Last season, Manhattan Indians boys basketball won just six games, finishing 6-15. This year’s team, however, has brought a different energy. The Indians (5-1) have now won five straight.
For senior guard Will Carpenter, the turn-around began with a mindset change. An especially urgent one for seniors hoping to make the most of their last season with “Manhattan” sewn across their jersey.
“It all started in the summer. We all bought in,” Carpenter said. “Last year, we didn’t have that mindset of [the] clock’s ticking. Now it’s all just like, ‘[we] only so many more basketball games’. So we’re just laying it all out there and going hard every game.”
On Monday, Manhattan barely edged out Shawnee Heights 56-54.
Three days before, the Indians triumphed over Dodge City 76-54 at home on Dec. 12.
“We knew they were averaging 80 points going into the game,” senior guard Vince Doering said of Dodge City. “And we were trying to put a stop to that.”
Doering set a career-high mark of 21 points, as did senior guard Sawyer Newton with a career high 19 points.
The Indians caused mayhem on defense, stealing the ball 23 times.
“I feel like steals and takeaways and deflections are all just effort,” Carpenter said. “We’re just going all out every game, having the most effort, being the tougher team every game. And that’s how we get to run in transition and go.”
Doering had nine of the steals, more than double the next guy’s.
“I think [senior] Vince [Doering] is maybe the best defender in the state,” head coach Benji George said.
Three days prior, the Indians won their home opener against Salina Central 65-44 on Dec. 9. Carpenter led the Indians with a career high 21 points.
“If I can just say something about Will. [Salina Central] went zone that first half, and we haven’t seen much zone. And Will was so out of sorts. He air balled a couple threes. And that’s just not Will,” George said. “And his mental resilience the second half, just [to] wipe it and completely start new.”
The Indians’ first three games of the season took place at the Hays City Shootout with a game each day from Dec. 4-6. The Indians won their last two; against Hugoton 46-41 and Newton 55-37. But lost their season opener to Life Preparatory Academy 65-43.
