant so much to them and they are very passionate for the program and what it stands for. Joe Ciola, Alan Wood, Josh Zimmerman, Nick Allienello, and Joseph Silveira are the only seniors on this years squad and are dedicated to be leaders and to push every single person day by day. They were tired of losing last year and are looking for a fresh start with new beginnings this season. These seniors want to be right on track as soon as the first official practice starts this Saturday and want to make the most out of the preseason. When I had the opportunity to interview Joe Ciola the other day, he described preseason basketball with passion and enthusiasm. He told me, "to push it and give it everything you got when it sucks, when you want to be in bed, and when you know you got your brothers by your side is an amazing feeling and few things can compare."
As the preseason slowly comes to an end and the first offical practice looming around the corner, the men's basketball players give everything what they got. Blood and sweat for six am practices or competitiveness and physicality for Saturday morning pickup, the grind never stops. The Barons expect greatness this season and expect to be above .500. It means leadership and dedication at all times. And where all of this happens occurs in one season and one season only. Not fall, spring, summer or winter. It occurs in the preseason.
(From top left to right) Nick Allienello, Joseph Silveira, Yann Yonkeu, Joe Ciola, Alan Wood, Josh Zimmerman, and Derrick Darrow pose for a picture on 4th street in downtown Steubenville.
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