Dan McGowan
Sports Editor
With the college basketball season being right around the corner, there are some high expectations for some Division 1 schools looking to make their mark on the season. Teams like the Providence College Friars and the miraculous St. Peter’s University Peacocks look to make another run at March Madness. As for our Merrimack College Warriors, they look to compete in the NEC and win a conference championship after falling to 10-8 and fourth in the standings. With Bryant University leaving the Northeast Conference (NEC) after winning it with a 16-2 record, Merrimack has been one of the favorites to take the crown for the 2022-23.
| Seed | Team | Semi | Champ | Win |
| 2.8 | Wagner | 73.67% | 49.40% | 30.53% |
| 3.5 | Merrimack | 64.19% | 37.42% | 19.96% |
| 4.1 | LIU | 53.14% | 26.69% | 12.80% |
| 4.3 | St Fran (PA) | 50.28% | 24.19% | 11.14% |
| 4.5 | Sacred Hrt | 47.31% | 21.91% | 9.94% |
| 4.9 | St Fran (NY) | 39.20% | 16.52% | 7.01% |
| 5.7 | Central Conn | 25.18% | 8.57% | 3.19% |
| 5.8 | Stonehill | 23.85% | 7.88% | 2.85% |
| 5.8 | F Dickinson | 23.18% | 7.41% | 2.59% |
As the excitement of Merrimack basketball is high, I had a great sit down with the head coach Joe Gallo. When interviewing Coach Gallo, I asked some questions that me, the media, and the people of Merrimack are wondering as they tip off the season November 7th against St. Joseph.
“What are you most excited about for this upcoming season?”
“I’m excited about our four seniors who have stuck it out, others have been transferring all over the place but for them to now be favored to win the league, They are going to be voices of our team”
“How have you built a connection with the players?”
“We haven’t done a whole lot different than we normally do, we spend a lot of time with our players for that relationship peace. Our offseason connection is important, we feel we can coach them hard because of that”
“What are the expectations?”
“I never put a win number on anything, winning the next practice, next position, or winning in the classroom. Winning is our daily expectation. If that follows, the wins and losses carry themselves”
What do you have planned for the seniors of the 2022-23 season?
“We always have a senior night, but this class is unique because of the COVID times. This is a different type of senior class because they could all still play another year of basketball. We look to hopefully have some of them back next year.”
Coach Gallo was a pleasure to speak with, he is a very open presence and has a lot to say about what he expects from this season. I was honored to be able to learn a better understanding on the importance of great culture and all that this team has built over the years throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing as a team is one thing, but building a family on and off the court is what makes the sport mean more to you. When those bumps down the road throughout the season come along, it will be the connection that keeps everyone together. I look forward to seeing what this team brings this season, as they’ll be coached well and hard by Mr. Joe Gallo and his incredible staff.
