Men's Basketball

The New Season

CJ Wilcher

by WMT Manager
The New Season

I've always wanted to play basketball ever since I was two years old. 

Those pick-up games in the backyard with Mom pretending she was Shaq were really something, man. 

Small moments like that pushed me to pursue this dream of mine to the best of my ability.

Fast forward to now, and I'm playing in my second year at Nebraska with the start of the season right around the corner. 

Whew! It really is hard to believe. 

It's just crazy how quickly life moves, you know?

The good news is I don't feel like the new kid on the block anymore. 

Everything — and I mean, everything — is different from last year. 

We're still early in the process, but I feel like we've created a real brotherhood on this team from top to bottom. 

We would do anything for each other in terms of selfless acts. 

It's been a great feeling to be a part of something like that. Something that's bigger than any one individual player. 

It really does feel like the start of something special.

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Making the right adjustments

 

Finding that brotherhood meant a lot coming from a similar situation back at Xavier. 

You know, it isn't always easy being the new guy. 

I was excited to get here, obviously, but I was also a bit anxious.

I transferred a lot during high school, and it's always an adjustment when you land somewhere new.

The vibe was also different. 

Things are constantly moving in the northeast, you know?

So, the biggest adjustment for me came from just the emotions relating to the things going on in my surroundings. 

And I'd honestly consider that change a positive. If anything, it gave me the space in my mind to focus more on my craft.

Switching conferences and adjusting to the different style of play here in the Big Ten also came with some getting-used-to. 

If you watch basketball, you know what I mean.

So, all in all, it's just a really exciting opportunity for me to get this 'second chance' after things at Xavier just didn't pan out.

And all of these adjustment periods certainly helped me improve as both a player and a young adult.

Building a brotherhood

 

And speaking of adjustments, we've been working hard to really show our true potential this year.

We obviously weren't satisfied with how things went last season.

Personally, I took a hard look at myself and spent a lot of time this off-season working on my body and mind.

I've shed 15 pounds with just a renewed focus on my nutrition and strength training.  

I'm feeling better, moving better, quicker, and more athletic.

And when you feel better, you play better.

Every year, I feel like I'm in a new skin because I'm always processing things and trying to evolve to something greater. 

There's a complete difference in how I defend and how I move up and down the court now. 

It's all been so much better.

But that's just the individual work, you know what I mean? 

The team-building has been huge for us behind the scenes. 

Our interactions with each other and how we're able to show that brotherly love, while also holding one another accountable, is pretty rare to find. 

But there's way more positive reinforcement this year. When somebody messes up, it's more like, "You got this, bro." 

Get them up and move on to the next play. 

I think that builds confidence.

It builds camaraderie together.

And all of that will lead to success.

New team with a new skin

 

A big reason for our new-found perspective is our bond.

I mentioned this before, but this connection that we have is really unique and hard to come by.

One of the things that helped shape those relationships is the work we've done in our community. 

We all love giving back as it really puts things in perspective and connects you with the people that cheer for you and want to see you succeed.

Whether it's holding camps for kids, visiting schools, or trips to the local hospital — it's just such a rewarding experience.

One of my favorite camps, for example, was the one we held at Hendricks Training Complex. 

It was a camp for kids with disabilities. 

Usually, the setup is us going into separate gyms within a school and working with different age groups, but this particular camp, we were all in our practice facility. Together.

So, we were able to have those interactions as an entire group. 

It was just the players laughing, joking, and hyping the kids up while they were playing games. 

Experiences like that one mean everything to me. 

And it leaves a massive impact on how we interact with one another.

That brotherly love is real, man.

And nothing is more important than that team camaraderie, you know? 

It just shows you care. 

I mean, we're going out there and playing against some of the best teams in the country. 

It's going to take all of us to be successful.

That's how you win basketball games.

And that's how we plan on approaching it on Opening Night.

The fact that opening tip-off is so close is really exciting. We've put all this work in for the past six, almost seven months. 

I'm excited to get out there and showcase a little of what we can do on Opening Night.

Obviously, seeing is way better than hearing, and it's something fans will have to see for themselves once we start playing. 

This is a new team, and we're coming into this season with a new skin.